VMG Partners

🐾 Portfolio News 🐾 Maev founder, and friend of VMG, Katie Spies sat down with Inc. Magazine to talk about her journey from creating raw dog food for her Italian greyhound in her home kitchen, to building a multi-million dollar pet business with nationwide distribution. Nothing hits quite like an inspiring founder story like Katie's. Learn more about her story, her pup George, and where Maev goes from here.

💌 Calling BIPOC founders & your teams! 💌 Join VMG's Alisa (Williams) Carmichael, industry trailblazer Aurora James (founder of the Fifteen Percent Pledge), and Project Potluck's Kathleen Casanova over breakfast next Tuesday 8/27 in Denver, CO during Newtopia Now. We're gearing up to talk shop about all things BIPOC-founded business, hear your challenges as a BIPOC leader, and understand the ways you’re defying the odds in the highly competitive CPG category. Whether you're a BIPOC founder yourself or a passionate leader at a BIPOC-founded organization, this is YOUR moment to connect, inspire, and be inspired. RSVP below!

We had a great time at #SuperZoo in Las Vegas last week getting the latest on trends in pet CPG! We met with emerging brands, large corporates and retailers alike, and walked away with the following themes top of mind: 📈 Laser focus on driving volume growth after a multi-year period of steep price increases for the industry. 🥬 Continued emphasis on nutrient preservation vis-a-vis alternative formats (freeze-dried, air-dried, gently dehydrated, slow cooked). 🪄 Increased innovation as core operations have stabilized and brands look to new levers of growth. ⚕️Seeking clinical support as a path to differentiation in a crowded landscape. 🐾 Long-term sights on omnichannel distribution for sustainable unit economics and path to strategic exit. VMG attendees Aarti Kapoor & Jose A. Bermudez especially enjoyed the opportunity to host 40+ pet industry experts alongside Yuval Krongrad, David Ciagne, and Edouard Metrailler from J.P. Morgan. We're proud to be part of the Pet community and look forward to following the category's newest innovations.

Five of our portfolio companies have just stormed the prestigious Inc. 5000 List! Huge congratulations to: 🐾 Maev 💇♀️ Boulevard 📱 Attentive 🌿 Musely 💪 Crunch Fitness - Undefeated Tribe This recognition is a testament to your relentless drive and game-changing innovations. Here's to your continued success and the exciting journey ahead. https://lnkd.in/g6Yn3rnH

Allie Garfinkle requires no introduction as you'll likely find her newsletter — Fortune Term Sheet — in your inbox every morning. Last month, we sat down with Allie to learn more about her vision for the newsletter since taking the reins earlier this year, what excites her about the beat, her pitch icks, and a few fun facts you won’t learn anywhere else. 👇 Read on! 👇

Yesterday, our summer intern superstars dazzled us with their final project presentations. While we're sad to see them go, we're bursting with pride at their accomplishments. They didn't just meet expectations - they shattered them. 🏆 Let's give it up for our fantastic interns - Andres Batista, Sarina Chitkara, Anthony Johnson & Annette Wei. They came, they saw, they conquered! 💫 Special shoutout to our all-star intern mentors: Carter McKeon, Rose Fisher, Maria R. & Lucinda Liu!

Last night, VMG Technology came together to kick-off the team's annual planning offsite. We covered everything from CliftonStrengths, to everyone's ideal Saturday, and much more. Kudos to Indranil Guha for opening his home to host this special evening, Kelly Mauch for facilitating a fun & informative session, and to Ali Recio for her expert planning and creativity. Let today's planning sessions begin!

🥥 Portfolio News 🥥 Skincare-obsessed Bethenny Frankel has spoken, and she's a big fan of BeautyStat Cosmetics' latest skincare innovation, which leverages FIVE different components of - you guessed it - coconut. Congratulations on the launch Ron Robinson & team BeautyStat Cosmetics!

It only felt right to (re)share our convo with Shani Darden as she rings in her 50th year around the sun! A few things we learned from the skincare guru: 🙅 Don't force product(s) that aren't meant for your skin (read: stop adopting the "miracle" regimens you see on TikTok). ☀️ Sunscreen reigns queen, forever & always. 🤔 Every misstep made while growing her business illuminated the path she's on today, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Over the last 13 years, VMG's Brianna Rizzo estimates that she’s made an average of 5 introductions a day, or upwards of 17,000 intro over the course of her career. 🤯  Like us, you might be asking yourself: How does she do it?! Look no further than her interview with Eleanor Morgan where she shares her tried and true tips: https://lnkd.in/ggQK9xUS 🫴 Lead with humanity — people love connecting with people 📝 Include context — a little goes a long way ⏱️ Don’t shy away from inconvenient intros — your network strengthens the more you use it 🫶 Give and take, and express gratitude