September 10, 2024 – The Well professional network, a membership-based organization committed to empowering the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and wellness community, exhibited at the inaugural Newtopia Now trade show in Denver, and also hosted a private reception with RodeoCPG and Entrepreneur Ventures presented by VENDO and Morrison Foerster, which drew a strong turnout and benefitted Wellfare, a nonprofit that helps support food-insecure communities.
The Well exhibited at Newtopia Now August 26-27 in Denver, held for the first time by the organizers of the Natural Products Expo West show in Anaheim, California. To coincide with Newtopia, The Well co-hosted a private reception with RodeoCPG and Entrepreneur Ventures on August 26 at the Clayton Club, which was attended by over 200 brand founders, advisors, investors and members of the Denver Angels network.
We had a solid turnout of industry guests at a superb venue in Denver,” said Zach DeAngelo, CEO of RodeoCPG, a tech platform based in Colorado that empowers CPG brands through data-driven insights, operations excellence and sales growth. He added, “It was awesome to welcome founders and friends to Colorado, which has a robust ecosystem that has launched so many successful natural brands. We look forward to the return of Newtopia next year and hosting this special event again.”
“We were happy to continue our partnership with The Well, which began soon after the launch of Entrepreneur Ventures this Spring and took place during NY TechWeek in June, as we are both aligned in connecting promising founders and engaged investors in the consumer and other industries,” said Jonathan Hung, General Partner of Entrepreneur Ventures. Entrepreneur Ventures also hosted other events in Denver with its investor partners and companies in its investment portfolio, including Chubby Cattle, and met with potential new partners at Newtopia. He added, “We enjoyed getting to know the Denver investment ecosystem and look forward to partnering with The Well next month for LA TechWeek with a ‘Pitch & Panel’ event on October 15 in Los Angeles.”
“Events like these are a huge boost for Wellfare and help bring more partners, donors and supporters into our mission,” said Cole Riley, CEO of Wellfare. “Every day, we’re delivering the best of better-for-you to communities in need and that’s only made possible by this incredible CPG ecosystem and mission-driven groups like The Well.”
Presenting sponsors VENDO and Morrison Foerster and other reception supporters shared remarks about their platforms and engagement with the CPG industry. Guests also heard from representatives of the Denver Angels investors network and TikTok Shop.
“We participated in Newtopia since we had several clients including TRIP Drinks exhibit at the trade show, and really wanted to have a strong showing this year by becoming one of the presenting sponsors of the reception,” said Yoji Cole, Senior Director of Business Development at VENDO, a 360° digital growth agency specializing in online marketplaces Amazon and Walmart.com, among others
“Our firm and our clients showed up in force to this reception, given our significant presence of attorneys in the Denver market and clientele among local and national CPG brands,” said Chuck Cotter, partner with Morrison Foerster and one of the presenting sponsors of the reception.
Other sponsors included Governess a leading brand messaging and design agency supporting the CPG industry and Harrison Co., a consumer-focused investment bank and M&A advisory working exclusively with business owners and operators.
“It has been an absolute privilege to be part of The Well’s mission to elevate the CPG ecosystem nationwide,” said Melissa Blaser, founder of Governess. “From the innovative programs we support in SoCal, where our agency is based, to exciting industry gatherings like the reception at Newtopia in Denver, we are proud to help foster collaboration and drive growth amongst brands and like-minded partners across the country.”
Reception partners included Assembled Brands, Konnect Agency, MFD and SecureCPG. In addition, reception supporters included The TeaBook, which also exhibited at Newtopia Now, in addition to Capital One, Oishii and Glimpse.
“Newtopia was an ideal show for our debut since it’s also the first year for the show,” said Nira Paliwoda, Co-Founder of The Well and Founder of US Veg Corp. “We can grow together and look forward to future trade shows. In fact, we’re planning for a special event focused on women leaders and female-focused innovation in the CPG industry, to take place during the Natural Products Expo West show in March 2025 coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the launch of The Well. Stay tuned!”
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