Consumer VC takes a look into early-stage consumer investing and venture capital. If you are interested in learning about consumer trends, have a b2c business and interested in learning about the fundraising process at the early stage, you have come to the right place.
Mike interviews some of the top venture capitalists in the world that focus on B2C and consumer type companies or have a deep track record investing in these categories such as marketplaces, SaaS, social, CPG and non-tech subscription.
Mike also interviews founders that are building some of the most disruptive consumer facing companies in the world. The conversation usually includes the insight the founder discovered, fundraising strategy, and the pitch.
This podcast also includes bonus episodes. Each bonus episode dives into a particular subject that might not have to due with the fundraise or venture capital, but still would be helpful to founders. For example, a bonus episode on brand strategy or how to construct a board of directors. All bonus episodes will be clearly labeled.
For all episodes, please visit www.theconsumervc.com. For updates, you can follow @mikegelb on Twitter.
Consumer VC takes a look into early-stage consumer investing and venture capital. If you are interested in learning about consumer trends, have a b2c business and interested in learning about the fundraising process at the early stage, you have come to the right place.
Mike interviews some of the top venture capitalists in the world that focus on B2C and consumer type companies or have a deep track record investing in these categories such as marketplaces, SaaS, social, CPG and non-tech subscription.
Mike also interviews founders that are building some of the most disruptive consumer facing companies in the world. The conversation usually includes the insight the founder discovered, fundraising strategy, and the pitch.
This podcast also includes bonus episodes. Each bonus episode dives into a particular subject that might not have to due with the fundraise or venture capital, but still would be helpful to founders. For example, a bonus episode on brand strategy or how to construct a board of directors. All bonus episodes will be clearly labeled.
For all episodes, please visit www.theconsumervc.com. For updates, you can follow @mikegelb on Twitter.
Glimpse is the all-in-one, AI-powered deductions management platform for CPG brands—automating deduction capture, classification, disputes, and accounting. Recover more revenue while saving time – https://www.tryglimpse.com
He helped scale JUUL from $1M to $1B in just three years. Now, he’s investing in the next generation of consumer brands.
In this episode, Mike sits down with Alex Cantwell, founder of Cartograph Ventures, an early-stage technology and consumer fund built by operators for operators. Alex shares what it was really like to scale one of the most controversial startups in the world—and what he learned about hypergrowth, backlash, regulation, and leadership along the way.
You’ll learn:
✅ How JUUL went from failure to billion-dollar rocket ship
✅ Why vape shops—not gas stations—became JUUL’s secret weapon
✅ What founders get wrong about retail expansion
✅ The dark side of hypergrowth and founder burnout
✅ Why “disruption” always invites controversy
✅ How operator-investors think differently about building vs. funding
✅ The future of vice categories: nicotine, caffeine, and beyond
✅ Why fiber might be the next big consumer trend
👉 If you want to understand how to build a disruptive brand, survive a backlash, and think like an operator-investor—this conversation is packed with hard-won lessons.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:00 From Wharton to JUUL: The Accidental Entry Point
03:00 Why JUUL Failed in Gas Stations
05:00 Finding Early Adopters in Vape Shops
07:00 Rethinking Retail & Route to Market
09:00 The Fallacy of “Instant Scale” with Big Retail
11:00 Lessons from Hypergrowth Inside JUUL
13:00 The Psychological Cost of Scaling Too Fast
15:00 What JUUL Got Right (and Wrong)
17:00 Should JUUL Have Been Banned?
19:00 Why Every Disruptive Brand Becomes a Lightning Rod
21:00 How Operator VCs Think Differently from Traditional Investors
25:00 The Real Difference Between Operators and Financial Investors
30:00 Betting on Regulated Categories (and Knowing When to Walk Away)
33:00 The Nicotine Pouch Boom: Zen vs. JUUL
36:00 Is Nicotine in a Harm Reduction Era?
