Judges included executives from Ulta, Pop Up Grocer and Naturally, Danny Seo. The winner, Daybird, a ground-breaking all-in-one step skincare routine, was awarded a package including a prize of $10,000.
DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / August 28, 2024 / New Hope Network's Newtopia Now, the curated connections experience for the conscious consumer-packaged goods (CPG) community, hosted its first ever Conscious Beauty Pitch Event Presented by Giannuzzi Lewendon, featuring ten up-and-coming beauty and wellness brands. Innovative and mission-driven founders presented their business models and unique value propositions to a panel of industry experts, retailers and influencers to secure funding, retailer support and strategic partnerships to further develop and scale.
The Conscious Beauty Pitch Event Presented by Giannuzzi Lewendon showcased pioneering companies prioritizing diversity, purpose-driven innovation, sustainability and social responsibility. Entrepreneurs and brand leaders pitched from one of the tradeshow floor stages to five esteemed judges, pitch emcee Giannuzzi Lewendon Partner Ryan Lewendon and a room full of CPG industry professionals, press and influencers. The panel of judges included Rick Burian, senior manager of supplier diversity at Ulta Beauty; Karen Farrell, VP of brand services at Prescence, Kara Posner, partner at Giannuzzi Lewendon, Emily Schildt, founder and CEO of Pop Up Grocer and Danny Seo, founder and editor of Naturally, Danny Seo.
"The variety of incredible beauty and wellness brands at the first-ever Newtopia Now was truly overwhelming. Narrowing it down to the best of the best was a challenge but also so rewarding to hear how each brand was created by the people closest to it: the founders. Today's winner is well deserving but every runner up deserves a gold medal," says Seo.
Daybird was crowned the standout brand among the participating companies, receiving a $10,000 prize, a retail showcase package including a feature on Shop HQ's Clean Beauty Show, a placement on the shelves of Pop Up Grocer, a free consultation from regulatory expert MarketReady Insights and a waived nomination fee for the 2025 NEXTY Awards, which recognizes the most, innovative and inspiring high-integrity brands in the natural products industry. Dubbed the "anti-beauty beauty" movement, Daybird's mission is to redefine the perception of beauty, empowering consumers to eliminate the need for multi-step skincare routines. The company's flagship product seeks to replace traditionally individual serums, moisturizers, skin tints and sunscreens for a combined four-in-one serum with skin tint that is offered in three flexible shades and boasting three key clinical ingredients: niacinamide, bisabolol and zinc oxide.
"Newtopia Now is the go-to event for buyers to source cutting-edge brands that are bringing exciting and purposeful products to market" says Jessica Rubino, vice president of Content at New Hope Network. "The vision for Newtopia Now is to serve as the premier destination for meaningful discovery and industry connections. We're honored to celebrate the some of the most innovative early-stage beauty and wellness brands through the Conscious Beauty Pitch Event Presented by Giannuzzi Lewendon."
"Being a judge was such an honor. We wish all of the finalists the best of luck and look forward to watching their journeys unfold from here," remarked Posner.
The ten brands participating in the Conscious Beauty Pitch Event: Caire Beauty, Daybird, SeaBar, NNABI, Shea Radiance, True Moringa, Spinster Sisters, BEJOU, Tiara Bliss and Pure Mitti.
Also announced at the Pitch Slam: One selected brand from each neighborhood show floor at Newtopia Now was awarded as a 2025 NEXTY Awards Finalist. Newtopia Now's four featured neighborhoods included: Thrive, spotlighting the latest innovations in human health; Glow, highlighting natural beauty and holistic wellness; Regenerate, recognizing business models making a positive environmental impact; and Represent, elevating diverse founders and multicultural products. Standout products from each neighborhood that received the 2025 NEXTY Finalist honor included: Funky Mello Vanilla Marshmallow Crème from Thrive, Glow's Oxters Underarm Wash, Pi00a's Eggplant Miso Pizza within Represent and Noons Dark Chocolate Mint Chocolate Crunch from Candid located in Regenerate.
These outstanding products from the show floor will be considered for the 2025 NEXTY Awards, with winners to be announced at Natural Products Expo West 2025, March 4-7 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Regular submissions for the 2025 NEXTY Awards consideration process will open September 16, 2024, with deadline to submit by December 2, 2024.
To learn more about the brands that participated in the Pitch Slam competition, visit: www.newhope.com.
About New Hope Network
New Hope Network is a leading authority in the healthy lifestyle products industry, offering solutions for the complete supply chain from manufacturers, retailers/distributors, service providers and ingredient suppliers. Through its comprehensive portfolio of content, events, data, research and consultative services, New Hope Network is dedicated to fostering a prosperous, high-integrity CPG and retail ecosystem that promotes health, joy and justice for all people while regenerating the planet. For more information, visit www.newhope.com.
About Informa Markets
Informa Markets, a subsidiary of Informa plc (LON:INF), creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. With a global reach and diverse portfolio of verticals, including Pharmaceuticals, Food, Medical Technology and Infrastructure, Informa Markets connects buyers and sellers worldwide through face-to-face exhibitions, targeted digital services and actionable data solutions. For more information, visit www.informamarkets.com.
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