The Missing Ingredient

Sara Couch is the General Manager of Splendor Water USA, a premium bottled water brand known for its unique mineral content sourced from volcanic springs in Ecuador. She leads US growth strategy, retail expansion, and brand development, overseeing partnerships across major retailers while shaping marketing and distribution. Sara blends her background in education policy, nonprofit leadership, and...

Laurie Buckle is the Founder and CEO of CookIt Media, an influencer marketing and talent management agency with expertise in the food and lifestyle space. With more than three decades of experience in food publishing and media, she has helped dozens of food bloggers and creators develop their brand stories, content strategies, and business growth plans. An alum of renowned publications including ...

Fred Hart is a Brand and Design Consultant at Hart Brands, a creative consultancy helping CPG brands unlock growth through strategy, design, and packaging. Over the past decade, he built a 30-person branding agency, transformed more than 137 CPG brands, and partnered with founders, growth-stage companies, and Fortune 500 teams. Fred brings a research-informed, principle-led approach to crafting br...

Jake Ahles is the Founder and Creative Director at Morel Creative, a creative agency that helps purpose‑driven food, beverage, and CPG brands grow through strategic storytelling and visual content strategy. He also co-founded The FareTrade, a CPG curation subscription box that highlighted conscious brands. Jake brings firsthand experience in brand growth and creative execution, having helped brand...

CJ Bruce is the Founder and CEO of The Missing Ingredient, a marketing agency dedicated to helping food and beverage brands grow through performance marketing, brand building, influencer partnerships, and AI-driven strategies. Under his leadership, The Missing Ingredient has helped brands 5x their sales over five years, and CJ himself is recognized for building marketing systems that drive measura...

WavenDean Fernandes is the Brand Activation Director at TIG Brands, a business advisory platform that helps entrepreneurs build nimble, capital-efficient, and resilient consumer brands. With over 40 years of experience in branding, design, and marketing, WavenDean has worked across global companies and leading agencies, including Apple and Landor. Today, he supports founders in scaling with purpos...

Sonya Patel is the Founder of PUR Spices, a Cleveland-based food brand creating boldly flavored, top allergen-free sauces, spice blends, and freeze-dried snacks inspired by her family's experience with food allergies. Since launching in 2019, Sonya has grown PUR Spices from a grassroots startup into a multi-channel business, with nationwide reach through Amazon and select regional retail partners....

Nikki Peyraud and Alexander Deleuse are the Co-founders of BOTH/AND, a systems change company that helps organizations radically transform by embracing the creative tension between divergent perspectives. Under their leadership, BOTH/AND has worked with top brands across industries, demonstrating impressive results in brand growth and organizational alignment. Nikki brings over 20 years of experie...

Aubrea Alford is the Founder of Starflower Marketing, a boutique consultancy helping purpose-driven food and lifestyle brands grow through strategic storytelling and brand development. With over a decade in CPG marketing, Aubrea has led brand and innovation initiatives that helped scale Hope Hummus into the top organic hummus in the natural channel and supported companies like Traditional Medicina...

Brandie Miller and Will Miller are the Co-founders of Mochi Love, a company expanding how mochi shows up in grocery stores with fresh, non-ice cream formats and upcoming shelf-stable products. Brandie is a 17-year CPG veteran recognized as a Supermarket News Disruptor and Progressive Grocer Top Woman in Grocery, known for spotting trends and building retail-ready brands. Will, with a background in...

Jeff Smith is the Co-founder and CEO of JS2 PR, a Los Angeles–based agency specializing in branding, public relations, and communications for food, beverage, and hospitality brands. With more than 30 years of experience, Jeff has helped launch and grow some of the nation's most recognized consumer brands, including Starbucks, Jamba Juice, Arclight Cinemas, and Whole Foods Market. Known for his res...

CJ Bruce is the Founder and CEO of The Missing Ingredient, a marketing agency dedicated to helping food and beverage brands grow through performance marketing, brand building, influencer partnerships, and AI-driven strategies. Under his leadership, The Missing Ingredient has helped brands 5x their sales over five years, and CJ himself is recognized for building marketing systems that drive measura...