38:00 Nicotine vs. Caffeine: The Mental Shift
41:00 Why Venture Has Become Hits-Driven
43:00 The “Cowboy Diet”: Protein, Nicotine & Caffeine
45:00 The Future of Consumer: Simplicity, Identity, and Less Friction
48:00 When to Go Deep vs. Broad in Retail
50:00 What Great Founders Do Differently
53:00 Why Operator-Led Funds Push Founders Harder
56:00 The Real Bubble in AI (and What Comes Next)
60:00 Underrated Categories: Why Fiber Might Be the Next Big Thing
63:00 Lightning Round: Lessons, Regrets & Fast Food Favorites
📬 Subscribe for more founder stories & scaling insights: 👉 The Consumer VC Newsletter - https://www.theconsumervc.com/
Follow Mike Gelb:
Twitter / IG / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc
Glimpse is the all-in-one, AI-powered deductions management platform for CPG brands—automating deduction capture, classification, disputes, and accounting. Recover more revenue while saving time – https://www.tryglimpse.com
What if cannabis could become a true social beverage—an alternative to alcohol that delivers the buzz without the hangover?
That’s the bet Jake Bullock, co-founder of Cann, made when he left the world of finance to reinvent drinking culture. Today, Cann is the #1 THC-infused beverage brand in the U.S., sold in liquor stores across 30 states, backed by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Hudson, and changing the way people think about unwinding.
In this episode, Jake shares the full story of how Cann went from a garage experiment to a category-defining brand:
✅ Why lowering THC to 2mg unlocked cannabis’ social potential
✅ How Cann turned stigma into approachability with smart branding
✅ The brutal challenges of selling drinks through dispensaries
✅ The regulatory pivot that opened up liquor store distribution
✅ Competing head-to-head with alcohol (and winning shelf space)
✅ Product innovation: Grapefruit Rosemary, Lemon Lavender, and Roadies
✅ What celebrity investors really bring to the table
✅ The future of THC vs. non-alcoholic drinks in American culture
👉 If you’re curious about the future of social drinking—or want to hear what it really takes to build a disruptive CPG brand—this conversation is a must-listen.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:00 Why 100mg Drinks Were a Problem
03:00 Cann’s Insight: Low-Dose, Great Taste
07:00 Unlocking the Social Buzz at 2mg
10:00 Making Cannabis Approachable (Not Premium-Elite)
13:00 Campaigning Against Alcohol Culture
15:00 Breaking Out of Dispensaries
18:00 Regulatory Challenges & State-by-State Growth
22:00 The Big Pivot: From Dispensaries to Liquor Stores
28:00 Winning Shelf Space vs. Craft Beer & RTD Cocktails
33:00 The Rise of Roadies & Naked Highboys
38:00 Flavor Innovation: Grapefruit Rosemary, Lemon Lavender
42:00 Gross Margins & Beverage Economics
45:00 Fundraising & Celebrity Investors
49:00 What Value-Add From VCs Really Means
51:00 Defining Success: Exit, IPO, or Independence?
53:00 Cann’s Mission to Change Drinking Culture
55:00 Lightning Round: Humor, Misconceptions & Mistakes
01:02:00 Book Recommendations
📬 Subscribe for more founder stories & scaling insights: 👉 The Consumer VC Newsletter - https://www.theconsumervc.com/
Follow Mike Gelb: Twitter / IG / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc
Glimpse is the all-in-one, AI-powered deductions management platform for CPG brands—automating deduction capture, classification, disputes, and accounting. Recover more revenue while saving time – https://www.tryglimpse.com
What does it take to raise and run a venture fund focused on the overlooked—and why women’s health, parenting, and sports are the future?
