Naturally Bay Area to Host 2nd Annual Pitch Slam Competition for Emerging Organic & Natural Brands

SAN FRANCISCO - Dec. 17, 2019 - PRLog -- Naturally Bay Area, a vibrant and thriving business community comprised of entrepreneurs, investors, innovators and leading brands in the natural and organic products industry, is gearing up for its premier event of the year. The 2nd Annual Naturally Bay Area Pitch Slam will take place on the first night of the Winter Fancy Food Show on Sunday, January 19, 2020, from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., at the Mission Bay Conference Center, San Francisco, CA. Naturally Bay Area, now in its second year, is home to a robust membership of 500+ business entrepreneurs and leaders who work in various industries from food, beverage, health, wellness, beauty, pet, hemp/CBD, and more in Northern California.

"Our second annual Naturally Bay Area Pitch Slam will spotlight emerging local natural and organic brands that are creating unique better-for-you food, beverage and personal care products," says Don Buder, Naturally Bay Area Board Chair and Founding Board Member. "It's also a celebration of the flourishing hub we have built together in the last two years for the Northern California natural products innovation community. The Pitch Slam will be a special opportunity for everyone to meet elite entrepreneurs, breakthrough brands, and many leaders of the Northern California natural products ecosystem. We invite all of our members and industry leaders from across the country who will be visiting San Francisco for the Winter Fancy Food Show to join us for this community celebration."

About the Pitch Slam
Natural product companies based in Northern California were invited to compete and pitch amongst a wide selection of brands in the Bay Area. The Naturally Bay Area team narrowed the selection down to six finalists who will compete for grand prize packages valued at over $30,000, including:
- $5,000 cash
- 10'x10' booth at 2020 Natural Products Expo East (the world's largest natural products trade show on the East Coast), courtesy of New Hope Network
- A guaranteed spot to pitch at the 2020 Natural Products Expo East Pitch Slam, courtesy of New Hope Network
- A suite of professional services (including financial/legal advice, marketing, strategy consulting, and more!)

Hundreds of natural products industry leaders will gather to cheer on the Pitch Slam finalists and hear about their companies' innovations and brand strategy. The Pitch Slam is the premier event of the year and provides unique networking opportunities to rub elbows with industry leaders, in addition to learning and listening to keynote speakers.

Pitch Slam Finalists
There are a total of six Naturally Bay Area Pitch Slam finalists in the 2020 Competition. Each Pitch Slam finalist will present a timed business pitch to a panel of select expert judges who will vote for the final top-three winners. Buder adds, "The Pitch Slam is a game changer for the brands competing. This is the ultimate night for our community to gather and connect seasoned natural products industry experts with passionate and innovative entrepreneurs." The six Naturally Bay Area Pitch Slam finalist companies include:
- A Dozen Cousins: A Dozen Cousins makes convenient products inspired by traditional Black and Latino recipes. They believe that health, convenience, and culture shouldn't be mutually exclusive, and they're on a mission to inspire families of all backgrounds to eat better food and live longer, more vibrant lives.
- Bread SRSLY: Bread SRSLY is serious about reuniting people with sourdough when they thought good bread was off the table. Bread SRSLY uses organic, gluten-free grains, and the magic of wild fermentation to bake traditional sourdough bread that is delicious, nourishing, and comforting.
- Down to Cook: Down to Cook helps home cooks prepare delicious plant-based meals that are nutritious, convenient, and accessible. Their mission is to provide greater access to the health benefits of plant-based food while reducing animal product use and household food waste.
- Dr Hops Kombucha: Founded in 2015 to produce the world's most delightful and health-conscious alcoholic beverages, Dr Hops Kombucha Beer is making radically authentic high-alcohol kombucha with hops, completely unfiltered and unpasteurized, gluten-free, probiotic, and explosively tasty.
- Outlaw Soaps: Outlaw offers a collection of Western adventure soap, lotion, lip balm, and solid cologne that smells like the Wild West and nature. Come for the Bacon soap, stay for the Whiskey soap.
- Renewal Mill: Renewal Mill helps reduce global food waste by upcycling okara into a nutritious, versatile flour that's better for you and better for the planet! Okara is a delicious superfood harvested from the pulp of organic soybeans that is created during soymilk production.

Pitch Slam Celebration & Registration:
Join the fun: mingle, cheer, learn, and eat & drink. Reserve your seat now to make sure you have a spot for the premier event of the year – we will sell out! Tickets: Members, $49. Non-members, $69. Visit here for tickets: https://naturallybayarea.org/event/2nd-annual-pitch-slam/.

Event Details: January 19, 2020, 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Mission Bay Conference Center (Robertson Auditorium), 1675 Owens Street #251, San Francisco, CA. Lisa Curtis, Co-Founder and CEO of Kuli Kuli, will MC the event. Hear from our 2020 Keynote Speaker, Miyoko Schinner, CEO/Founder of Miyoko's Creamery and learn more about the insightful story leading up to the successful evolution of Miyoko's dairy-free, plant-based cheese brand. In addition, Wayne Wu, Partner at VMG Partners will interview Elizabeth Giannuzzi, CEO/Co-Founder of Siren Snacks and the First Place Naturally Bay Area 2018 Pitch Slam Winner, and Hector Saldivar, Founder of Tia Lupita Foods and Second Place Naturally Bay Area 2018 Pitch Slam Winner, during a Fireside Chat.

2020 Pitch Slam Competition Sponsors
Aspect Consumer Partners, New Hope Network, Whole Foods, and Compass Natural Marketing.

Naturally Bay Area Sponsors
Naturally Bay Area is proud to have Premier, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze-level Sponsors. Premier Sponsors include Aspect Consumer Partners, BPM LLP, Clif Bar & Company, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, GABY, Mista/Givaudan, Navitas Organics, New Hope Network, Propeller Industries, and The Burbank Hafeli Schiller Group. For a complete list of Sponsors, visit here: https://naturallybayarea.org/about/our-sponsors/.

About Naturally Bay Area
Naturally Bay Area is dedicated to building and fostering a community that nurtures conscious growth, leadership and innovation in the Bay Area natural products industry. Founded in 2018 as a 501c6 non-profit organization, it now has over 500 members compromised of entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, and emerging and leading brands. Naturally Bay Area provides access to cutting-edge business education events and programs, opportunities for meaningful connections and networking, and special celebrations.

Naturally Bay Area is a part of Naturally Network, which supports a national ecosystem to galvanize and grow the natural and organic products industry. Naturally Network serves those who wish to create a more conscious and regenerative economy and culture through the power of business. Our collective goal is to manifest meaningful change for our industry, our society, and our planet. Visit us online at naturallybayarea.org or find us on LinkedIn or Facebook. For member or sponsor information, please contact us at info@naturallybayarea.org.

Contact
Vanessa Toy, Naturally Bay Area, vanessa@cultivatecreations.com
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural Marketing, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com