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Naturally Chicago's Product Pitch Features Six Rising-Star Brands
- Bob Benenson
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Association for Local Natural Products Industry Focuses on Entrepreneurs
Naturally Chicago is the association for the Chicago region's Natural Products consumer packaged goods industry, and its core mission is to help start-up and emerging brands in the better-for-people-better-for-the-planet space.
The organization — for which I have been communications coordinator since 2021 — is holding its biggest annual business-building event on Wednesday of next week (May 27). The centerpiece of the Naturally Rising Pitch Event and Innovation Forum is a pitch competition between six rising-star natural brands, selected from more than 30 applications, with the top two finishers sharing in a prize package valued at more than $150,000.
Click the button below to view the full program, which includes some great panels, a brand showcase, and a cocktail reception. Click the 2nd button to buy tickets (hope to see some of you there!).
This article will introduce the brands, but first, a brief explanation. Local Food Forum has always been and will continued to be primarily a news source and advocate for the grass-roots side of the better food movement: farmers, farmers markets, producers, educators, people dedicated to "good food for all," and more. But to be real, most of us (yes, even me) shop for stuff at supermarkets, and we when we do, we want to be informed about products that best conform to our values.
So I will be sharing information about brands within Naturally Chicago's purview.
To kick things off, meet this year's Naturally Chicago Pitch Slam. All brands are based and produced within 100 miles of Chicago.
Archway Pet makes healthy dog and cat food and treats with silver carp, an invasive fish species threatening the ecological balance of our region’s waterways. From Archway’s website: Better for the planet and best for your pet. Archway food and treats are packed with hypoallergenic proteins for food-sensitive pets. We are committed to creating healthy, nutrient-rich products that don’t compromise the health of pets or planet. Represented at the Pitch event by Co-Founder Gabe Huertas del Pino.
Hightail (parent company High Tea Holding) makes functional beverages that contain small amounts of THC and CBG. From Hightail’s website:
We all need a reset button. Here’s yours. Hightail is how you treat yourself — better. With 1.5mg THC and 3mg CBG for a gentle boost, clean ingredients, and indulgent flavors, every sip feels like a small win. No hangovers. No guilt. Just that lighthearted lift that helps you feel like you again. Represented at the Pitch event by Co-Founder Anna Baskin.
(P)Rind's name signifies that its products are made with parmesan rinds — thus providing eaters with tasty treats while reducing potential food waste. Founder Matteo Caloia, who will be doing the ptich, is the entrepreneur prodigy of the finalist class. He started (P)Rind in 2024 — and is just graduating from University of Chicago and its Booth School of Business this spring. From (P)Rind’s website:
The Power of (P)Rind: 4x the protein of eggs… 2.3x the protein of beef… 49.8% protein density… naturally lactose free due to the 16-month aging process… shaped into something you actually love.
RMBR is a kombucha brand described by the company as “a sparkling functional tea that even kombucha haters love!” Jack Joseph (who will be doing the company's pitch) co-founded RMBR with wife Kiara Tomirotti in 2023. Both are graduates of Michigan State University (my alma mater — Go Green!). From RMBR’s website: RMBR is a sparkling adaptogenic tea that skips the vinegar and actually tastes good. No weird aftertaste, no sugar bombs. Just bold botanical blends that hit every time. Whether you’re winding down or going out, we’re the drink you’ll actually want to remember.
Leslie Danford, who will be pitching for Vitaminis' clean-label, fruit-based nutritional support drink shots in 2021 a fter a professional career in the investment, beverage and hospitality spaces. From Vitaminis’ website: I created Vitaminis when I needed something simple and easy to give my family during busy seasons of life. I didn’t want pills. I didn’t want sugary gummies. I wanted real nutritional support in a format my kids would actually drink. Today, Vitaminis offers shelf-stable mini drinks made with real fruit and no added sugar — designed for real life.
Founder/pitcher Michael Anagnos launched Milwaukee-based Yaya’s and its almond-based dips as a farmers market vendor in 2022 and moved into wholesale in 2023. From Yaya’s website: Greek families have been eating skordalia for generations, and when I started to make it for my own family I put a modern twist on it to highlight the fresh, bold flavors of simple real food ingredients. The result is a skordalia, which I also call Greek Almond Dip, that is sure to become a staple in your fridge.
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