In this episode, Mike sits down with Rachel Springate, Co-Founder & General Partner of Muse Capital, to unpack her journey from luxury partnerships and entertainment to building a venture capital firm with a mission. Rachel shares how she and her partner Assia uncovered their thesis through personal experience, why women’s health remains one of the most underserved opportunities in venture, and how Muse balances investing in overlooked sectors with the hype cycles of AI and beyond.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
✅ How Rachel’s career in partnerships and entertainment shaped her investing style
✅ Why Muse Capital doubled down on women’s health long before it was popular
✅ What LPs really said when Rachel and Asya pitched Fund I—and how they overcame it
✅ How Muse approaches partnerships with celebrities and Fortune 500s authentically
✅ Why proprietary data in women’s health and family tech is a hidden AI moat
✅ The thinking behind Muse Sport and investing in women’s sports + SailGP
✅ How to avoid hype-driven investing and focus on recession-proof markets
✅ Rachel’s one-sentence mission for Muse: “Investing in companies that should exist”
👉 If you’re a founder, investor, or operator navigating consumer, healthcare, or sports in 2025, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:00 Rachel’s path from luxury partnerships to venture
06:00 The authentic way to approach celebrity + startup partnerships
11:00 Founding Muse Capital & the personal experience that shaped its thesis
16:00 Raising Fund I with a contrarian focus on women’s health
22:00 How Muse filters noise from venture hype cycles
27:00 Early conviction in MIDI Health and spotting overlooked opportunities
35:00 How Muse helps portfolio companies through partnerships
38:00 The origin of Muse Sport and investing in women’s teams & leagues
44:00 The SailGP Italia story & sports investing strategy
47:00 Books Rachel recommends (professional & personal)
50:00 Muse’s mission distilled
📬 Subscribe for more founder stories & venture insights: 👉 The Consumer VC Newsletter - https://www.theconsumervc.com/
Follow Mike Gelb: Twitter / IG / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc
Glimpse is the all-in-one, AI-powered deductions management platform for CPG brands—automating deduction capture, classification, disputes, and accounting. Recover more revenue while saving time –https://www.tryglimpse.com
What does it take to build a truly durable consumer brand in today’s volatile venture environment?
In this episode, Mike sits down with Ezra Galston, Founding Partner of Starting Line, to unpack the shifting dynamics in consumer, marketplaces, and venture capital. Ezra shares why the Midwest VC ecosystem looks different from the coasts, what’s changing in consumer investing post-2021, and how founders can position themselves to raise smarter—not just bigger.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
✅ Why consumer investing still matters (even if VC sentiment has cooled)
✅ The difference between “good” growth and “unsustainable” growth
✅ How geography shapes venture outcomes (and why Chicago is unique)
✅ Why Ezra believes today’s founders must optimize for efficiency over hype
✅ The traps consumer founders fall into when chasing scale too early
✅ What LPs really want from consumer-focused funds right now
✅ How Starting Line is approaching the next generation of consumer brands
✅ Why resilience and margin discipline are the new non-negotiables
👉 If you’re a founder, investor, or operator navigating consumer markets in 2025, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:10 Why Consumer Still Matters in Venture
05:00 Growth vs. Unsustainable Growth
09:20 The Midwest VC Lens vs. The Coasts
14:00 Lessons from Building Starting Line
18:30 Why Scale Too Early Destroys Consumer Startups
23:00 LP Expectations in a Reset Market
27:00 Ezra’s View on the Future of Consumer Brands
32:00 Optimizing for Efficiency in Fundraising
38:00 Why Margins Are the New Moat
42:00 Advice for Founders Raising in 2025
47:00 Ezra’s Recommended Books & Resources
📬 Subscribe for more founder stories & venture insights:👉 The Consumer VC Newsletter - https://www.theconsumervc.com/
Follow Mike Gelb: Twitter / IG / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc
Glimpse is the all-in-one, AI-powered deductions management platform for CPG brands—automating deduction capture, classification, disputes, and accounting. Recover more revenue while saving time – https://www.tryglimpse.com
When fundraising stalls, valuations reset, and the cap table gets messy—what really happens next?
