Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing I Brands

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...Katie Wilson is the CEO and co-founder of BelliWelli, a gut health brand that went from home kitchen experiments to the shelves of Walmart and Target—with zero paid ads and no CPG background.Before BelliWelli, Katie was a celebrity matchmaker who helped founders, actors, and CEOs find love. But a personal gut health crisis after food poisoning sent her down a new path—one that exposed a massive gap in the wellness market.If you’re building a consumer brand, struggling with growth, or tired of DTC hype—this episode is a masterclass in scrappiness, community, and execution.She explains: ▫️How she built a viral brand by buying Facebook groups ▫️Why IBS became her billion-dollar insight ▫️The bizarre story of how she raised $200K from a Clorox exec on LinkedIn ▫️Why she pitched Walmart before launching a DTC site ▫️How BelliWelli beat legacy brands without a marketing budget ▫️What most startups get wrong about retail and virality00:00 Intro 02:41 How She Became a Celebrity Matchmaker 06:17 What Founders Are Like as Dating Clients 10:03 Getting Hired by Match.com 13:11 The Gut Health Breakdown That Sparked Everything 16:59 Her Husband’s Role in Creating the First Bar 18:08 The Secret Power of Facebook Groups 19:01 How She Bought 20+ Groups to Launch the Brand 21:24 Scaling From Kitchen Bars to 500K+ Customers 24:34 How She Met Her First Investor Through Matchmaking 25:47 What Made an Exec Wire Her $200K 27:12 From “IB Simple” to Rebranding as BelliWelli 31:01 Why Retailers Told Her the Original Brand Would Fail 33:19 Getting Into Sprouts, Then Target 36:40 Why the Protein Bar Aisle Isn’t Ready for Fiber 40:51 The Genius Move to Launch Fiber Powders at Walmart 44:12 How a Gluten-Free Café Introduced Her to Walmart’s Buyer 46:04 Why Walmart Called to Say “What Did You Do?” 47:04 Her Secret Edge as CEO 48:58 Going Viral at Walmart—With No Ad Spend 50:41 Filming Hundreds of Organic Videos in Store 51:08 Driving 1 Billion Walmart Impressions in 7 Months 53:39 What Most Founders Misunderstand About Community 55:33 Why She’s Still in Walmart Every Night—📬 Subscribe to The Consumer VC newsletter for startup trends:https://www.theconsumervc.com/🎧 Listen on:Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/4Hjm74Z...Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...Follow Mike:Twitter / Instagram / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc

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...Richard Laver isn't your typical founder.At age 12, he survived a plane crash that killed 137 people—including his father. Years later, he built Kate Farms to save his daughter's life, scaling it to hospitals nationwide and raising $75M. Then he walked away from it all.Now, he’s back with Lucky Energy—a clean, purpose-driven energy drink brand that just raised $14M.In this powerful episode, Richard shares:The personal tragedy that shaped his missionHow he scaled a life-saving formula into a national brandWhy he believes the energy drink industry is brokenThe strategy behind launching Lucky Energy in a saturated marketHow to build trust, win retail, and raise capital in 2024If you're in CPG, startup land, or just love founder stories with real heart and hustle—this is the one. Topics:Surviving tragedy and finding purposeBuilding Kate Farms from kitchen to $75M Series CWhat makes energy drinks so hard to win inWhy most brands fail at retail (and how to fix it)Richard’s $14M raise and plans for Lucky Energy🎧 Subscribe & Listen: 🌐 Website & Newsletter → https://www.theconsumervc.com/ 🎧 Youtube→ https://www.youtube.com/@consumervc  🍎 Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...📱 Follow Mike Gelb Instagram → @mikegelb TikTok → @consumervc Twitter → @mikegelb#richardlaver #energydrinkstartup #founderstory #consumerbrands #katFarms #luckyenergy #cleanenergy #startuplife #venturecapital #founderjourney #consumervc

Shamin Walsh, Managing Director at BAM Ventures, shares her expertise on spotting early-stage consumer brands. She discusses balancing brand identity with infrastructure and consumer tech. The conversation highlights the significance of price discipline amidst market hype and what defines sticky consumer products. Shamin also emphasizes the importance of strong founder relationships and navigating fundraising strategies. With insights into leveraging AI effectively, this engaging discussion reveals key lessons for building successful consumer companies.

