SupplySide Hosted Buyer Program brings energetic CPGs to Las Vegas to experience the show first-handSupplySide Hosted Buyer Program brings energetic CPGs to Las Vegas to experience the show first-hand

During the last week of October, a cohort of 26 CPG founders and executives will experience SupplySide West for the first time, all working toward evolving their brands. The Hosted Buyer Program, funded by SupplySide, works with partners Naturally Network, Black Women in Food, PartnerSlate, Organic Trade Association and The Non-GMO Project to select and bring hosted buyers to the annual SupplySide West show in Las Vegas. The participants in this growing program are an asset to the show, bringing unmatched energy and an eye for emerging trends.

SupplySide provides these hosted buyers with hotel, airfare reimbursement and a complimentary Expo Pass Plus registration. They also receive complimentary admission to the lively First Time Attendee Reception, which provides the program participants with access to members of the SupplySide team, as well as industry “rock stars," who are available to provide advice and guidance to the young brands owners. Participants also have access to various networking and educational opportunities during the show.

Each buyer is at a different place on their brand journey, and while some of their goals are similar, each comes to the show with unique challenges and objectives. Let’s take a closer look at some of these buyers and what they are looking forward to most by attending SupplySide West.

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Revvl Co-founders Lexx (left) and Livv Mills

Revvl, a nonalcoholic cocktail brand ready to break through

NA beverage brand Revvl Co-founder and CEO Lexx Mills considers her line of zero-proof drinks “more than a beverage” and more of “a celebration of joy and self-expression.” Mills’ goal of ushering in a new era where these types of cocktails are no longer an afterthought, but rather a celebrated addition to the party, drives her and her sister, Livv, co-founder and creative director of Revvl, forward as they transition toward co-manufacturing and a spring 2025 launch.

Mills learned about SupplySide West through Revvl’s involvement with Black Women in Food and credits them for amplifying Black creativity in the food and beverage space. When asked what being selected as a hosted buyer means to her, Mills replied, “SupplySide West is the biggest supply chain event of the year, so this is an incredible opportunity for an emerging brand like ours that might not otherwise be able to attend.”

Mills is attending SupplySide West to seek solutions to challenges arising from her brand’s growing popularity. Revvl’s current ability to meet customer demands for more product has reached its limits. Mills plans to look for ingredient suppliers who offer high-quality natural ingredients and to connect with beverage co-packers during the show to prepare them for their anticipated growth.

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Tiffin Asha Co-founders Elizabeth Golay (left) and Sheila Bommakanti

Tiffin Asha, new Indian pickles and condiments

Hosted buyer Elizabeth Golay founded Tiffin Asha along with her wife, Sheila Bommakanti as a food cart in Portland, Oregon, in 2013. The cart featured South Indian-inspired foods, such as dosa. In 2017, they opened a restaurant that closed in 2021 because of the pandemic-related difficulties that negatively affected so many restaurants at the time. They used this setback as an opportunity to turn their focus toward developing a specialty food line originating from condiments they made at the restaurant.

Golay’s motivation for sharing these flavors with a wider audience is apparent when she explains, “the condiments have their roots in Indian pickles, but we believe that these flavors should be in every home, and not be constrained to any boundaries, but be used to flavor everyday foods.” They hope to do just that through their specialty line Flavorworks.

Tiffin Asha was selected as The Non-GMO Project’s 2023 Equitable Transfer Program recipient and is a strong believer in the Project’s commitment to educating consumers about food options available to them. Golay is hoping that participating in the Hosted Buyer Program helps expand her business by providing opportunities to connect with a co-packer, learn about industry trends and network with experienced business owners.

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Pisqueya Founder Maritza Abreu

Pisqueya, celebrating Latin flavors from the Caribbean

Maritza Abreu founded Pisqueya to bridge what she considered to be a gap in the Hispanic and Caribbean representation within the global food market. The brand represents her upbringing as well as the culinary traditions stemming from her family’s Dominican restaurant, Puerto Viejo, in Brooklyn, New York. She credits her parents, who immigrated to the United States in 1976, for her entrepreneurial spirit.

“Our original hot sauce recipe had been passed down for many years, through a line of family cooks,” she said. “It wasn’t until I left my corporate role to lean into the family business that I decided to personally respond to the needs of our patrons.”

Pisqueya has been in business since 2018. “I have been able to build a culture-forward brand with limited resources,” Abreu explained. “We have great momentum and ready for funding to scale and grow Pisqueya’s retail distribution.”

Abreu was a Fellow in Naturally Network’s 2023-2024 Minority-Owned Fellowship, which led her to this current opportunity as a hosted buyer. She hopes that attending SupplySide West will serve as a place to meet vendors and is looking specifically for raw ingredients to incorporate into new recipes.

“I’m also looking forward to learning about new production processes and meeting new packaging suppliers, as well as connecting with other founders,” she said.