Cullen Gilchrist, Investor, Advisor, and CEO of Union Kitchen, shared his insights on the "Startup to Scale" podcast by Foodbevy, an online community that connects emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders. While on the podcast, Cullen emphasized the imperative of growing sustainably in the food industry, owning one’s own manufacturing, and how Union Kitchen builds brands to last.
What you'll hear:
- Venture money in food has long been focused on top line growth, similar to deal types you might see in Silicon Valley. Cullen shared: "Broadly venture capital is going to pick certain things they like, and if you're not that thing, you're not going to work as a brand”
- As capital tightens, these same companies are not able to offset fundamental business model issues
- CPG Companies that build profitable, consumer-driven businesses require less outside capital and are be able to navigate tightening economies. Cullen pointed to Caribe Juice, founded by Luis Solis as an example a company building profitably while staying light on outside capital.
Check out the full episode on the podcast Startup to Scale here: Building a Sustainable Food and Beverage Business Through Manufacturing
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