SKU, the nation’s first accelerator for CPG companies, is accepting applications from consumer brands around the country for the third cohort of SKU Dallas 2022.
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. Companies interested in applying for SKU Dallas 2022 can apply here.
SKU has worked with more than 100 alumni, including a variety of innovative and successful brands, including EPIC Provisions, Siete, DUDE Wipes, and The Seaweed Bath Co.
The 12-week program kicks off on August 23 and culminates on November 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 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 and 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 in 2021 to help connect and build food and beverage companies in the Metroplex.
One of the most valuable components of SKU is its elite community of mentors. SKU’s mentor community includes top executives from some of the most successful consumer product companies such as PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and Amazon 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.
“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.”
If you are a CPG leader who would like to mentor the next generation of CPG brands, please email Michelle at michelle@sku.is.
