Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing I Brands - podcast cover

Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing I Brands

Mike Gelbredcircle.com

Consumer VC takes a look into early-stage consumer investing and venture capital. If you are interested in learning about consumer trends, have a b2c business and interested in learning about the fundraising process at the early stage, you have come to the right place.


Mike interviews some of the top venture capitalists in the world that focus on B2C and consumer type companies or have a deep track record investing in these categories such as marketplaces, SaaS, social, CPG and non-tech subscription.


Mike also interviews founders that are building some of the most disruptive consumer facing companies in the world. The conversation usually includes the insight the founder discovered, fundraising strategy, and the pitch.


This podcast also includes bonus episodes. Each bonus episode dives into a particular subject that might not have to due with the fundraise or venture capital, but still would be helpful to founders. For example, a bonus episode on brand strategy or how to construct a board of directors. All bonus episodes will be clearly labeled.


For all episodes, please visit www.theconsumervc.com. For updates, you can follow @mikegelb on Twitter.

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Episodes

How He Buys Multi-Million Dollar Brands with Fan Bi, Founder/CEO of The Hedgehog Company

Our guest today is Fan Bi, Founder & CEO of Hedgehog Fan Bi is the Founder & CEO of Hedgehog. He founded, grew, and exited many eCom + store menswear brands. He has been in DTC eCommerce for over 13 years. We discuss: • How was Fan was introduced to entrepreneurship and what things he found compelling about man's fashion? • What multiples were used for early-stage digital brands? • Why he started Hedgehog? • What to make of the current market and how do you see it in the future? Thank yo...

Jan 29, 202446 min

What is a Cult Brand? With Sarah Woelfel, Co-Founder & Partner at Cult Capital

Our guest today is Sarah Woelfel , Co-Founder & Partner at Cult Capital . She combines her zeal for investing with her affection for cult consumer brands. Their investments include Supergoop!, Babo Botanicals, and Lawless Beauty. Prior to CULT Capital, Sarah served on the investment team at Audax and as an I-banking analyst at Deutsche Bank. ----------- Thank you to our partner Propeller Industries Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage...

Jan 18, 20241 hr 4 min

How She's Adding The Belgian Waffle To The American Diet...and 8,400+ stores with Anouck Gotlib, CEO of Belgian Boys

She leads the day-to-day operations and long-term strategy for Belgian Boys and is bringing European treats like Belgian waffles, brioche french toast, crepes, and other delicious delights to the American home. They are now in over 8,400 stores including Walmart, Target, Whole Foods. Thank you to our partner Propeller Industries Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies. We discuss: • Anouck’s journey from fashion to joining her husb...

Jan 08, 202448 min

Selling 10 Million Soup Dumplings and Counting: The Story of MìLà with Caleb Wang

Our guest today is Caleb Wang, CEO and Co-Founder MiLa. Authentic soup dumplings, chinese noodles and chef crafted sauces. Made fresh and shipped! We talked about how he and his wife, Jen first stated a restaurant, how that expanded to an ecommerce business, how they raised capital and why they raised capital, and much much more.

Dec 21, 202337 min

Why This Venture Studio Backed By VF Corp is Investing in Consumer Tech with David Wagner and Jesse Marble, Co-Founders of Wildwood Ventures

Our guests today are David Wagner and Jesse Marble, Co-Founders of Wildwood Ventures . Wildwood Ventures is backed by VF corporation, a holding company whose portfolio includes iconic outdoor and activity-based lifestyle and workwear brands like Vans, North Face, Timberland, Dickies. Wildwood Ventures invests in consumer technology companies that make lives better. Want all the updates? Subscribe to The Newsletter...

Nov 29, 202351 min

When Can A Celebrity-Led Brand Work with Denise Lambertson from Constellation Capital and LMS

Our guest today is Denise Lambertson , Managing Partner at Constellation Capital and Chairwoman & Founder of LMS , the influencer marketing agency. We actually didn’t get into the Constellation Capital / VC / Investing side for this episode, we ran out of time. We focused on the relationship between talent and brand and how that partnership could work and how it could not work. Enjoying TheConsumer VC? Subscribe To The Newsletter Here...

Nov 02, 202352 min

FinTech: What's Real and What's a Scam with Drew Glover, General Partner of Fiat Ventures

Today’s episode we focus on the wonderful world of consumer fintech and our guest today is Drew Glover , General Partner of Fiat Ventures and Founding Partner of Fiat Growth . Fiat Growth is a growth consultancy helping to scale some of the largest fintech companies out there - Chime, Lemonade, Copper. They decided to launch a VC fund that focuses on emerging fintech companies. Want to receive updates on all the VC fundraises in consumer? Subscribe Here To The Newsletter...

