UGLY TALK: 2025 LEARNINGS & 2026 PRIORITIES IN D2C & CPG
E-commerce won big in 2025 and it also got louder. More channels, more “best practices,” and messier signals. This session cuts through the noise: candid 2025 post-mortems (missed bets, near-misses, pivots) paired with the most useful 2026 predictions. Trends, tactics, and tech you should actually track. It’s the straight-line intro: what really happened, what really matters next.
🎯 Why You Should Attend
Learn directly from veteran e-commerce founders. Their 2025 battle-tested lessons and what they’re betting on in 2026 so you can shorten your own learning curve.
Get extremely practical. Every tip is actionable and e-commerce-focused—playbooks you can test immediately.
Grow your edge through peers. Compare notes, stay on-trend, and build relationships that help you punch above your weight—brand partners, investors, and operators who can unlock your next step.
🙋 Who You'll Meet
Founders/CEOs of DTC brands across categories and stages
Investors active in e-commerce, including angels focused on the space
Operators, experts, and partners who help brands scale (growth, lifecycle, data, logistics, creative, tooling)
🎤 Who’s on the Panel
Jade Beguelin - Co-Founder & CEO of 4AM SKIN
Jade Beguelin is the co-founder and CEO of 4AM SKIN who began her career as a derivatives trader at JP Morgan before spending over 3 years at Ampush (named the McKinsey of growth marketing by Techcrunch).
Her experience spans managing 7-figure marketing budgets for top DTC brands to tactical strategic consulting for early stealth ventures, before going full-time on 4AM at the end of 2022. Launched in July 2021, 4AM SKIN delivers modern skincare that combines cutting edge science, on-the-go convenience and next level brand story.
The brand’s launch was featured in Vogue Magazine;their hero product The Routine was named a W Mag Select;and Jade was recognized as part of Forbes’ 30 under 30 Class of 2025. One of the key drivers of growth for 4AM has been their community on TikTok, where #4amskin now boasts over 8M views and Jade herself has accumulated over 150k followers.
Steven ODell - CEO & COO of Tenzo / Breath Death
Steve O’Dell is the Founder and CEO of Tenzo, a scaled omni-channel matcha brand serving millions of customers with distribution across 50,000+ locations throughout North America and Europe.
He is also the Chief Operating Officer of Breath Death, a rapidly scaling, category-defining oral care brand backed by major celebrities and TKO (WWE & UFC).
Kirsten "Kiki" Couchman - Co-Founder of Sourmilk
Kiki (Kirsten) Couchman is the co-founder of Sourmilk, a greek yogurt designed specifically for your gut. Together with her best friend Elan, they are on a mission to heal America's gut through real whole foods. Prior to this, Kiki worked in private equity for 4.5 years at Alpine Investors. She received a BA from Stanford University (where she met her co-founder Elan!) in Human Biology.
Moderator:
Brandon Blum - Managing Partner at New Edition
Brandon is the Founder and Managing Partner at New Edition, a boutique creative agency based in Brooklyn, NY that helps emerging eCommerce brands create content.
In 2021, he co-launched For Others, social impact apparel brand that sold over $500,000 in products, donated over 100,000 meals to food banks across the US, and supported over 100 elementary schools.
When he's not servicing clients, I'm likely growing and building Founders Basketball— NYC's premier networking pickup basketball game that brings together founders and investors looking to connect over business and buckets.
💬 What We’ll Talk About
LOOKING BACK (2025)
Key insights and pressure points. What surprised, what stalled, and what unlocked traction
Make-or-break moments. The decisions that changed the curve (and the signals behind them)
Experiments that didn’t land—then what? Hypothesis → signal → pivot → outcome
Missed opportunities. Where attention should have gone sooner—and how that’s shaping 2026
LOOKING AHEAD (2026)
Predictions that matter. Which trends, tactics, and technologies deserve your focus?
Plays to test. Practical moves across content, community, channels, and merchandising
Pitfalls to skip. Common traps and how to design around them before they cost you
The biggest unknown. What each leader is actively navigating—and the contingency plan
🤝 Partner Brands
doola - The Business-in-a-Box™ for e-commerce founders—helping you launch, manage, and grow a US business from anywhere.
🤝 Co-Hosted with:
Shopify New York – Powering millions of sellers around the world
New Edition – a Brooklyn-based creative agency that services the eCommerce, CPG and retail industries.
🤝 Supported By:
GREY Journal – Media partner spotlighting modern entrepreneurs (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
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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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