Join us for an energizing evening designed for founders who are serious about turning insight into impact. This interactive event will explore how to better understand your customer, validate real demand, and make smarter product decisions. Through expert perspective, practical strategy, and honest founder stories, we will examine what separates products that gain traction from those that stall and how to respond when things do not go as planned.
Expect candid conversations, actionable takeaways, and real-world lessons from experts and entrepreneurs who have navigated the messy middle of building and refining products. If you are testing, building, pivoting, or scaling, this is a conversation you will not want to miss.
Light snacks and refreshments provided!
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Glenn Pappalardo has over 20 years of experience in developing winning growth and innovation strategies for companies in the food and beverage industry, including internationally, in both consulting and corporate leadership roles. He has been a member of executive teams at both RXBAR (International, COO) and Kashi (Strategy, International) and led multiple consulting firms specializing in the space (JPG Resources, Integral CPG). In addition, his 15+ years of consulting experience includes time at multinational firms PwC and Deloitte, holding leadership roles in the Consumer Products industry practices of each. Glenn holds an MBA in Management, Marketing and Organizations.
Rifle Hughes is a seasoned business leader and entrepreneur with extensive experience in strategy, innovation, and the consumer-packaged goods sector. He currently serves as Co‑Founder of Integral CPG, where he leads efforts to develop and scale food and beverage brands, leveraging deep industry expertise to drive growth and innovation. Over the course of his career, he has mentored emerging founders and advised startups through programs such as SKU and Project Potluck. He holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University and a BBA from the University of Texas at Arlington. Rifle has authored industry articles on topics including brand development and market strategy, reflecting his commitment to sharing insights and supporting growth within the consumer goods ecosystem.
Melanie Bartelme is an Associate Director and Global Food Analyst at Mintel, a leading market intelligence firm. In her role she provides insights on global food innovation, consumer behavior, and emerging trends across multiple food and beverage categories with a particular emphasis on flavor trends and market opportunity. She plays a key role in developing Mintel’s trend forecasts and helps shape annual reports on global food and drink trends. Prior to joining Mintel in 2017, Melanie reported on industry news and trends for the Institute of Food Technologists, where she contributed editorial content focused on product development and sector evolution. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University and regularly shares analysis with industry audiences through publications and conference presentations. Outside of her professional work she engages with food culture through personal travel and social media, exploring cuisine and culinary trends from around the world.
