From Cupcake Wars to Shark Tank: Heather Saffer on Building Brands That Scale
Join us for an inspiring fireside chat with Heather Saffer — award-winning entrepreneur, startup advisor, and founder of Dollop Gourmet — as she shares the real story behind launching a nationally distributed brand and sealing a deal on Shark Tank with Barbara Corcoran.
Heather first made headlines by winning Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, then turned her creative flair into a growth machine with Dollop Gourmet, bringing her products to shelves nationwide. Beyond her own ventures, she’s helped early-stage founders refine strategies, raise over $12M in funding, and navigate the complex journey from idea to scale.
With experience as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence for multiple accelerators, a corporate innovator at General Mills’ G-Works, and a best-selling author, Heather blends startup scrappiness with big-brand discipline — and knows how to build businesses that last.
In this session, Heather will unpack:
• The behind-the-scenes reality of pitching and winning on Shark Tank
• How to turn a creative product into a scalable business
• Lessons in branding, marketing, and growth from both startup and corporate worlds
• How to prepare for — and thrive in — high-stakes investor conversations
• The mindset shifts founders need to go from surviving to scaling
Whether you’re building a consumer brand, refining your pitch, or looking to scale smart, this is your chance to learn from someone who’s been in the trenches, on the big stage, and everywhere in between.