The S2G Podcast

Not many people produce category-defining companies twice. But then again, not many people are John Foraker. The comforting taste of Annie’s mac and cheese or their cheddar bunnies masks their revolutionary origins when organic products were relegated to the back corners of grocery stores. As the former longtime leader of Annies, John is partially to thank for bringing natural foods to the fore. Today, as the CEO of Once Upon a Farm, he is changing how customers buy baby and kid foods while meeting the growing demand for nutrient-filled, responsibly sourced, delicious products. This episode is as full of insights into starting a mission-driven CPG company as a Once Upon a Farm Smart Blend is with organic fruits and veggies. Key Takeaways:The Power of Brand Positioning: Under John’s leadership, both Annie’s and Once Upon a Farm have successfully positioned their brands in the mainstream market, proving that natural and healthy food brands can thrive among conventional competitors. Understanding the Consumer: With both companies, John was able to recognize the momentum moving toward more natural nutritious foods. A critical pivot moment for Once Upon a Farm occurred when they did more digging into their core customer. Building a Strong Brand Identity: John's strategy emphasizes the importance of a strong mission-driven brand identity that resonates with consumers' values and justifies different price points or purchasing behaviors. Sustainable scaling: John shares his thinking on balancing growth in product line and distribution with the need to hone your core offerings.Working with Celebrity Cofounders: Jennifer Garner is one of the co-founders of Once Upon a Farm and John speaks about how she has been foundational to the company’s ethos and success. Leading with transparency and humility: John explains why he sends out an email every week recapping the company’s successes and challenges and how he ensures he is not the smartest person in the room. Resources:John's LinkedInRamping Your BrandConsumer research on unplanned purchasesThis content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G. Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. Specific companies mentioned in this podcast are for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any kind. S2G holds positions in the companies referenced, but this podcast is for information purposes only and is not intended to promote any such company. All views of the guests on this podcast are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of S2G. Any past performance discussed is not indicative of future results. Chuck Templeton is a Managing Partner at S2G Investments. All Chuck's views, and the views of the guests on this podcast, are solely their opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of S2G. The views expressed herein are opinions based on certain assumptions and subject to change. For more important information, please see s2ginvestments.com/disclosures.

The podcast discusses the use of non-dilutive capital for climate solutions, the role of a special ops team in funding climate companies, the funding gap for capital-intensive climate businesses, and the mission of Special Ops to provide efficient funding solutions. They highlight the importance of cash flows, collateral, and contracts for downside protection in investments.

Experts Dan Ripma, Kate Danaher, and Larsen Mettler discuss food as health, supply chain resilience, and cultivated protein. They explore the convergence of food and healthcare, advancements in supply chain efficiency, and challenges in scaling cultivated protein. Key topics include perioperative nutrition, ocean intelligence technologies, and AI-driven supply chain optimizations.

In this episode, Chuck Templeton is joined by fellow Chicago entrepreneurs and old friends Chris Gladwin and Mike Evans for a captivating conversation about scaling their respective companies for exit.  Chris founded and sold CleverSafe and is currently the Founder and CEO of Ocient, a data analytics platform for the world's biggest data sets. Mike is the Founder of Grubhub and now the Founder of Fixer, a home maintenance membership company. Chris and Mike compare their customer acquisition experiences, discuss their hiring approaches, consider their mutual passion for endurance sports, and dig into their core business philosophies. It’s a conversation any entrepreneur will take valuable insights from. Key Takeaways:Customer acquisition for enterprise companies and small businesses: Mike shares how he thought about building a brand and providing customers with value early on. Chris speaks to the importance of understanding the buyer’s motivations.Their “just start” and “stay in business” mentalities: According to Mike, the only way to know if customers will buy your product is to start selling it. According to Chris, the number one reason businesses fail is because they don’t last long enough. What endurance sports can offer entrepreneurs: Read: a learning mindset and a lot of pain.Hiring for scale: Chris and Mike both share how they approached hiring and maintaining talent through different stages of growth.Building companies for exit: Chris and Mike discuss their philosophies on designing a company for exit, from creating a growth template to maximizing the probability of an exit. Ocient Socials: LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter) Ocient ResourcesDun & Bradstreet Customer Case StudyBeachfront Customer Case StudyMike Evans Socials: LinkedInThis content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G. Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. Specific companies mentioned in this podcast are for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any kind. S2G holds positions in the companies referenced, but this podcast is for information purposes only and is not intended to promote any such company. All views of the guests on this podcast are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of S2G. Any past performance discussed is not indicative of future results. Chuck Templeton is a Managing Partner at S2G Investments. All Chuck's views, and the views of the guests on this podcast, are solely their opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of S2G. The views expressed herein are opinions based on certain assumptions and subject to change. For more important information, please see s2ginvestments.com/disclosures.

