Forbes
"Arnulfo Ventura: 'Our new flavors are flavor-line extensions. We know how to do chips and we know how to do vegan cheddar chips really well. [Some of the new flavors] show true points of differentiation, for example Himalayan salt and vinegar. Salt and vinegar is the fourth largest flavor profile in potato chips.' "
Nosh
"Beanfields has had a busy two years. In that time, the vegan chip company was acquired by PowerPlant Ventures and a coalition of investors in April 2017, rebranded, and seen CPG veteran Mark Rampolla both become CEO and then subsequently step down in place of Arnulfo Ventura in July 2018. Now, after a period of strong growth, the brand is announcing the close of its series B round of funding."
Food + Tech Connect
"Building a supply chain for under utilized crops is complicated. It takes building trust with farmers, distribution infrastructure and consumer demand, all while navigating crop cycles, consistency, cost and fair trade practices..Casey Emmett, director of strategic sales at Health Warrior (recently acquired by PepsiCo) [on] how the chia brand built its initial supply chain for the crop, which at the time was under utilized."
RICHMONDINNO
“[Richmond] now has a reputation as a foodie town,” said Scott Ukrop, partner at local VC firm NRV. “And with the national trend towards clean ingredient, better-for-you foods, there’s an opportunity to develop more brands and food products along the lines of Health Warrior.”
AgFunder News
"Taking the time to review what came to pass and what the future may hold within the food and agriculture sector helps to set the tone for the New Year."
Crunchbase
"There are always exceptions to the rule, sure – but launching a real business and successfully running it over the long haul are completely different jobs. They require different skill-sets and demand different kinds of leadership."
Taste Radio
"'Whether it’s food or beverage, in our world, in the CPG world, it’s a romance industry,' [CEO Arnold Ventura] said. 'And you win a consumer one bag at a time, one bottle at a time.'"
Food Navigator- USA
"Food and beverage products that communicate a clear functional health benefit, sustainability story, explore alternative protein sources, or leverage technology to shorten the distance between a recipe and finished meal, are just some of the trends to watch out for in 2019 and beyond, according to Tyson Trendtellers Council."
Richmond Times Dispatch
"Richmond-based nutrition bar maker Health Warrior Inc., has been acquired by food and beverage behemoth PepsiCo. The deal for the maker of chia seed-based snack bars and related plant-based food products will help push Pepsi further into a category of selling more nutritious foods as the company responds to shifting consumers tastes."
Inc.
“Talent growth, strong access to capital and Capital One's 1717 Innovation Center lead the charge.”
Harvard Business Review
“This crossroad of humanity and technology is where we will find an ideal future of caring.”
Fortune
"The concept he calls “blitzscaling” provides a set of techniques that allow entrepreneurs to grow their businesses quickly, while outmaneuvering competitors."
Forbes
"Health Warrior is a seven-year-old, high-growth and plant-based superfood company based in Richmond, Virginia that might be best known for popularizing chia seeds in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) space."
AXIOS
"These quiet, behind-the-scenes developments are transforming modern work now."
Washington Post
"A group of major American hospitals, battered by price spikes on old drugs and long-lasting shortages of critical medicines, has launched a mission-driven, not-for-profit generic drug company, Civica Rx, to take some control over the drug supply."
American Inno
"Richmond’s nationally recognized Lighthouse Labs accelerator has announced the latest cohort of eight companies participating in its fall 2018 program."
Forbes
"The Treasury and OCC’s recommendations allow for more innovation, better structure of partnerships and tighter regulation of consumer data."
Harvard Business Review
"Venture capital firms that increased their proportion of female partner hires by 10% saw, on average, a 1.5% spike in overall fund returns each year and had 9.7% more profitable exits (an impressive figure given that only 28.8% of all VC investments have a profitable exit)."
Laura Markley
NRV's Director of Investments, Laura Markley, discusses statistics and next steps around the gender gap in venture capital.
PwC MoneyTree
"Dollars to VC-backed companies were up 2% in Q2’18 over the previous quarter, with a record $23B invested across 1,416 deals."