Oct 26, 202354 min

Breaking Boundaries in Broadway: The TodayTix Story with Brian Fenty

Our guest today is Brian Fenty, Co-Founder & CEO of TodayTix . TodayTix is the digital gateway to live shows, arts, and cultural experiences. We discuss: His introduction to Broadway & ticketing How Broadway initially tried to appeal to younger demographics and failed How TodayTix partners with theatres The threat of TicketMaster Why they didn’t pivot during COVID Their acquisition strategy & more...

Oct 12, 202345 min

Will There Be Cities With No Cars? What is The Future of Urban Transportation? The Difference Between U.S. and European Markets with Martin Mignot from Index Ventures

Our guest today is Martin Mignot, Partner at Index Ventures. Index Ventures is a global firm that operates as one team across three offices (London, SF, NYC) and invests at all stages. Martin opened Index’s office in New York a couple of years ago. We discuss the massive consumer opportunity in New York that Index has tapped into through, the future of transportation and delivery, and the differences Martin has seen between European and American consumer markets.

Sep 28, 202350 min

Transforming the Mexican Food Aisle: Miguel Leal's Journey with SOMOS Foods

Listen in as we explore the exciting journey of Miguel Leal, co-founder and CEO of Somos Foods. Miguel shares his experience transitioning from successful stints at Kind Snacks and Chalula to establishing his own brand. Inspired by a disparity in the market, he decided to revolutionize the Mexican food aisle by creating authentic, plant-based, non-GMO products. He also discusses the pivotal decision to quickly shift to retail and the profound impact of AI technology on the brand's success. Our c...

Sep 14, 202354 min

Why He Invested In Liquid Death, Dollar Shave Club, and a Breakdown of the Venture Studio Model with Mike Jones, Co-Founder of Science Inc.

Our guest today is Mike Jones, one of the co-founders of Science Inc. Science Inc. is a venture studio and fund that develops, invests in consumer-focused businesses. Some of their portfolio includes Liquid Death, Dollar Shave Club, Grove Collaborative. Mike previously founded UsePlane, Tsavo Media and served as the CEO of MySpace. We discuss how he accesses what founders he wants to work with, what truly makes a good idea, how Liquid Death came together, their growth opportunities and he met Mi...

Aug 31, 202348 min

How She Built a $100 million CPG Brand in Three Years Selling Cauliflower Pizzas with Gail Becker, Founder of CAULIPOWER

Our guest today is Gail Becker, founder of CAULIPOWER, the most disruptive company in the better-for-you frozen food space named as one of the top 10 World’s Most Innovative Food Companies in 2022 by Fast Company. The hyper-growth company reached more than $100m in revenue in three years under her leadership as CEO. We discuss how and why she left corporate America to start Caulipower, her approach to growth through retail, how she thought about fundraising and managing her cap table, what capit...

Aug 03, 202347 min

Decoding the Future of Media and Commerce with Kevin Parakkattu at Plug and Play

On this episode of the Consumer VC podcast, we are joined by Kevin Parakkattu, partner at Plug Play Ventures, for an intriguing exploration of the rapidly evolving landscape of the media industry, particularly the rise of GenAI. Kevin and I talk about the potential of AI to replace writers' jobs in the future and the potential legal implications surrounding the use of AI-generated content. We then turn our attention to the commerce industry, discussing the challenges that direct-to-consumer bran...

Jul 27, 202344 min

How To Invest in Misunderstood & Highly Regulated Markets with Helene Servillon from JourneyOne Ventures

Our guest today is Helene Servillon , Founder of JourneyOne Ventures . JourneyOne Ventures is a 100% woman and minority-owned early-stage fund that invests in the billion-dollar opportunities of misunderstood markets that are highly regulated and fragmented. We discuss: The opportunity to invest in cannabis companies Different regulations within cannabis How she built her LP network Other “vice” industries she finds attractive Why she’s more focused on infrastructure than brands **Sponsor*** Thi...

Jun 28, 202356 min

Matt Alexander (Neighorhood Goods) - How They Are Reimaging The Department Store

Our guest today is Matt Alexander, founder & CEO of Neighborhood Goods. A new type of department store, featuring an ever-changing landscape of the world's most thoughtful, progressive, and exciting brands. This was a live podcast episode in Dallas that we did a few weeks back. Really want to thank RevTech Ventures for hosting us. Without further ado, here’s Matt. The Consumer VC represents the opinions and beliefs of Michael Gelb and does not reflect the opinions and beliefs of Manufactured...

