SKU provides an ecosystem that creates lasting change in CPG by providing all the resources founders need to accelerate the growth of their brands. SKU’s world-class program is driven by a community of the nation’s top CPG leaders, successful founders and industry experts. Our intensive programs offer best-in-class education, hand-picked teams of mentors and access to retailers and investors, all dedicated to building brands that change lives.
A year later, the alums of SKU Elevate ’21 share their progress.
Tydo traveled to Austin, gathering the founders/operators 14 Austin-based food and beverage and gathered some key insights.
We’ve identified a six key considerations that are set to shape the CPG space in the second half of 2022, so that you can align your marketing strategies with current (and future) consumer demand.
SKU Elevate – a track for small BIPOC-led CPG brands – kicks off this month with innovative brands ranging from gourmet overnight oatmeal to underwear for menstruating women..
“I think that growing a successful CPG brand is a combination of art and science. You need to have the art of innovation and creativity, and the patience and persistence to follow the science. Using that analogy, I consider the SKU mentors as my museum curators and lab colleagues. In the past months the team sparked my imagination of what Waka Coffee can grow into, and guided me towards other examples and success stories. They also dived in with me to learn more about my company while bouncing countless ideas on how to execute our vision. Saying that SKU was worth the effort and time is an understatement. I consider SKU as a crucial phase in the growth and success of our company.”
“By participating in SKU I was able to round out my CPG knowledge and best practices. My mentor team went above and beyond my expectations and I could not be more grateful for having participated in SKU!”
“The curriculum and expertise within the SKU community brought me a new level of confidence as an entrepreneur. By the end of the program I felt like I had laser focused my brand message and established a solid growth strategy. I highly recommend SKU if you’re ready to take your business to the next level.”
“SKU came at the perfect time for us. Nearly every problem we were facing, there was a mentor to help support us through to finding the solution, all while being cheerleaders along the process. There’s a saying that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and for most entrepreneurs your business is your child — and SKU can be that village.”
“SKU has been a pivotal part of our company’s growth and success! Our team of mentors was a swiss-army knife of expertise and knowledge — helping us in every aspect of the business. Having both our mentor team and access to the larger SKU network has allowed us to take our company up so many levels during the program, and the best part is that these relationships don’t end at the end of the program. The SKU family is a guiding force throughout the entire journey!”
“Participating in SKU 9 was a game changer for me. I no longer feel so alone. I’m surrounded by a vast network of seasoned CPG and industry professionals and brand owners. It’s a unique, supportive network that’s passionate about building each other up and bringing best in class products to market. I’m proud to be a SKU alumni.”
“For me, SKU has meant meeting a wonderful group of talented inspiring people. It’s opened a lot of doors and I’ve learned an incredible amount in a very short time. In a nutshell, it has genuinely accelerated the business of El Norteño and we are poised to launch much faster and stronger than we were 14 weeks ago.”
“The access to SKU mentors was amazing. They have incredible business insight and experience, and genuinely want to see your start-up succeed!”
“SKU helped us define our story, while supplying a network of resources to help us achieve it in the shortest amount of time.”
You are a consumer product startup with traction and market validation, ready to take the next steps to scale.