In this episode, Mike sits down with Steven Finn, Partner at Siddhi Capital, to break down the tough realities of down rounds, recaps, and cap table engineering. Steven has been in the room when brands shift from celebration to survival—and shares what founders and investors need to know when things don’t go as planned:
✅ Why overcapitalization often leads to a “death spiral”
✅ When to use equity vs. debt—and why both can be predatory
✅ How mega funds create distorted valuations (and walk away fast)
✅ The psychology of “dead equity” and how to reset expectations
✅ Why insiders matter most in distressed situations
✅ How to keep founders aligned (and motivated) during a recap
✅ Why margins = runway, and why that matters more than ever
✅ What smart founders can do early to avoid being wiped out
👉 If you’re a founder, investor, or operator navigating today’s tougher fundraising environment, this episode is essential listening.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:00 Why Fundraising Feels Harder Than Ever
04:50 Fuel on the Fire vs. Finding the Fire
07:00 Debt vs. Equity (and Predatory Capital)
12:00 When Equity Deals Get Ugly
16:30 The Mega Fund Trap & Overcapitalization
23:00 How Huge Rounds Re-Risk Companies
27:00 Recaps, Option Pools & Dead Equity
30:00 Why Venture is Now “Financing Risk First”
34:30 Rethinking Portfolio Strategy
39:50 Are Down Rounds Still a Scarlet Letter?
43:00 Why Margins = Runway
46:00 Selling Distressed Assets (and Why It’s So Hard)
50:00 How Founders Can Protect Themselves Early
53:00 Spotting Coachable vs. Uncoachable Founders
56:00 Growing in Retail Without Growing Too Fast
58:00 Steven’s Book Recommendations
📬 Subscribe for more founder stories & venture insights: 👉 The Consumer VC Newsletter - https://www.theconsumervc.com/
Follow Mike Gelb:
Twitter / IG / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc
Glimpse is the all‑in‑one, AI‑powered deductions management platform for CPG brands—automating deduction capture, classification, disputes, and accounting. Recover more revenue while saving time – https://www.tryglimpse.com
Q1 2025 was the slowest fundraising quarter for consumer VC in recent memory. So what's really happening in venture capital—and how is it impacting founders in consumer, SaaS, and AI?
In this episode, Mike sits down with Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta, to break down what's beneath the data:
✅ Why seed valuations are holding—but fewer deals are closing
✅ What’s behind the Series A “chasm” in consumer
✅ How mega funds are reshaping early-stage investing
✅ The rise of solo GPs and the slow decline of mid-sized funds
✅ Why LPs are getting frustrated with VC
✅ What founders risk when a mega fund passes on their Series A
✅ Why AI is warping the current “reset” in venture
✅ And what the future of venture might really look like
👉 If you're a founder, investor, or emerging manager trying to navigate the post-2021 world, this is a must-listen.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:00 Why Consumer VC Has Higher Highs & Lower Lows
04:00 What Went Wrong with DTC and VC Expectations
06:00 Fund Size Creep & Why Some Firms Abandoned Consumer
10:00 The “Thesis Drift” Problem in Venture
13:00 Why Most VCs Don’t Stay in Their Zone of Genius
15:00 Mega Funds vs. Seed Funds: Optics, Pressure, and Power
21:00 Why Series A Has Become a Brick Wall
26:00 Will AI Companies Actually Be Durable?
31:00 The Rise of 3-Year Fundraising Cycles
35:00 The Future of Emerging Managers
38:00 The Squeeze on Mid-Sized Funds
40:00 The “Just a Little VC” Founder Strategy
44:00 Why Seed Valuations Haven’t Crashed
47:00 How Tariffs Are Impacting Consumer Deal Flow
51:00 Where Is the Liquidity? (& Why M&A is Surging)
54:00 Are We Actually in a Reset?