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=consumervcIn 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 funding.Chris shares:Why he left fine dining to build a CPG brandHow Ithaca Hummus was born at a student farmer’s marketSelling without brokers & scaling through scrappy growthWhy they said NO to VCs and focused on unit economics & velocityHow packaging and taste-first branding drove national expansionStrategic partnerships that led to explosive revenue jumps🔥 If you're a CPG founder, emerging brand, or curious about bootstrapping a premium product, don’t miss this.🕒 Timestamps00:00 - Opening Quote: The Magic of Farmer’s Markets03:24 - From Fine Dining to Culinary Burnout06:36 - Discovering a Gap in Ithaca’s Food Scene10:46 - Launching Ithaca Hummus from a Camp Kitchen13:54 - The Addictive Energy of Farmer’s Markets19:15 - No Brokers: Selling to Co-ops Door-to-Door24:33 - Sampling, Promotions & Retailer Education28:10 - $1M to $3.5M: Strategic Investment from Co-Man33:50 - Saying No to VCs: Building Without External Pressure37:17 - What Strategic Actually Means in CPG41:50 - Branding, Packaging & the Power of “Owning Taste”45:33 - Creating Viral Flavors (e.g. French Onion Hummus)47:59 - Graza x Ithaca: Strategic Co-Branded Launch50:00 - Long-Term Vision: Legacy, Not Liquidity53:50 - Lightning Round: Books, Beliefs & Brands#venturecapital #consumervc #vcfunding —📬 Subscribe to The Consumer VC newsletter for startup trends:https://www.theconsumervc.com/🎧 Listen on:Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/4Hjm74Z...Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...📲Follow Mike:Twitter / Instagram / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc

#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 hot markets without losing your edge. Sid also reveals why understanding liquidation preferences is critical for founders and shares trends in CPG, e-commerce, and supplements.This episode is brought to you by Highbeam.Highbeam is the all-in-one banking and cash management platform built for consumer brands. Apply Here for Flexible CapitalWhether you're raising capital, launching a product, or scaling a DTC brand, this is a masterclass on thoughtful company-building and founder alignment.👇 Timestamps 00:00 Intro & Podcast Overview 00:47 Why Sid Wrote “Avoiding the Road to Mediocrity” 03:12 The Venture Trap: Chasing Capital vs. Solving Problems 06:00 Is VC the Right Path for Every Founder? 08:31 Fundraising Focus vs. Revenue Focus 10:00 The Rise of Too Much Capital in VC 13:10 Can Founders Course-Correct Their Mission? 16:00 Case Study: Hungryroot’s Strategic Pivot 18:25 How to Decide if You Should Start a Company 20:00 Bootstrap vs. Venture: When and Why 22:50 Go Slow or Scale Fast? What Founders Should Know 26:00 Investing in Hot Markets: Supplements, Protein & More 29:00 Valuation vs. Exit Reality: Why Price Discipline Matters 32:00 Waterfalls, Liquidation Preferences & Founder Equity 37:00 The Case for a “Better Business Bureau” for Investors 41:00 What Makes a VC Truly Valuable44:00 Rapid Fire: Consumer Trends, Favorite Products, VC Myths 52:00 Sid’s Book RecommendationsSubscribe for more VC insights and startup strategies: 📰 Newsletter → https://www.theconsumervc.com/ 🎧 Apple → Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify → Spotify 📲 IG / TikTok / Twitter → @mikegelb

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 powerful space for venture capital, how they evaluate scalable concepts, and what makes EMERGING different from traditional investors.You’ll learn:Why eatertainment is booming post-COVIDWhat metrics EMERGING looks at before writing $2–8M checksHow restaurant-tech is evolving for both consumers and operatorsWhat makes a concept scalable, profitable, and defensibleWhy EMERGING focuses on experience + IP, not just marginsIf you're curious about how tech is transforming food and entertainment, and what it takes to build the next big concept, this episode is a must-listen.Join our weekly newsletter : ⁠theconsumervc.com⁠#venturecapital #restauranttech #consumerinnovation #mathewfocht #emergingfund #hospitalitytech #consumervc

