March 6, 2024 – Next week on March 12, the launch of The Well, a new professional membership network will feature women innovators including a successful teenage candy entrepreneur, celebrated plant-based chef and creators of The Tiny Chef Show, impactful founders and senior executives to coincide with Women’s History Month and the Natural Products Expo West in Southern California.
“We can’t wait to welcome our friends and partners to our launch event in Southern California! This will be the start of more bespoke events with intentional networking and programming to engage founders and enhance their executive teams,” said Julie Fabricant, Chief Marketing Officer of ForceBrands and a founding member of The Well.
Featured panelists include women innovators of all ages including Alina Morse, the 18-year old Founder & CEO of Zolli Candy, the #1 selling delicious zero sugar candy, which she started when she was nine years old. “My Gen Z peers pay close attention to what they consume, and the brand’s impact and values,” said Morse. “I’m thrilled for the opportunity to share what I’ve learned and hear from other incredible founders at the event!”
Another entrepreneur featured on the panel is Chef Margaux Riccio, the co-founder of Vertage Foods, a dairy-free cheese company beloved by some of the top chefs in the country. Margaux is a leader in plant-based innovation, having launched four restaurants in the Washington DC area under the Pow Pow and Bubbie’s brands, which feature house-made cheeses and meats. “My restaurant customers and chef friends kept asking where they could buy my cheeses, so I worked with an experienced team to develop and launch Vertage, and I’m excited about the foodservice and retail partnerships we have been building, including with Fresh Del Monte, to bring healthier plant-based options to more and more people.”
Panelist Briana Warner, award-winning CEO of Atlantic Sea Farms added, “We are honored to be among such a great company of women who are bringing healthier and more responsibly sourced products to the marketplace. Our journey at Atlantic Sea Farms is centered on the belief that good food should do good and we are on a mission to show that our food system can be a catalyst for hope and positive change.”
Panelist JJ Kass, Senior Vice President and Managing Director US of TiNDLE Foods, added that, “At TiNDLE, we’re committed to innovation and reducing our reliance on animal agriculture by offering quality, great-tasting plant-based foods such as our flagship chicken to new offerings like our sausages and dairy products. We’re pleased to be joining this group of innovators and business leaders who share a mission with us in leaving a smaller footprint on the Earth.”
Other panelists include Rachel Larsen and Ozlem Akturk, the creators of The Tiny Chef Show an Emmy Award-winning show on Nickelodeon.
The event will also honor Joy Stoddard, formerly the Director of Development and Outreach at Whole Planet Foundation, a Whole Foods Market non-profit dedicated to poverty alleviation through microcredit loans around the world where the company sources products.
The March 12 event is sponsored by brand partners led by women and other founders including Andalou and Mineral Fusion, Anchin, A’Bev More, Betty Buzz, Butter Baked Cake Co, Hawaiian Vinegar Company, Innvotec and SWOTA Inc, Ito En, Jöey Nordic Seed Crisps, Karma Nuts, MaryRuth’s Organics, Merchant Financial Group, Musuka Group, Newlin Ventures, nutpods, Optimist Drinks, Son Fish Sauce, Wynn’s Kitchen, Travel Eeze, UNiTE Food, UrbanStems, Vertage Foods and Weleda. Other event supporters include Atlantic Sea Farms, Bitchin’ Sauce, BUYO, KeVita, Lemongrass Farms, LOVE CORN, LOVO Chocolate, MIKUNA, Pzaz, The Tea Book, TiNDLE Foods, Topo Chico and friends.
The event will be held at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California, which is near the Anaheim Convention Center where the Natural Products Expo West show is being held March 12-16. Details of The Well’s future events will also be shared during the March 12 event, including a May 16, 2024 event in partnership with Hugo Boss at its flagship store in New York City.
For more information about the event or to attend, please visit the registration link.
For partnership opportunities, please contact: Nira: nira@two-shes.com, Mark: mark@planetlarecords.com, and Brian: brian.choi@foodinstitute.com.
About The Well
The Well is a membership-based organization committed to empowering the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and wellness community. Our mission is to engage with CPG and wellness companies to enhance the growth stages of their brand lifecycle, leveraging our network of members to connect them with the resources necessary for their business advancement.
Co-founders of The Well include professionals at Blossom.it, Cream of the Crop, The Food Institute, Force Brands, Happy Wellness Consulting, Planet LA Records, Poe Law PLLC, Roadmap Advisors, Narwhal Network, SMC Consulting, Two Shes Productions, US Veg Corp, Vierra Ventures, Vertage Foods and other companies.
Updates: #FollowTheWell and at www.followthewell.com