56:00 The AI Hype Cycle and OpenAI Risk
59:00 Peter’s Favorite Books (Personal & Professional)
📬 Subscribe for more founder stories & venture insights: 👉 The Consumer VC Newsletter - https://www.theconsumervc.com/
Follow Mike Gelb: Twitter / IG / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc
Glimpse is the all‑in‑one, AI‑powered deductions management platform for CPG brands—automating deduction capture, classification, disputes, and accounting. Recover more revenue while saving time – https://www.tryglimpse.com/
EisnerAmper provides financial advisory services tailored to the specific needs of consumer product companies. Looking for a strategic CFO partner? Learn more – https://www.eisneramper.com/
Clayton Christopher and Brian Goldberg are two legends in the CPG space—between them, they’ve built and scaled brands like Sweet Leaf Tea, Waterloo Sparkling Water, Austin Eastciders, and SkinnyPop. Now, they’ve teamed up to launch Astro Consumer Partners, a $400M+ growth-stage investment firm focused on scaling consumer brands.
In this episode, recorded live at Austin’s Consumer Week, Clayton and Brian share what they’ve learned as both operators and investors—and what it really takes to build a brand that lasts:
✅ The biggest differences between early-stage and growth-stage investing
✅ How to know when you’re ready to raise capital—and why profitable brands still choose to do it
✅ The distribution trap: when to go deep vs. wide with retail
✅ DTC vs. retail: which to prioritize and why
✅ What “eliminating strategic risk” looks like in practice
✅ Real talk on CPG categories: why some brands crush DTC but flop in stores
✅ What actual value-add looks like from an investor
✅ Why profitability and leverage matter more than ever
👉 Whether you're scaling past $5M in revenue or wondering how investors really evaluate CPG brands—this conversation is packed with wisdom from two of the best in the game.
Timestamps-
00:00 Intro
01:10 Meet Astro Consumer Partners: $400M Growth-Stage CPG Fund
05:30 What They Look For in Brands: People, Margins, & Category Leadership
08:00 When Should a CPG Brand Be Profitable?
10:35 Why Profitable Founders Still Raise Capital
13:30 Avoiding the Strategic Risk Trap
16:45 When to Go Deep vs. Wide in Retail
20:00 DTC Brands Going to Retail: What Works, What Doesn’t
24:00 Launching in Natural vs. Mass Retail
28:00 Building Retail Leverage Through Velocity and Data
31:00 Positive Leverage: Retail, Manufacturing & Celebrities
34:00 What “Value-Add” from Investors Actually Means
38:00 Advice for Early-Stage Founders
41:00 The Emotional Journey of Entrepreneurship
45:00 Live Audience Q&A
📬 Subscribe for more founder stories & scaling insights: 👉 The Consumer VC Newsletter -https://www.theconsumervc.com/
Follow Mike Gelb:Twitter / IG / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc
Glimpse is the all‑in‑one, AI‑powered deductions management platform for CPG brands, automating deduction capture, classification, disputes, and accounting—recover more revenue while saving time – https://www.tryglimpse.com
Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali started Chomps with nothing but a simple idea, some grassroots hustle, and their first month bringing in… just $500 in revenue.
Fast forward, Chomps is now an $80M+ powerhouse sold in Trader Joe’s, Walmart, and Whole Foods—all built before taking a single VC check.
In this episode, Pete and Rashid share how they turned a $500 side hustle into a national brand:
✅ Why starting small gave them the discipline to stay profitable
✅ The scrappy marketing tactics that turned $500 into their first $5,000
✅ How a Trader Joe’s deal transformed their growth overnight
✅ Why they ignored the “raise early” startup playbook and bootstrapped instead
✅ How their opposite personalities created the perfect founder duo
✅ The systems and strategy that took them from a side hustle to shelves nationwide
👉 If you’re building a business from scratch—or wondering if you really need VC money—this episode is proof that you can start lean, grow smart, and win big.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:10 How a $500 Side Hustle Became Chomps
03:25 Pivoting From Frozen Meat to Beef Sticks
06:20 Early Influencer Hacks That Fueled Growth
10:45 The Trader Joe’s Breakthrough
14:10 Staying Profitable Through Scale
18:30 The Founder Dynamic That Made It Work
22:00 Why They Waited Until $80M to Raise
26:30 Building a Brand Customers Love
30:00 The Next Chapter for Chomps
📬 Subscribe for more founder stories & scaling insights: 👉 The Consumer VC Newsletter
Follow Mike Gelb: Twitter / IG / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc
Larry Cheng is the Managing Partner at Volition Capital, a $1.7B growth equity firm behind breakout brands like Chewy, Chamberlain Coffee, BURST, and Grove Collaborative. Volition’s unique approach? No early VC checks. No burn-at-all-costs playbooks. Just capital-efficient businesses with traction—and a partner who’s okay being the first check in.
