John McGuckin joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!

John McGuckin is the CEO of Clio Snacks, the first and only grab-and-go Greek yogurt bar, quickly becoming the fastest-growing brand within the refrigerated snacking category. McGuckin brings more than 25 years of experience to the food and beverage industry and is a highly strategic and passionate leader. McGuckin has served on numerous advisory boards including Kellogg’s, Con Agra, Kraft and Chabaso. He also serves on the Franciscan University Business School Advisory Board.

Prior to joining Clio in 2021, McGuckin led the Mediterranean brand Sabra to unprecedented category dominance over the course of seven years as the EVP of North American sales. He played a significant role in facilitating the highly successful cultural integration of the joint venture between PepsiCo and Strauss. Recognized for his focus on strategy, customer development, business integration, and team building, McGuckin has partnered with some of America’s leading entrepreneurs including Bob Rich, Murray Lender, Gerry Schreiber, Yehuda Pearl, and Sergey Konchakovskiy helping to bring their vision to the masses.

A U.S. Army veteran, McGuckin attended Rutgers University and completed the Harvard Business School’s Finance for Senior Executives program. Due to McGuckin’s unrivaled expertise in the CPG space, Clio continues to outpace its category and has made a major impact across nationwide retailers under his leadership.

Our favorite takeaways from this episode with John:

• The refrigerated snacking category is underrepresented in retail, but the category is growing rapidly. John talks about how they're navigating that and better creating that destination for consumers on the shelf.
• Team dynamics and culture are crucial for success. When you have the right team and the right product, everything works out. We totally agree.
• Consumers are increasingly conscious of ingredient authenticity. John thinks that the simpler your ingredient statement is for consumers, the better.

Amy Hintz joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!

Amy is a highly accomplished eCommerce, Retail Media, CPG industry award winner & speaker. She has more than 20 years of experience driving exceptional team performance, internal & external cross-functional collaboration, and profitable marketplace expansion. Amy is always exuberating a tenacious work ethic motivated by team success and curiosity.

Get connected with Amy on LinkedIn!

Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Amy:

• Versatility is key in CPG marketing. By being able to communicate and relate to cross-functional teams with their objectives, you can ultimately offer insights and recommendations and bring an omnichannel lens that complements overall team success.
• Integrated budget sourcing can enhance marketing effectiveness. Commerce is moving faster than stationary budgets, and digital teams are left trying to swim through peanut butter to execute in real time.
• The consumer journey is complex and non-linear. If you started thinking about the connective chart, with all of the exposure that a brand has to the consumer, it would not be straight and narrow. It would be a snarl.

Kristen Keenan joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!

Kristen is a savvy dot connector who reveals an insight in the data, unites online and in-store experiences, and converts shoppers into buyers.

As an Empathetic Strategist, Kristen uses data-driven thinking and media expertise to strategically insert brands into the non-linear purchase journey by leveraging a highly targeted omnichannel media approach that drives results for brands and at retail.

Kristen has over 20 years of experience in Consumer Promotions, Shopper Marketing, Digital Media and Shopper Media Strategy and Planning, rooted in both Agency and Client-side experience with leading global companies across a range of categories including Alcoholic Beverages, Consumer Packaged Goods (Food, Beverages, Confections, Personal Care), Financial Services, and Telecom. Kristen was most recently Senior Director, Digital Strategy and Planning at Twin Oaks (part of Mars United).

Get connected with Kristen on LinkedIn!

Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Kristen:

• Understanding individual shopper behaviors is crucial for effective marketing. It is essential to offer shoppers options to be able to convert when they're ready.
• Emerging technology will become very important for marketers, especially in the shopper retail space. This will allow brands to tailor messaging and experiences based on who the shopper is. Investing in this technology can yield significant returns in marketing effectiveness.
• Looking at the rest of 2025, consumers are going to be increasingly looking for ways to save money without sacrificing quality.

Walter Kinzie joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!

Walter has spent his career creating unforgettable experiences — first through world-class events, and now through handcrafted, small-batch flavors designed to bring people together. Before founding Kinzie Foods, Walter built a name producing high-profile live experiences, including concerts for Garth Brooks, Metallica and Bon Jovi, as well as a Presidential Inauguration.

His journey into the world of flavor started as a passion project — bottling up homemade sauces as thank-you gifts for the artists he worked with. When they kept asking for more, he realized he was onto something bigger. Kinzie Foods was built on the belief that great food brings people together, and that every meal is an opportunity to savor more.

Today, Kinzie Foods is redefining what sauce can be, offering flavors that go beyond the ordinary — like Espresso and Pickle BBQ — crafted in small batches and made to elevate everyday moments.

When he’s not in the kitchen experimenting with new creations, Walter can be found in South Dakota with his family, sharing meals, making memories and staying true to his lifelong mission: creating experiences worth savoring.

Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Walter:

• Community plays a crucial role in the CPG industry, fostering collaboration and support. Having a strong network can lead to both valuable resources and partnerships.
• Consumer behavior is shifting towards online purchasing, especially through platforms like TikTok.
• Creating a memorable consumer experience is essential for brand loyalty.

Will Nitze joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!

Will Nitze is the Founder and CEO of IQBAR, a leading functional nutrition brand dedicated to fueling the mind and body through science-backed, plant-based products. While working a traditional 9-to-5 office job, Will faced persistent mental fatigue and struggled with a lack of focus and energy. He quickly identified his carb-heavy diet as the culprit and shifted to a regimen rich in healthy fats and anti-inflammatory compounds. However, he found it challenging to discover convenient, ready-to-eat options that aligned with his new dietary needs and busy lifestyle. This challenge sparked the idea for IQBAR. Combining his passion for neuroscience with a commitment to accessible, brain-boosting nutrition, Will launched IQBAR in 2018, driven by a mission to help people think clearly, feel energized, and perform at their best.