Jun 15, 202339 min

Nigel Eccles (Vault) - How He’s Helping Artists Monetize Their Music, Fandom in the Digital Age and Lessons from Creating FanDuel

Thank you to my brother, Rob Gelb for the introduction to our guest today, Nigel Eccles, Co-Founder of Vault. Vault is introducing Digital Music Collectibles as a new format for collecting exclusive, authenticated, limited-run collectibles from your favorite artists. This episode brought me back, I worked in music for the first few years in my career and am an avid music listener. Previously, Nigel co-founded and was the CEO of FanDuel and is the #1 sportsbook in the US, a leading daily fantasy ...

Jun 08, 202356 min

Kiva Dickinson & Madeline Kaplan (Selva Ventures) - Raising $34 Million Fund 2, Opportunities in Beauty & Personal Care, And The Value of $1 in Revenue Online vs. In Retail

We have two amazing investors on the show today who just came off raising their second fund at $34 million fund. We have Kiva Dickinson, our first non-named Mike second time guest, and Madeline Kaplan from Selva Ventures. Selva Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm dedicated to partnering with consumer brands that promote healthier living. We discuss how fund 2 is different to fund 1, the difference between and clean and clinically backed beauty and personal care brands, do they value ...

Jun 01, 202353 min

Rakesh Narayana (Access VC) - How They Are Changing The Image of Corporate Venture Capital, and How They Evaluate Opportunities From an Exit Potential

Our guest today is Rakesh Narayana, who is the General Manager of Access VC. Access is the venture capital arm of Reckitt. Reckitt is a publicly traded consumer goods conglomerate focused on the hygiene, health and nutrition spaces. You probably recongize their brands Lysol, Dettol, and Calgon. So Access VC is their venture arm that Rakesh leads, some of their investments include Beekeeper’s Naturals, Maude, and Future Method. In this episode, we’re going to talk about how Access VC approaches t...

May 25, 202356 min

Andrew Blackmon (The Black Tux) - How He Approaches Standardization, Customization and Scale Running a Tuxedo Rental Business

Our guest today is Andrew Blackmon, Co-Founder and CEO of The Black Tux. The Black Tux is reinventing formalwear. We design and manufacture modern suits and tuxedos for rent or keeps. We discuss why Andrew decided to start a DTC rental tuxedo business in the first place, how he thinks about size, fit, standardization vs. customization, the growth avenues, how they are influenced by fashion trends and much more. ***Sponsor*** This issue is brought to you by Vauban from Carta. Vauban from Carta is...

May 17, 202344 min

Melissa Facchina (Siddhi Capital) - Can You Be A Great Entrepreneur But Not A Great Operator, Why She’s Not Investing In Beverage Companies, Her Way of Scaling and more

Thank you CJ Fowler at Goat Rodeo Capital for the introduction to our guest today, Melissa Facchina, Co-Founder & Co-Managing Partner of Siddhi Capital. Siddhi Capital is an operationally-focused food and beverage growth equity firm. Their portfolio includes Mid-Day Squares, Aura Bora (who both have been on the show) Copper Cow Coffee, Mud/Wtr, Magic Spoon, Momofuku Goods. I had a blast chatting with Melissa about her story, what makes great entrepreneurs in the food & bev space and do g...

May 09, 20231 hr 1 min

Chaz Flexman (Starday Foods) - How He's Building The Next Food Conglomerate With Data Science

Our guest today is Chaz Flexman, who is the founder & CEO of Starday. Starday is a next-generation food conglomerate that uses data science to predict product-market fit and create food brands. We discuss why he left Pattern Brands to go into food, how they create and launch new products very cheaply, how they think about data and trends and different categories to enter, and building relationships with retailers. ***Sponsor*** This issue is brought to you by Vauban from Carta. Vauban from C...

May 06, 202340 min

Mike Salguero (ButcherBox)- How He Bootstrapped ButcherBox to $600 million, Why He Didn't Take Any VC Money, And Lessons From Raising Money at CustomMade

Thank you Daniel Gulati for introducing me to our guest today, Mike Salguero. Mike is the founder and CEO of ButcherBox, which delivers 100% grass-fed beef, free-range organic chicken, humanely raised pork, and wild-caught seafood directly to your door. ButcherBox is a unique brand that we’re covering on the show since it’s not venture-backed but bootstrapped to $600 million in sales. Previously, Mike was the CEO at CustomMade which was venture-backed. We discuss some of the differences between ...

May 02, 202342 min

Jessica Karr (Coyote Ventures) - How She Went From Scientist to Investor, The Opportunity in Women’s Health, and Why She Doesn’t Invest in Beauty & Personal Care

Our guest today is Jessica Karr, General Partner at Coyote Ventures, which is a VC fund that’s investing in women's health and wellness. Some of the portfolio companies include Maude, The Flex Company, and Wile. We discuss how she transitioned from scientist to investor, particular categories she’s currently investing in and has stayed away from and how she thinks about risk. ****Sponsor**** This issue is brought to you by Vauban from Carta. Vauban from Carta is the easiest way to launch & r...

