SKU, the nation’s first accelerator for consumer-packaged goods (CPGs), is accepting applications from CPG companies around the country for the third cohort of SKU Dallas 2022.
SKU has worked with more than 100 alumni, including a variety of innovative and successful brands, including EPIC Provisions, Siete, DUDE Wipes and Seaweed Bath Co.
Ideal candidates are market-validated companies with compelling founders and innovative products in hot categories. Brands can be from a wide range of areas in CPG, including food, beverage, apparel, personal care, and household products..
The 12-week program kicks off Aug. 23 and culminates Nov. 15, followed by the Premiere of a Showcase Pitch Video to an audience of investors, CPG leaders and fellow successful founders.
“SKU Dallas has accelerated us in all aspects of our business,” said SKU Dallas 2021 alum Laurel Orley, co-founder and crunch executive officer of Daily Crunch Snacks. “Looking back at our brand positioning, it's night and day compared to where we were before after going through SKU. There was so much about our brand in the market that I wasn't aware of and now I have a clear sense of how to move forward and succeed.”
The curriculum covers topics important to CPG startups, including Mission + Vision, Branding, Channel Strategy, Supply Chain and Innovation.
The program is supported by DFW CPG, an organization co-founded by Richard Riccardi and Rick Jordan last year to help connect and build food and beverage companies in the Metroplex.
“The SKU CPG Accelerator program provides a condensed MBA-level education on all facets of leading and growing a CPG business,” said Riccardi, a long-time SKU mentor. “But even better, the cohort companies are matched with a team of carefully selected, industry-experienced mentors who supply the practical insight that perfectly complements the educational component.”
One of the most valuable components of SKU is its elite community of mentors from some of the most successful consumer product companies as well as successful CPG founders, subject-matter experts and investors. Each SKU founder is surrounded by a hand-picked team of mentors focused on helping them scale their businesses as they guide them through the program. In addition to the rewards of working with founders to help them achieve their potential, mentors benefit from the experience of working side by side with their peers.
“SKU is on a mission to connect founders to CPG resources so they can create the household brands of tomorrow. SKU Dallas 2022 is another example of this mission at work,” says Emily Kealey, managing director of SKU. “Through our mentors, partners and sponsors, our unique ecosystem gives us the opportunity to accelerate these Founders so they can make lasting change in the CPG industry.”