An entrepreneur and advocate for cognitive well-being, Will channeled his deep understanding of human psychology into creating IQBAR's innovative product lineup. From IQBAR plant protein bars, IQMIX hydration mixes, and IQJOE instant coffees, each product is meticulously crafted to provide sustained cognitive energy, enhance performance, and support overall wellness. Will’s unique blend of scientific expertise and entrepreneurial drive has made him a leading voice in cognitive nutrition.

A Harvard University graduate with a degree in Psychology and Government, he continues to push boundaries in the functional food space, inspiring a growing community to prioritize both physical and mental wellness.

Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Will:

• The evolution of CPG marketing requires brands to be less generic and more innovative.
• Product development is an ongoing process that should never be considered complete.
• Testing various marketing channels is essential for discovering what works best for your brand.

Carolyn Nephew joins Jennifer and Risa on the first episode of 2025 for CPG Scoop!

Carolyn Nephew has an extensive background in advertising and marketing, having worked on campaigns that have won numerous Effies, a Cannes Lion among other prestigious awards. She started her Account Management career at NY City agencies (Y&R, Grey and Kirshenbaum & Bond), working on iconic brands like Virgin Atlantic Airways, Comedy Central, Cablevision and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. One of the first truly "integrated" marketers of her time, she worked on both ground-breaking creative campaigns, as well as results driven direct marketing.

Carolyn then went client-side, working for 15 years at Verizon, where she managed Customer Relation Marketing for several years, driving unprecedented customer growth with the lowest churn rate in the industry. She then went on to establish lifecycle management programs for the business base, where she drove 6% growth and a 20% stem in customer loss and established automated solutions for the sales team to help manage existing account communications.

Her career at Verizon then led her to the media department, where she took on B2B strategy across all segments. Her experience came full-circle, as she then went on to manage Audience and martech strategy, executing 1P media targeting strategies based on her extensive knowledge of the company's customer segmentation. She managed the DMP and created acquisition models that negated the need to rely on 3P data, and revamped the entire company's advertising tech stack, resulting in $5MM in cost-savings and greater media efficiency.

Looking for a change, Carolyn went to CPG leader Reckitt in 2019, where she led Full-funnel Consumer Engagement for the Health portfolio. In this role, she built end-to-end solutions while owning that strategic narrative for iconic brands like Mucinex and Airborne. Her team oversaw strategy, performance marketing, offline and online media, including ecomm content, Websites, CRM and influencer programs.

Now, Carolyn is looking for her next adventure!

Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Carolyn:

• Disruptive marketing is essential for standing out in a crowded market.
• Agility in marketing strategies is more important than ever due to rapid changes in consumer behavior.
• Brands need to adapt to digital-first strategies to remain competitive.

Matt Bunce joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!

Matt has 18 years experience in CPG R&D from Fortune 500 to B2B to Consulting and Startup. He is passionate about CPG, Food and R&D. His dream is to help businesses grow through making happy customers. Matt grew up lower middle class, first-generation college grad, grandparents immigrated from Europe.

Matt started his entrepreneurial journey in middle school buying gum in bulk and selling during class for 3x the cost. When he was old enough, he began mowing lawns in high school before starting his first job at a pizza shop where he landed in the ER from a meat slicer incident.

Matt has been with Whoa Momma from the beginning. He started as a consultant in 2019 and reformulated for scalability and quality, did trials and finalized flavors until taking a pause during Covid. After receiving an SBA loan for capital to launch, Whoa Momma Protein entered 300 retail locations in 2024. Matt became part owner in 2024 and developed several new innovations to fill the pipeline for the next 3-5 years. If all goes well, their next big launch will be with popcorn in January 2025!

Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Matt:

• You have to get in front of your target customers, and that's the hardest part of marketing. It's trial and error, but getting in front of the right customers is a real challenge.
• Grocery has a real opportunity to start to dedicate sections to new brands so consumers know exactly where to go. Consumers can then see what's new and get really excited.
• Any entrepreneur needs to understand what their strengths and weaknesses are. Making those changes could potentially double or triple business just from implementing some of those changes.

Joe Rotondo joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!

Joe is the Founder & CEO of Smearcase, the first frozen cottage cheese ice cream (FroCo) on the market. Smearcase is the most protein-dense ice cream on the market with over 40 grams of protein per pint and boosted with collagen. Launched in July 2024 in NYC, Smearcase has quickly expanded to over 60 stores in the tri-state area and is set to debut in Sprouts and Whole Foods in 2025.

Joe’s entrepreneurial journey began in college, where his transition from exercise science to apparel designer inspired Rocky Clark, a luxury sustainable denim brand. He is a passionate advocate for product innovation, branding, and entrepreneurship and won the title of "Best Bagel of NJ" in 2018. Joe proudly ran the 2024 NYC Marathon earlier in November, channeling the same drive that fuels his groundbreaking ventures.

Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Joe:

• Community engagement is crucial for CPG marketing success. When your values are at the forefront of your relationship with those in your community, you will see a magnetic connection start to form.
• Building a unique brand requires innovation and disruption. If you're looking to get into CPG, find your niche and get really clear on how you're going to be different to drive that unique value proposition.
• We're just starting to scratch the surface on what personalization in food supplements can be. Consumers need to continue to learn what works for them. Be mindful of the noise that's out there, but don't just be a follower.