#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 underestimating consumer AI, and how AI-powered businesses can scale effectively. Ishan also breaks down venture capital trends, investment strategies, and lessons from past market cycles. For an insightful conversation at the intersection of AI, venture capital, and consumer innovation, check out the full episode!📩 Get Exclusive Insights & Deals 👉 [Insert Newsletter Link] 00:00 Introduction & Podcast Overview 00:45 Why Did Point72 Start a VC Fund? 03:10 From Public Market Investing to Venture Capital 06:05 Are VCs Underestimating Consumer AI? 09:50 AI in Media & Content Creation 12:30 AI vs. The Music Industry 16:20 Lessons from Napster to Spotify 19:15 How AI Can Benefit Artists & Creators 22:40 The Future of AI in Publishing & Journalism 25:30 How AI is Reshaping Consumer Tech 28:45 Investing in AI Startups: What VCs Look For 32:05 The Role of AI in Business Models & Monetization 35:00 Will the Next Big AI Innovation Look Like a Toy? 38:15 Lightning Round: Biggest Consumer Trends, Myths About VC & More 41:30 Final Takeaways & Where to Follow Ishan Sinha................Subscribe to Our Newsletter:https://www.theconsumervc.com/Subscribe on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/4Hjm74Z...Subscribe on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...Follow on Twitter: / mikegelb Follow on Instagram: / mikegelb Follow on TikTok: / consumervc

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, and navigating the challenges of scaling and profitability. Post-Chubbies, Preston also discusses his new venture, Marathon, and its mission to help brands measure the impact of brand building. For informative and entertaining content on the intersections of venture capital and consumer innovation, check out the full episode.00:00 Introduction01:24 Introducing Preston Rutherford of Chubbies01:34 The Founding Journey of Chubbies06:12 Challenges in Early Manufacturing09:21 Building a Brand Identity23:34 Raising Capital and Financial Challenges26:28 The Early Days and Initial Challenges26:55 Navigating Co-Founder Dynamics29:04 Pressure and Growth Metrics31:20 Shifting Focus to EBITDA34:42 The Decision to Sell Chubbies40:11 Channel Expansion and Inventory Management43:19 Lessons in Brand Marketing46:53 Reflections and Future Insights54:56 Final Thoughts and Farewell

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 collaborating with founders to scale their businesses offers listeners valuable insights into the entrepreneurial world.(0:00:00) - Intro(0:14:47) - Innovation in Gaming and Acquisition(0:24:06) - Innovation in Large Corporations(0:28:19) - Pivoting Hero Bread to Success(0:40:52) - Consumer Brand Transition and GrowthSubscribe to Our Newsletter:https://www.theconsumervc.com/Subscribe on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/4Hjm74Z...Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...Follow on Twitter: / mikegelb Follow on Instagram: / mikegelb Follow on TikTok: / consumervc

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, merging the two companies. He’s also a former professional football player and played at USC in college (Fight On✌️) 00:00 Welcome to The Consumer VC 00:40 Introducing Jeff Byers and Momentous 02:02 Jeff Byers' Transition from NFL to Entrepreneurship 04:31 The Birth of Amp Human and Momentous 07:46 Challenges and Innovations in Supplement Industry 14:17 Acquisition of Momentous and Future Plans 25:37 Navigating the Supplement Market 33:25 Sourcing and Trust in Supplements 34:12 Challenges in the Supplement Industry 34:29 Transparency Issues in Ingredient Sourcing 37:30 The Problem with Chinese Creatine 40:49 Commoditization of Supplements 46:23 Importance of Protein, Omegas, and Creatine 53:08 Momentous' Approach to Supplements 58:04 Building Trust and Transparency 01:02:26 Books that Inspire 01:06:21 Final Thoughts and Conclusion Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://www.theconsumervc.com/ Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Hjm74Z... Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast... Follow on Twitter: / mikegelb Follow on Instagram: / mikegelb Follow on TikTok: / consumervc