4TH ANNUAL PITCH SLAM

COMPETITION & CELEBRATION

 

Congratulations to the 2022 Pitch Slam Winners!

Whether it’s to showcase your talents or to keep your finger on the pulse of the latest trends in the natural products industry, Naturally Bay Area’s 4th Annual Pitch Slam Competition is the place to be to see the Bay Area’s best and brightest. Meet the finalists and our judges, below.


Event Details

  • DATE:  Thursday, July 28, 2022
  • TIME: 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. PT
  • LOCATION: Virtual — Zoom Broadcast From The Bay Area, California, Pacific Time

2022 Pitch Slam Finalists

Biotic Ferments is a Bay Area family-owned and family-made probiotic beverage brand. They aim to regenerate living systems, starting with the human microbiome. Their kvass (kah-voss), a traditional fermented beverage from eastern Europe, is made using only the cleanest whole-food ingredients enlivened by science-backed probiotic fermentation. They’re making holistic gut health support a thirst-quenching pleasure.

Current Foods provides sushi-grade, taste-making seafood that happens to be made entirely from plants. Their goal is to help ensure a sustainable planet by using biotechnology to create foods that celebrate our oceans and their bounty without dropping a single fishing net. Their products go toe to toe with traditional raw tuna and smoked salmon, without any compromise in taste, texture, enjoyment, or nutritional profile.

G’s Dry Hard Ginger Beer crafts clean beverage alcohol. First to market and created from a passion for fermenting and chasing a healthier gut. Founder, dry-farmer and wine-maker, Donna Katz, an Aussie native now living in Napa Valley, crafts these vibrantly flavorful, absurdly aromatic, refreshing and memorable dry hard ginger beers that are ready to drink, and ready to mix.

Happy Moose is the first line of juices and wellness shots made with heirloom produce sourced from sustainable family farms. Heirloom produce is the most flavorful and nutritious produce on the planet. Unlike industrially grown produce that’s genetically engineered to optimize size, yield, and durability — their family farming partners use natural pollination and regenerative growing practices to cultivate mind-blowing flavor and nutrient richness.

Ting’s uses jackfruit to create plant-based and nutrient-dense foods inspired by Asian flavors. Ting’s chips are crunchy and versatile and feature ripe jackfruit’s mildly sweet, tropical flavors without added sugar, preservatives, or artificial ingredients. They cater to the ever-growing demographic of plant-based eaters looking for efficient snacking and meal options

Twrl Milk Tea was founded on an obsession to make milk tea—a quintessential Asian drink—even better. They’ve crafted the world’s first plant-based milk tea inspired by the founders’ Asian-American heritage that is refreshingly delicious, better-for-you, and better for the planet.

Zeek Bar has figured out how to make a snack bar that is a no-brainer for parents: drastically less sugar, 4-5x more protein, and a flavor profile kids love. They’re a challenger brand in the kid’s bar category with a vision to become the brand “for kids, by kids.

2022 Pitch Slam Prizes

Grand Prize Valued at Over $40K: Won by Twrl Milk Tea

  • 10’x10′ booth at 2022 Natural Products Expo East, courtesy of New Hope Network 
  • $5K cash, courtesy of Aspect Consumer Partners
  • Market Research report valued at $10,000, courtesy of SPINS
  • An invitation to pitch at the Expo East Pitch Slam Semi-Finals
  • A customized suite of professional services

2nd Place Prize: Won by Current Foods

  • An invitation to pitch at the Expo East Pitch Slam Semi-Finals, courtesy of New Hope Network
  • Market Research report valued at $3,500 courtesy of SPINS
  • $1K cash courtesy Aspect Consumer Partners

Don Buder People’s Choice Award: Won by Twrl Milk Tea

  • $1K cash

Judges

We’re grateful to our esteemed judges. More details on each of them here!

Other Special Guests

  • Carlotta Mast, New Hope Network
  • John Grubb, Summit Venture Management
  • Paul Voge, Aura Bora
  • Pete Brennan, Naturally Bay Area & Purely Righteous Brands
  • Robyn Rutledge, SBG Growth

Emcee

  • Lisa Curtis, Naturally Bay Area & Kuli Kuli