OVERVIEW

In this week’s Quick Bites panel, CPG Corporate Venture Funds – How Big Food Invests in Emerging Brands, we heard directly from the leaders of two corporate venture funds focusing on food and beverage investment.

PANELISTS

Naturally Bay Area board member Don Buder, Partner at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, led the conversation with our featured guests:

• Tapan Shah, Director of Venture Capital, Snack Futures at Mondelēz International
  Tapan leads Venture Capital activity for Mondelez. He came to Mondelez from Pepsico where he was Principal within the Ventures Group. Prior to joining Pepsico, Tapan was a Director at AF Ventures (AccelFoods), where he was active in sourcing and managing investments, as well as guiding marketing strategy for the fund and its portfolio companies. He started his career at Glaceau and went on to marketing and leadership roles at the Campbell Soup Co. and Energy Kitchen. Tapan received a bachelor’s from Villanova University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.
• Simon Burton, Managing Director, eighteen94 Capital
  Simon Burton has been managing director of eighteen94 capital since early 2016. In this position, he leads Kellogg Company’s corporate venture capital fund. The fund invests in small companies that compete in Kellogg’s core categories or adjacent categories, or that provide enabling technologies. Mr. Burton leads the sourcing and negotiation of the deals and the fund’s relationships with the companies in the portfolio. As a result, he often holds the position of member of board of the companies and coordinates the assistance provided to them by Kellogg.

VIEW VIDEO

• Watch the video recording on YouTube