Last year, we published a report entitled, "Trends Shaping the Future of Food in 2023." It turns out 2023 was quite the year with many market, geopolitical, and policy twists and turns. In this episode, we check in with S2G team members who contributed to the report to get their take on how these trends evolved in 2023 and into 2024. We interview Arthur Chow about robotics, Cristina Rohr about digital agtech, and Matt Walker about alternative crop inputs. Key Takeaways:Agricultural Robotics: Agriculture robotics companies are making substantial strides in delivering on promises and expanding their offerings. The shift towards platform solutions, as well as partnerships that enable robotics-as-a-service models, are reducing some of the barriers to adoption. Integrated Digital Ag Tech Solutions: The integration of digital agriculture solutions is enabling companies to quantify the cross-value chain benefits of climate-smart agriculture. Strategic partnerships and robust data infrastructure are pivotal in fostering adoption and optimizing environmental and economic outcomes.Rising Demand for Alternative Input Solutions: The demand for alternative input solutions, such as biologicals, is on the rise, driven by market shifts away from traditional chemicals and consumer preferences for environmentally friendly options. Companies are focused on substantiating the efficacy of these solutions while integrating them seamlessly into existing farming systems.Resources:Arthur's BioCristina's BioMatt's BioReflections on 2023 Agtech TrendsReflections on 2023 Food and Agriculture Supply Chain TrendsReflections on 2023 Food Tech TrendsThis content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G. Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. Specific companies mentioned in this podcast are for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any kind. S2G holds positions in the companies referenced, but this podcast is for information purposes only and is not intended to promote any such company. All views of the guests on this podcast are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of S2G. Any past performance discussed is not indicative of future results. Chuck Templeton is a Managing Partner at S2G Investments. All Chuck's views, and the views of the guests on this podcast, are solely their opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of S2G. The views expressed herein are opinions based on certain assumptions and subject to change. For more important information, please see s2ginvestments.com/disclosures.

We’re kicking off the revamped S2G podcast series with a deep dive into the art of scaling with Chuck Templeton, S2G senior managing director and entrepreneur known for founding OpenTable and guiding startups like Grubhub and Braintree. In this episode, Chuck imparts crucial wisdom on overcoming early adoption hurdles, refining sales processes, and remaining steadfastly customer-centric for scalable growth. He shares his 'just start' philosophy to innovate solutions and build antifragile structures within businesses. His insights will help entrepreneurs better understand the interconnected journeys of achieving success through positive impact and cultivating long-lasting, scalable enterprises even in the face of unexpected market fluctuations.Key Takeaways:Building Customer-Centric Infrastructure: Key to OpenTable's success was its relentless focus on understanding and addressing customer needs. Initiating Two-Sided Networks: Chuck shares how he thought about seeding two-sided networks at OpenTable, which was one of the first companies to do so. The Importance of Customer Segmentation: Not all customers are the same. Chuck talks about defining different customer groups and their motivations for adoption.  Polishing the Friction Off the Sales Process: The on-the-ground experience and process iterations it took to streamline the sales process and make signing up for OpenTable a no-brainer. Designing for Scale: How should companies think about accelerating growth, increasing returns, and hiring for scale?Maniacal Focus: The importance of having a clear vision and prioritizing survival. Resources:Chuck's BioThe Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas TalebThis content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G. Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. Specific companies mentioned in this podcast are for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any kind. S2G holds positions in the companies referenced, but this podcast is for information purposes only and is not intended to promote any such company. All views of the guests on this podcast are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of S2G. Any past performance discussed is not indicative of future results. Chuck Templeton is a Managing Partner at S2G Investments. All Chuck's views, and the views of the guests on this podcast, are solely their opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of S2G. The views expressed herein are opinions based on certain assumptions and subject to change. For more important information, please see s2ginvestments.com/disclosures.

On this podcast, we’re talking to business leaders, investors, policymakers, and thought leaders who have a transformative vision for the future. We’ll explore how their experiences and perspectives offer lessons into scaling the food, agriculture, oceans, and energy transitions.This content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G. Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. Specific companies mentioned in this podcast are for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any kind. S2G holds positions in the companies referenced, but this podcast is for information purposes only and is not intended to promote any such company. All views of the guests on this podcast are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of S2G. Any past performance discussed is not indicative of future results. Chuck Templeton is a Managing Partner at S2G Investments. All Chuck's views, and the views of the guests on this podcast, are solely their opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of S2G. The views expressed herein are opinions based on certain assumptions and subject to change. For more important information, please see s2ginvestments.com/disclosures.