In this episode, Larry breaks down:
How Chewy went from a “low-margin pet food startup” to the largest e-commerce acquisition in history
Why Volition bets on unsexy markets and skips the Valley hype
How Chamberlain Coffee learned the hard way that virality cuts both ways
Why most VCs misunderstand capital efficiency—and how it actually creates alpha
What makes a founder irresistible without raising a single VC dollar
If you’re building or backing brands in today’s cautious market—this is a masterclass in discipline, scaling smart, and going big without losing your company.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro 01:10 Why Larry Left Traditional VC to Start Volition 03:25 The Two Types of Founders Who Bootstrap to $5M+ 06:20 How Volition Approaches Valuations 07:55 Why They Backed Chewy When No One Else Would 10:45 Investing in Physical Products vs. SaaS 12:30 The Truth About Virality and Bad Product Experience 14:10 How They Evaluate Customer Acquisition Channels 16:30 Defining Capital Efficiency (Pre and Post Investment) 19:00 Why Most of Their Portfolio Never Raises a Series B 22:00 What Changed Post-ZIRP: Founder Power vs. Investor Power 24:45 The Secret Sauce to Surviving the Hype Cycles 26:30 The “Unsexy Markets” That Became Home Runs 29:45 Why AI Might Be SaaS 10 Years Ago—But Riskier 33:00 Lessons From Grove Collaborative’s Public Struggles 36:50 Chewy’s Secret Weapon: Negative Working Capital 38:40 Existing vs. New Market Creation (And Why Larry Prefers Existing) 41:10 Knowing When to Exit—and What That Conversation Looks Like 44:10 Fund Horizon, Exit Timing, and Founder Alignment 45:40 Larry’s Book Picks: The Bible and 5 Types of Wealth 46:30 The Biggest Consumer Red Flag Today: “Made in China” 48:40 Favorite Innovation: Teslas Driving His In-Laws Around 49:50 The Biggest Venture Lesson: Power Law Is Real 51:20 Why Volition Intentionally Concentrates Their Bets 52:10 Pattern Matching: Useful Signal or Dangerous Bias? 53:25 The Biggest Myth About VCs (Hint: They’re Not All Sharks)
—
📬 Subscribe to The Consumer VC newsletter for weekly insights: 👉 https://www.theconsumervc.com/
🎧 Listen on: Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/4Hjm74Z... Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...
Follow Mike Gelb: Twitter / IG / 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...
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 virality
00:00 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 mission
How he scaled a life-saving formula into a national brand
Why he believes the energy drink industry is broken
The strategy behind launching Lucky Energy in a saturated market
How to build trust, win retail, and raise capital in 2024
If you're in CPG, startup land, or just love founder stories with real heart and hustle—this is the one.
To
pics:
Surviving tragedy and finding purpose
Building Kate Farms from kitchen to $75M Series C
What makes energy drinks so hard to win in
Why 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
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…
Join host Mike Gelb as he chats with Shamin Walsh, Managing Director at BAM Ventures — the early-stage VC firm behind Thrive Market, Honey, and Cotopaxi.
Shamin breaks down how BAM spots winning startups early, why fund size shapes strategy, and what it really takes to build sticky consumer brands — without chasing unicorn hype.
From AI buzz to price discipline and founder fit, this episode is packed with practical insights for anyone building or backing a consumer company.
🕒 Timestamps
00:00 What Makes AI Actually Valuable
01:22 Intro – Who is Shamin Walsh & BAM Ventures?
