Amazi Foods

The CPG train continues..! 🚃 There's a commonality that I've learned amongst top CPG founders. Like any first-time founder, most *don't* know what they're getting into. The naivety can be a superpower. Scrappiness goes a long way. There is an external light bulb that ultimately goes off that forces them to explore, to create, and to learn - fast. So for those who have a seedling to start a company - especially CPG - you don't know until you do it! Baby steps... This week, I'm really excited to share my chat with Renee Dunn on She Leads with Carly. Renee is the Founder & CEO of Amazi Foods. Renee is no different. After her college trip to Uganda, she couldn't stop thinking about the opportunity in fixing a broken supply chain while bringing incredibly delicious and tropical dried fruit into the states. In our chat, we talk about all things from her upbringing (especially her parents' values of gratitude + work ethic + integrity), to the mental health aspects of founding (it's a constant ♾️) and the *many* lessons learned along the way. KEY: Trust yourself. Asking advice from others is good...to an extent. Follow your gut instinct👇 Links to the full episode in the comments! Thank you for coming on the pod, Renee!

As part of the KeHE CARE Trade program, Amäzi is dedicated to helping you Snack on Purpose with their 100% Ugandan-made tropical fruit snacks. Enjoy snacks that contribute to a sustainable and connected supply chain. Find Amäzi products on KeHE CONNECT Retailer®: https://bit.ly/3SAT6SV

This week, USAID Africa Trade and Investment Activity in partnership with the USAID Southern Africa and the South African Consulate General in New York hosted a webinar titled : ‘Understanding and unlocking U.S. markets: Product Pricing.’’ The session focused on product pricing and included industry speakers who shared their experiences on how to price goods for the U.S. market. This was the third of a five-part series of virtual information sessions to raise awareness about exporting to the United States under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). “Understanding and unlocking U.S. markets: A webinar series on how to successfully export to the United States” includes topics such as export compliance and regulation, distribution, and logistics among others. ‘Pricing is the reflection of everything one does in a business. From your product development all the way down to the link to your website because we are living in a world driven by value. Entering the U.S. market is a strategic move by a merit of reasons that collectively make it an attractive proposition for companies worldwide,” said Mr. Ismail Eli Esau Acting Consul General, South African Consulate General In New York. Mark Teat, Chief Sales Officer at U.S.-based marketing and logistics company ONTDEK, spoke about the technical side of pricing for export, offering useful tips on route-to-market solutions. Bringing a voice to personal experience, Renee Dunn, founder and CEO of Amazi Foods, gave a breakdown on working with distributors, major retailers, and e-retailing and how this works for the brand exporting fruit snacks from Uganda to the United States. “If you have a story to tell, a social mission or a certification such as minority-owned or woman-owned, these can help you negotiate with the retailer. Let your journey tell your product story,’’ Renee said. Finally, Claudia Castellanos, managing director of Eswatini-based Black Mamba Foods, engaged participants with her experience of exporting from Southern Africa to the United States, with a particular focus on how to price products, taking into consideration all the different costs, such as distributors, brokers, and agents in international food trade. USAID Africa Trade and Investment Activity works to address key elements relating to exporting to U.S. markets and these webinars provide a platform for exporters to access information and raise questions to deepen their familiarity with the processes on their way towards success. Keep a look out for the fourth edition of the series next month. Topic of discussion: Logistics, Shipping and Warehousing

What better day than #GIVINGTUESDAY to launch our latest impact-driven snack?! ANNOUNCING: Piña Colada Pineapple! 🍍🥥🍍🥥🍍🥥 She's an absolute party in your mouth, a taste of the tropics - made simply with Organic (CERTIFIED!!) Ugandan grown pineapple and Fair Trade Kenyan Coconut, she's bursting with sweet, festive flavor without any added sugars or preservatives. It's appropriate that she, like me, is a Sagittarius 😂 ♐ - you'll be ready to escape and be transported to warmer weather with every bite. At the core of every Amazi Foods product is a strong social cause and a built in way to give back through our commitment of creating high-value market access for our partners in Uganda. Piña Colada Pineapple not only allows us to offer something more accessible to the US consumer with a fruit & flavor that is familiar to most (as opposed to our more niche jackfruit snacks), but helps to strengthen our pineapple farmer relationships by increasing purchases at farm gate. It's been a season of ups and downs behind the scenes here at Amäzi, as it has been for many emerging brands. I'm excited to see how this product helps drive trial, and in turn, creates more predictable production and sourcing opportunities for our Ugandan partners. As always, every bite you take goes straight from the farm, to the bag, to your tastebuds through our vertically integrated supply chain - creating 100s of jobs, sourcing from over 300 farmers, and paying 2-3x the local market wages. We're so excited to have you all #SnackonPurpose with us and join the Piña Party!!!! (LINK IN COMMENTS TO SHOP - exclusively online until 2024!)

We are LIVE at MOM's Organic Market!!!! As a local to the DMV, I've loved shopping at MOMs, and have long been presenting our items to the teams in the hopes of landing on their highly selective shelves... Excited to share that we've finally broken through, and have a unique assortment available at all MOMs locations featuring Amazi Foods' Salted Olive Oil Plantain Chips (one of the few retailers that carries our unique dried-never-fried iteration!), Moringa Hibiscus Pineapple, and Ginger Turmeric Jackfruit. A HUGE thank you to Laura Tribble and Annie Kuebler for working with us on this values-aligned partnership. And if you're near a MOMs, snag a bag (or 3!) and snap a photo if you can!