UGLY TALK: HOW SMART BRANDS WIN IN A CROWDED AISLE
Food and beverage is crowded. Everyone says the category Food and beverage is a crowded field. It takes guts and ambition. Finding your footing can be tenuous at best. Breaking through means finding your edge.
A crowded market doesn’t kill a brand. In fact, it often inspires innovation, a unique profile or a recipe lost to history, uncovering a need that's overlooked by others. Sometimes it’s a clever take on an age-old formula made new all over again.
This room is about food and beverage founders who found a sharper way in. They re-envisioned something familiar yet different, taking a page from the past and making it modern for a market that’s evolving at the speed of a post. They found their niche, uniquely solve a pain point and look at the shelves differently to create something the world needs now.
🎯 Why You Should Attend
Learn how food and beverage brands break through when the category already feels full.
Get sharper on go-to-market moves that do not require a giant budget.
Hear what actually helped founders earn attention, trial, and repeat customers.
Understand the difference between expensive marketing and smart distribution.
See how strong brands find a clear angle instead of trying to outspend bigger players.
🙋 Who's Getting In This Room
Food and beverage founders building in crowded categories.
Early-stage consumer brands trying to find product pull without wasting money.
Operators, buyers, and investors looking at what actually helps a brand break through.
People who want the truth about traction, distribution, and brand strategy. Not polished founder theater.
🎤 Who’s Taking the Stage
Jack Parker - Co-founder of Original Henry Lambert's Beer
Jack has spent his entire career in the beverage alcohol industry. After getting his MBA from NYU Stern, he started developing the idea for a new generation of domestic beer rooted in the changing habits of the modern drinker. He is the co-founder of Lambert's Beer, a beer company dedicated exclusively to the mid-strength beer category.
Eric Gonzalez - Founder and CEO of Tranquila Coffee
Eric loves coffee. So much so, he switched to decaf so he could drink coffee 24/7 without any of the bad stuff from caffeine. The decaf options were limited and lame, so he decided to make decaf cool with Tranquila. Prior to Tranquila, he helped launch and scale multiple consumer startups in ecomm and mobile apps.
Lauryn Bodden - Founder & CEO of S'NOODS
Lauryn Bodden is a private chef, culinary creative, and the founder of S’NOODS, the first chef-driven, globally-inspired noodle chip brand. After winning Netflix’s Snack vs. Chef in 2022, she turned her winning concept into a nationally distributed CPG brand, reaching 215+ retail doors in year one. Lauryn drew on years of experience across food media, recipe development, and professional kitchens worldwide (working as a private chef on sailing charters) to build a snack brand rooted in the cuisines she’s learned along the way (plus, the ones she has yet to explore).
Moderator:
Glenn Johnson - Marketing Consultant/Fractional CMO
Glenn Johnson works with brands, startups, and founders to address their marketing and branding needs. “From 0-1, to pivot and growth, from idea to production, from packaging to sales strategies, key markets and comp set research and who to work with, I craft a plan and a strategy to get it done. I help brands build their business, for me, Ugly Talks is about the story and the lessons."
A former VP/Creative Director at a Madison Avenue agency specializing in luxury and bespoke audiences, he brings expertise across multiple verticals. As a category-agnostic brand storyteller, he helps founders define their mission, vision and develop their brand business.
💬 What We Do Not Sugarcoat
The shelf is crowded, and most food and beverage brands do not get a second look.
Great taste isn’t enough if the positioning is weak.
Sampling, and retail expansion can burn cash fast when the angle isn’t clear.
Slow and steady can beat fast and loose.
Solving a pain point, conveying your vision and engaging your customer aren’t always easy all at once.
A product people try once is not the same as a brand people come back for.
In food and beverage, small mistakes in pricing, packaging, and channel strategy get expensive fast.
🤝 Who's Backing This
The Yard - Private offices & coworking spaces for individuals and teams.
AdCreative.ai - Generate e-commerce ads drive sales
From photo to photoshoot in seconds
Turn your basic product photos into professional-grade photoshoots instantly using AI. AdCreative.ai generates stunning product images that rival high-budget photoshoots, helping your e-commerce business showcase products beautifully and boost sales.
GREY Journal – Media partner spotlighting modern entrepreneurs (featured on Apple News + Google News).
⭐ About Ugly Talk:
Started in 2019, Ugly Talk has been transforming business setbacks into breakthrough “aha!” moments by hosting unfiltered, no-nonsense events where battle-tested entrepreneurs share their raw lessons and insights.
With a growing presence in cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Miami, we’ve built a vibrant community of thousands of founders and industry leaders making a profound impact on the entrepreneurial landscape.
Official Website: UglyTalk.com
🗣📢 Important Notice for Ugly Talk Attendees
Admission & Confirmation
Attendance is by approval only. Approved guests will receive a confirmation email along with a calendar invite. Invitations are non-transferable. Additional event details will be shared as the event approaches.
Code of Conduct
By attending, you agree to:
Maintain respect and professionalism, adhering to all venue rules, policies, and applicable laws.
Refrain from harassment, discrimination, unwelcome sexual advances (verbal or physical), intimidation, or inappropriate photography/recording.
Report any violations to the event hosts immediately.
Violations may result in immediate removal from the event and exclusion from future invitations.
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Participation is voluntary and at your own risk. The event organizers, hosts, sponsors, and venue are not liable for personal injury, lost or stolen belongings, or any other damages incurred during the event.
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Official Event Page: [Link]