Consumer VC

This episode is brought to you by Highbeam. Highbeam is the all-in-one banking and cash management platform built for consumer brands – https://www.highbeam.co/capital?partn…   Join host Mike Gelb as he chats with Shamin Walsh, Managing Director at BAM Ventures — the early-stage VC firm behind Thrive Market, Honey, and Cotopaxi. Shamin breaks down how BAM spots winning startups early, why fund siz...

This episode is brought to you by Highbeam. Highbeam is the all-in-one banking and cash management platform built for consumer brands – https://www.highbeam.co/capital?partnerId=consumervc In this episode of The Consumer VC, Mike Gelb sits down with Chris Kirby, founder of Ithaca Hummus, to uncover how he turned a local farmer’s market stand into a $50M+ premium food brand — without traditional VC...

#venturecapital #consumervc   Join host Mike Gelb on The Consumer VC as he talks with Sid Banthiya — investor, advisor, and former CSO at Milk Bar. In this episode, Sid dives deep into consumer startup dynamics, term sheet red flags, and how founders can scale smarter (not louder). Learn why many startups fall into the trap of "venture validation," when bootstrapping is better, and how to navigate...

Mathew Focht is the Founding Managing Partner of EMERGING, a $100M growth capital fund investing in the future of restaurant-tech and entertainment. In this episode of The Consumer VC , Mathew breaks down how EMERGING helps scale innovative hospitality concepts like F1® Arcade, BatBox, Puttshack , and more. We explore why the intersection of restaurants, entertainment, and technology is such a pow...

#consumervc #venturecapital #aicontentcreation Join host Mike Gelb on The Consumer VC as he talks with Ishan Sinha, Partner at Point72 Ventures. In this episode, Ishan shares insights into the evolving role of AI in consumer startups, the challenges of AI-driven media, and the future of monetization for creators. He discusses the impact of AI on intellectual property, whether VCs are still underes...

Join host Mike Gelb on The Consumer VC as he talks with Preston Rutherford, co-founder of Chubbies. In this episode, Preston delves into their founding journey, tackling topics like why they raised VC money, overcoming early manufacturing challenges, and evolving their brand strategy. He shares insights into achieving product-market fit, the importance of balancing short-term and long-term goals,...

Having transitioned from founding companies to supporting early-stage ventures, YC shares his passion for creating consumer-centric solutions across diverse industries. From media and sports technology to consumer goods, he reflects on shifting his focus from generating ideas himself to aiding under-managed ventures with effective execution and strategic capital alignment. YC's enthusiasm for coll...

Thank you to our presenting partner –– Propeller Industries https://www.propellerindustries.com/ Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies. Our guest today is Jeff Byers, CEO of Momentous. Momentous produces and sells best in class human performance products. Previously, Jeff Byers founded Amp Human and later acquired Momentous, mergin...

Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries https://www.propellerindustries.com/ Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies. Our guest on today’s episode is Daniel Faierman , Partner at Habitat Partners . Habitat Partners is an early-stage venture fund that is part of Red Antler. Red Antler is one of the premier branding and market...

In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to host Bryan Kim, Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, for an insightful conversation on the intersection of venture capital and consumer innovation. Brian shares his remarkable journey from a thriving career in investment banking to becoming a driving force in the tech industry. He opens up about the transformative experience of working with Alibaba during its groun...

Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries https://www.propellerindustries.com/ Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies. Thank you Jerry Staub for the intro to our guest today is Terri Rockovich, Founder & CEO of Jinx . Jinx is a dog food brand that offers premium kibble, homemade toppers, and beef crumbles and are made by...

n this episode with Jonathan Keidan, founder of Torch Capital, we dive into his journey from talent management in the music industry to early-stage venture capital. Jonathan shares how nurturing emerging artists parallels supporting founders, offering unique insights into spotting potential and overcoming challenges in both fields. He reveals key lessons learned from triumphs and setbacks in build...