03:44 Why She Joined BAM & What Makes the Firm Different
07:00 Is Consumer Still Sexy? (Hint: Yes, If You Do It Right)
10:07 Power Law Returns in CPG & Brand Exits
13:21 Why Fund Size Dictates Strategy
16:10 Balancing Brand, Commerce Infra & Consumer Tech
17:30 What BAM Looks for in Founders
20:15 Case Study: How Thrive Market Nailed Consumer Behavior
23:15 The Danger of False Signals in Consumer Startups
26:00 How BAM Thinks About Reserves & Follow-Ons
28:20 Staying Price Disciplined (Even in the 2021 Hype Cycle)
30:00 Why Founders Pick BAM Over Bigger Funds
32:00 Capital Efficiency ≠ Always Bootstrapping
35:09 Fundraising Strategy & How to Navigate Future Rounds
37:00 What Early Traction Signals Actually Matter
39:10 How BAM Measures Stickiness vs. Trendiness
44:00 Could a New Social Platform Still Win?
46:00 BAM’s View on AI: Not a Strategy, Just a Tool
48:00 ⚡ Rapid Fire Round: Trends, Products, Books
52:00 Why “The Little Prince” Still Inspires Shamin
📬 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…
Youtube →https://www.youtube.com/@consumervc
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?partnerId=consumervc
In 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 brand
How Ithaca Hummus was born at a student farmer’s market
Selling without brokers & scaling through scrappy growth
Why they said NO to VCs and focused on unit economics & velocity
How packaging and taste-first branding drove national expansion
Strategic 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.
🕒 Timestamps
00:00 - Opening Quote: The Magic of Farmer’s Markets
03:24 - From Fine Dining to Culinary Burnout
06:36 - Discovering a Gap in Ithaca’s Food Scene
10:46 - Launching Ithaca Hummus from a Camp Kitchen
13:54 - The Addictive Energy of Farmer’s Markets
19:15 - No Brokers: Selling to Co-ops Door-to-Door
24:33 - Sampling, Promotions & Retailer Education
28:10 - $1M to $3.5M: Strategic Investment from Co-Man
33:50 - Saying No to VCs: Building Without External Pressure
37:17 - What Strategic Actually Means in CPG
41:50 - 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 Launch
50:00 - Long-Term Vision: Legacy, Not Liquidity
53:50 - Lightning Round: Books, Beliefs & Brands
#venturecapital #consumervc #vcfunding
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#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 Capital
Whether 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 Valuable
44:00 Rapid Fire: Consumer Trends, Favorite Products, VC Myths
52:00 Sid’s Book Recommendations
Subscribe for more VC insights and startup strategies:
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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-COVID
What metrics EMERGING looks at before writing $2–8M checks
How restaurant-tech is evolving for both consumers and operators
What makes a concept scalable, profitable, and defensible
Why EMERGING focuses on experience + IP, not just margins
If 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
Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries https://www.propellerindustries.com/ Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies.
Our guest on today’s episode is Daniel Faierman, Partner at Habitat Partners. Habitat Partners is an early-stage venture fund that is part of Red Antler. Red Antler is one of the premier branding and marketing agencies. We focus this conversation on Habitat Partners investment strategy. The relationship with Red Antler, why they both invest in consumer brands and software businesses, the differences in the underwriting process in each of these business types, why for them it makes to have two strategies, how he thinks about returns.
00:00 Introduction
02:04 Daniel's Journey into Food and Beverage
04:13 Challenges of Innovation in Big CPG Companies
08:05 The Role of Strategic Partners in Scaling Brands
09:34 Red Antler's Venture into Investment
19:54 Habitat Partners' Investment Strategy
28:29 Sourcing and Red Antler's Impact
29:55 Introducing Propeller Industries
30:49 Key Metrics for Consumer Brands
34:19 Navigating Competitive Investment Landscapes
34:46 The Role of Creative in CPG and B2B SaaS
37:21 Transitioning from Health and Wellness to B2B SaaS
40:06 The Importance of AI in SaaS
43:35 Evaluating Founders and Teams
46:46 Lightning Round: Trends, Myths, and Personal Insights
54:20 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