Apr 27, 202338 min

Mike Ghaffary (Canvas Ventures) - Could AI Be The Next Consumer Platform After The iPhone?

Our guest today is Mike Ghaffary, General Partner at Canvas Ventures. Mike is the first third time guest of the show. The last time I had Mike on we spoke about what’s the next consumer platform after the iPhone? Funnily enough, we didn’t mention AI. We thought we needed to revisit this question and discuss the opportunity in AI from a consumer technology lens. ****Sponsor**** This issue is brought to you by Vauban from Carta. Vauban from Carta is the easiest way to launch & run your venture...

Apr 25, 202345 min

When You Start, Scale, Sell and Then Buy Back Your Business From Hershey And Coca Cola with Jon Sebastiani (Krave Jerky) and Mark Rampolla (Zico)

Our guests today are Jon Sebastiani and Mark Rampolla. Jon founded Krave Jerky, one of the first premium jerky brands, and Mark founded Zico, one of the first coconut water brands in the U.S. It’s very rare for an entrepreneur to sell their business, get a good outcome, and then be able to buy back the business from the acquirer. This episode is about how both Jon and Mark founded, scaled, sold, and bought back their businesses. ****Sponsor**** This issue is brought to you by Vauban from Carta. ...

Apr 18, 20231 hr 3 min

Elle Lanning (Camino Partners) - What KIND Snacks Got Right, What Differentiation is in CPG, and How to Back The Right Founders

Our guest today is Elle Lanning, Managing Partner at Managing Director at Camino Partners. Camino Partners is a $350m business-building and investment platform helping entrepreneurs create enduring value with values as their compass that was founded by Daniel Lubetzky, the founder of KIND Snacks. Some of Camino Partners’ portfolio includes Somos, CAVA and Belgium Boys. We discuss Elle’s time at KIND, what KIND got right, how Camino Partners came together and what they look for in CPG brands. ***...

Apr 13, 202356 min

Bruce Smith (Hydrow) - Why He Believes Rowers Could Overtake Bikes, The State of Connected Fitness, and How Kevin Hart Became Their Creative Director

Our guest today is Bruce Smith , CEO and Founder of Hydrow . Hydrow is a connected home rowing machine that offers live and pre-recorded fitness content on demand, where the instructors are outside rowing on the water. We discuss: The origin story of founding a rowing-connected fitness company Prototyping & finding the right manufacturer Why it was important to have the instructors on the water rowing The ratio between treadmills, bikes and rowers at gyms How he met Kevin Hart & became C...

Apr 11, 202358 min

Ken Sadowsky (Verlinvest) - What He Saw In VIta Coco and Vitamin Water Early, Beverage Trends He's Bearish On and How to Evaluate Entrepreneurs

Thank you Clement for the introduction to our guest today, Ken Sadowsky, or, as Forbes dubbed him “The Beverage Whisperer”. Ken grew up in the beverage business. His grandfather started the beverage distributor Atlas Distributing and he was the first to distribute Vita Coco and also was the Director of Energy Brands Inc., makers of Vitamin Water, Smart Water and Fruit Water, which they eventually sold to Coca Cola for $4.1 Billion. Now he’s a Beverage Advisor to Verlinest, which is Anheuser-Busc...

Apr 06, 202344 min

Deepak Shahdadpuri (DSG Consumer Partners) - Why India is Ripe for Premium Consumer Brands, How to Localize Brands, and Trends In India and South East Asia

Our guest today is Deepak Shahdadpuri, Founder and Managing Director of DSG Consumer Partners. DSG Consumer Partners is India & Southeast Asia's leading consumer-only venture capital fund. Some of their investments are Veeba, Piccolo Organic, and The Golden Duck. We focus this conversation on what makes India an exciting and different consumer market than the U.S., why Indian premium brands are ripe for growth, and he went from growth stage / later stage investing to earlier stage investing....

Apr 04, 20231 hr 7 min

Will Nitze (IQ Bar) - How He Leveraged Harvard and Growth Hacked Indie Gogo, Why He Entered Conventional Grocery Over the Natural Channel, and Brain Food Explained

Thank you Caroline McMorrow for the intro to our guest today Will Nitze, Founder & CEO of IQ Bar. IQ Bar is a plant-based protein bar company for your brain and body! We discuss how Will got turned on to brain food and the origin story of IQ Bar, how he growth hacked his Indie Gogo campaign which I had never heard of anything like he did before, getting into retail, why they went conventional first, which is unusual and why they aren’t in Whole Foods currently. Without further ado, here’s Wi...

Mar 30, 202355 min
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