In this episode with Brian Cho, co-founder and general partner at Patron, we explore the intricacies of the gaming world's future. From the complexities of cross-currency games to the delicate balance of control and user flexibility within game economies, Brian offers his invaluable perspective. We delve into the sustainability of centralized models and the transformative potential of generati...

Today, we're diving into the secrets of successful early-stage investments in North American consumer brands with Marcel Bens, CEO of Emil Capital. In this episode, Marcel shares the unique strategy of Emil Capital’s hybrid venture firm, with its sharp focus on 'better-for-you' products and how it bridges the critical investment gap between angel investors and larger private equity fir...

Our guest today is Vanessa Larco, Partner at NEA. She shares her journey from pioneering XBox at Microsoft to navigating the social gaming boom with Playdom and making her mark in venture capital. Discover her investment ethos centered on consumer passion projects, successful investments in companies like Robinhood and Mejuri, and her insights on AI's transformative potential across industries...

Join us as we explore the cutting-edge intersection of AI, science, and consumer innovation with Osman Khan, CEO and co-founder of Squared Circles. Discover how his venture studio is revolutionizing product development and redefining the future of consumer brands. Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries https://www.propellerindustries.com/ Propeller Industries is the leading strategic fin...

Our Guests Today is Abby Miller Levy, the visionary founder of Primetime Partners. In this enlightening episode, Abby shares her journey from personal frustration with her aging parents to spearheading a venture capital firm that is revolutionizing opportunities for older adults. Discover How Abby and renowned venture investor Alan Patricof are fostering entrepreneurial innovation to transform the...

Our guests today are Angela Vranich and Ben Lewis, the dynamic duo behind Little Spoon, as we explore their journey from high school sweethearts to co-founders of a revolutionary baby food brand. Listen in as they share how their early fascination with consumer brands led them to the natural products industry, and how their personal relationship evolved into a successful business partnership. Ange...

Our guests today are Andrew Bluestein and Ashley Hartman, Managing Partners of Bluestein Ventures. Bluestein Ventures invests in the future of food. What does that mean? They focus on investing in High-growth consumer brands, Proprietary foodtech, Next-gen commerce, Value-add digital technology. They just raised a $45 million third fund – which huge congrats to them for doing so. We discuss the tr...

Our guest today is Manica Blain. In this episode, we journey through the fascinating evolution of two beauty brands that have overcome initial hurdles to achieve remarkable success. Discover how an Ayurvedic beauty brand captured investor interest through high repeat purchase rates and how Everest, a hair care concentrate brand, pivoted from sustainability to performance, leading to explosive grow...

Our guest today is Teddy Townsend of CG Sawaya Partners, as we explore the dynamic world of health and wellness brand acquisitions. Teddy brings her expertise to the table, shedding light on why companies in this vibrant sector pursue mergers and acquisitions, and how different types of buyers, from private equity funds to strategic acquirers, approach these deals Thank you to our Partner –– Prope...

Our guest today is Diana Melencio . Diana manages the entire XRC Ventures investment process across three investment vehicles – Accelerator Fund, Brand Capital Fund, and Opportunity Fund. Thank you to our Partner ––  Propeller Industries Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies. Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://www.theconsumervc.c...

Our guest today is Dayton Miller , Managing Partner at BFG Partners . BFG Partners help entrepreneurs build exceptional businesses that deliver sustainable growth and outperform competitors in the better-for-you food, beverage, and consumer products space. Their investments include Olipop, Athletic Greens, Caulipower, and Bobo’s. We discuss the inflection points at seed, series A, and Series B in...

Our guest today is George Milton & Erin Link, Founders of YellowBird Foods a Modern Hot Sauce business. We discuss: • How did they get into Whole Foods? • How did they also get into Walmart? • How did their approach to retail expansion? • How did they approach branding and positioning for Yellowbird Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries – https://www.propellerindustries.com/ Propell...

Our guest today is Amrit Richmond, Founder of Indie CPG since 2019, and has also joined SecureCPG recently We discuss: • What gives a food and drink brand accusation energy? • What are the different profiles of the acquire today? • Why acquire emerging brands? Thank you to our Partner ––  Propeller Industries Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-...