Sponsors
Food’NBev Connect Initiative and Event Sponsor firms make the work we do, and the businesses we serve, more effective and sustainable. Thank you!
Initiative Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
Upfield is the largest plant-based consumer product company in the world. Our mission is to make people healthier and happier with great tasting, plant-based nutrition products that are better for the planet. Upfield produces plant-based spreads, including iconic brands loved by generations such as Country Crock, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter and Flora.
Global headquarters are in Amsterdam, and our products are sold in over 95 countries and we have 17 manufacturing sites throughout the world. In North America, we are headquartered in Hackensack, NJ.
Upfield is leading in this new era of plant-based eating with a focus on delivering healthier products that are great tasting, have superior quality and help us deliver on our mission to create “Better Plant-based Future.” Please visit www.Upfield.com.
For more information, visit: Upfield
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan’s and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO).
Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.
For more information, visit: Diageo
Diamond Sponsor
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,400 retail financial centers, approximately 16,100 ATMs, and award-winning digital banking with more than 36 million active users, including nearly 26 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
For more information, visit: Bank of America
Gold Sponsors
Altium is a financial advisory firm based in Purchase, NY, serving clients across the United States. We work with successful individuals and families to organize and bring clarity to their financial picture. Our proprietary consulting process, Vantage PointTM, is ideal for founders and executives who are interested in building wealth, preparing for their future and balancing short and longer term goals. We strive to improve current performance through four interdependent elements of service, providing our clients with the transparency and confidence that their wealth is solidly aligned with their purpose. At Altium, we don’t simply accommodate people like you, we built our entire organization with you in mind. Whether you’ve built your own business, lead in a corporate setting, or in any other way made “excellence” your pursuit… we’re here to serve you and your unique purpose.
For more information, visit: https://www.altiumwealth.com/.
Marcum LLP is a national accounting firm with local Connecticut offices in Greenwich, New Haven and Hartford. Marcum provides a full spectrum of traditional tax, accounting, and assurance services; advisory, valuation, and litigation support; managed accounting services; and an extensive portfolio of specialty and niche industry practices. The Firm serves both privately held and publicly traded companies, as well as nonprofit and social sector entities, high net worth individuals, private equity funds, and hedge funds, with a focus on middle-market companies and closely held family businesses. Marcum is a member of the Marcum Group, an organization providing a comprehensive array of professional services.
Marcum offers an extensive range of professional services and a high degree of specialization. In addition to domestic and international tax planning and preparation, the Firm’s professional services include mergers and acquisition planning, family office services, forensic accounting, business valuation and litigation support. The Firm has developed several niche practice areas serving private equity partnerships; hedge funds; SEC registrants; real estate; government, public and not-for-profit sectors; manufacturing; construction; healthcare; and bankruptcies and receiverships; as well as a China specialty practice.
For more information, visit: marcumllp.com
Robinson+Cole is an Am Law 200 firm serving regional, national, and international clients from nine offices throughout the Northeast, Florida, and California. Our 200-plus lawyers and other professionals share a simple, common goal: We’ll work hard to know you, your industry, and your business so that we can provide the service and representation that best fits your needs.Led by a dedicated team of lawyers, Robinson+Cole brings an innovative approach to helping businesses reach their full potential, while addressing the legal challenges that all consumer product companies face. Our food and beverage lawyers have extensive experience in the industry, regularly work with food and beverage companies of all sizes, consistently coordinate with applicable firm members and always provide direct access to partners at the firm. We believe the best way to successfully build your business is to focus on the key areas of development: protection, compliance, and growth.
For more information, visit: Robinson + Cole’s Food + Beverage Group
FreshDirect is a leading online grocer and is committed to delivering the highest quality, freshest food. Founded in 2002, the company creates food experiences and drives simple, healthy solutions to make every day better for their customers. By working directly with growers, producers, and local food innovators, FreshDirect provides the best in culinary exploration. From the latest NYC restaurant fare to sustainably sourced products from here and around the globe, we find food treasures and everyday grocery needs and deliver them to your door right when you need them. As a homegrown New York City brand, FreshDirect is integral to the fabric of food culture in the city. Headquartered in the Bronx, NY, and named one of America’s Best Midsize Employers of 2023 by Forbes, FreshDirect provides service to the greater New York tri-state area and is part of the Ahold Delhaize family of companies.
For more information, visit: www.freshdirect.com
Gold N Fish Marketing is a marketing agency created to make a difference for our clients’ brands. We can provide you with an incredible breadth and depth of strategic thinking working on both established businesses and new product launches.
We create fully-integrated marketing programs for our clients where, the centerpiece of many of our marketing programs is experiential in nature. supported by other disciplines that work in concert with one another.
For more information, visit: gnfmarketing.com
We’ve been building brand equity for over 30 years.
Since 1989, L Catterton’s funds have made more than 200 investments in leading consumer brands across all segments of the consumer industry. With over $20 billion of equity capital dedicated to growing middle market companies and emerging high-growth enterprises, we are the largest and most experienced consumer-focused private equity group in the world.
For more information, visit: www.lcatterton.com
After losing his job to the Depression, Salvatore Cingari bought an old school bus, loaded it with fresh produce and became a successful grocer, calling his business Grade A Market. In 1943, he moved to his first building and soon his sons joined him in the business. In 1991 the Cingari’s stores became members of the Wakefern/ShopRite cooperative. Today, four generations of Cingari’s own and operate 10 ShopRite locations in Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut.
For more information, visit: shop.shoprite.com
Founded in 2009, Votto Vines Importing is a dynamic family-operated business with offices in CT, NYC and MA, focusing on the importation, marketing and distribution of fine wines produced by leading vineyards around the world, as well as the development of innovative private label and proprietary brands. Votto Vines has been named by Forbes as one of America’s Most Promising Companies, Entrepreneur Magazine as One of the Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America, nominated by Wine Enthusiast as Importer of the Year and earned a place on the Inc 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in America seven times. The entrepreneurial spirit and diverse professional backgrounds of the executives have allowed them to apply their forward-thinking ideas and vision to the international wine trade.
For more information, visit: vottovines.com