Typical MBArk Agenda



To give you a sense of what your MBArk experience will be like, take a look at our agenda from the 2018 Expo West event.

 

 

MBArk EXPO WEST 2018 AGENDA

 

Thursday, March 8

Natural Talent Career Fair 
MBArk preview 3:30-4:00 p.m., Career Fair 4:00-7:00 p.m., Sheraton Park Hotel Plaza D Ballroom  OPTIONAL ACTIVITY

  • The industry’s only comprehensive job fair!
  • Meet with the HR teams and key executives from 30 dynamic natural products companies, including KIND Snacks, Daiya Foods, Stonyfield Farm, Organic Valley, Coca-Cola Venturing and Emerging Brands (including Honest Tea and Zico), Pacific Foods, Essential Oxygen, Miyoko’s Kitchen, and more
  • Co-sponsored by New Hope Network, MBArk, and NaturalIndustryJobs.com

MBArk Orientation Dinner
6:00-8:00 p.m., Sheraton Park Hotel, Palm East Ballroom

  • Introduction to the event and the industry by Joe Dobrow.
  • Informal chance to meet your fellow MBArk participants
  • LIVE teleconference with Stanford GSB “Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship” class in Palo Alto – guest speaker Greg Steltenpohl, CEO of Califia Farms (See great NY Times article)

 

Friday, March 9

On both Friday and Saturday we held a mix of scheduled activities and free time so that participants could set up meetings with individual brands,  roam the show floor, attend educational seminars, try food samples, and network with their favorite companies.

MBArk Welcome Breakfast
8:00-10:00 a.m., Sheraton Park Hotel, Palm East Ballroom

  • Introduction to the event and the industry by Joe Dobrow
  • Introductions of all MBArk participants
  • Discussion of consulting opportunities

Show Floor Opens
10:00 a.m.

Brand Management Small Group Meeting with Dan Stangler of Annie’s
1:00 p.m., Convention Center booth TBD  OPTIONAL ACTIVITY 

Logistics and Supply Chain Small Group Meeting with JJ Cantrell, VP of Sales at UNFI
2:00 p.m., Convention Center booth 623  OPTIONAL ACTIVITY 

Entrepreneurship Small Group Focus Session with Bob Burke of Natural Products Consulting and Tim Sperry of The Tim Sperry Group
3:00-4:00 p.m., Sheraton Park Hotel, Garden AB  Ballroom  OPTIONAL ACTIVITY

Strategic Investing Small Group Focus Session with Maija Aittola of 301 Brand Elevator and Lucas Mann of Acre Venture Partners
4:00-5:00 p.m., Sheraton Park Hotel, Garden AB  Ballroom  OPTIONAL ACTIVITY

MBA Alumni Dinner
6:00-8:00 p.m., Sheraton Park Hotel, Palm East Ballroom

  • Eat, drink, rewind, trade stories
  • Join MBA alumni at one of three “functional” tables:
    • Marketing
      • Jen Berliner (Yale SOM), VP of Marketing at Zupa NOMA
      • Jessica Holland (Haas), ABM at DanoneWave
      • Lizzie Fischer (Fuqua), VP Sales/Marketing at MATI Energy
      • Emma Frelinghuysen (Stanford GSB), VP of Cultivate Ventures at Hain Celestial
    • Entrepreneurship
      • Eliza Timpson (Harvard Business School), CEO of Sunwink
      • Natalie Cira (Tuck), Investment Banking Associate at Whipstitch Capital
    • CPG
      • Jenny Burns (Haas), Sr. Product Manager at Applegate
      • Justin Lindenmayer (Yale SOM), Product Manager at Verde Farms
      • Laura Romano (Clark), CSR Manager at Blue Marble

Saturday, March 10

On both Friday and Saturday we held a mix of scheduled activities and free time so that participants could set up meetings with individual brands,  roam the show floor, attend educational seminars, try food samples, and network with their favorite companies.

MBArk CEO Breakfast
8:00-10:00 a.m., Sheraton Park Hotel, Park ABC Ballroom

  • Our showcase event!
  • During the 8:00 hour, hear presentations from some of the industry’s leading CEOs:
    • Terry Tierney, CEO of Daiya
    • Paddy Spence (Harvard Business School), CEO of Zevia
    • Naomi Whittel, CEO of Twinlab
    • Blair Kellison (Chicago Booth), CEO of Traditional Medicinals
    • Scott Norton, CEO of Sir Kensington’s
  • During the 9:00 hour, we’ll rotate tables frequently so you can meet with our speakers and other special guests, including:
    • Seth Goldman (Yale SOM), CEO Emeritus of Honest Tea
    • Denis Ring (Yale SOM), CEO of OCHO Candy
    • Tyler Gage, CEO of RUNA
    • Doug Radi (Wake Forest), CEO of Good Karma
    • David Ingalls, CEO of Zing Bar
    • John Haugen (UCLA Anderson), General Manager of 301 Brand Elevator
    • Nikhil Arora and Alex Velez, Co-Founders of Back to the Roots
    • Jared Simon (Harvard Business School), CP of Marketing at Hain Celestial
    • Jay Chopra (La Sierra), COO of Hi-Health
    • Joan Boykin, Founder of Boykin Consulting and a member of the Hall of Legends
    • Dan Stangler (Minnesota Carlson), Business Unit Director at Annie’s
    • JJ Cantrell, VP of Sales at UNFI
    • Sarah Cline (Yale SOM), AVP of Sales at Nature’s Path
    • and more!

Show Floor Opens
10:00 a.m.

Small Group Meeting with Seth Goldman of Honest Tea
11:00 a.m., Convention Center booth 1637  OPTIONAL ACTIVITY 

MBArk Wrap-Up Meeting
1:00-2:00 p.m., Convention Center Room 202B

  • A talk with Adam Andersen and Alex MacGregor, show organizers from New Hope, so participants can ask questions about the show and the industry, and share their feedback about both Expo West and MBArk

Women in Naturals Networking Event
5:30-7:00 p.m., Hilton Sunset Deck  OPTIONAL ACTIVITY

  • A low-key networking party featuring Twinlab CEO Naomi Whittel.