Event Details

For small and emerging brands, there aren't one-size-fits-all solutions to business financing even in the best of times. This is particularly so at times such as these, when investor wariness over making bets on young companies is constricting the flow of capital.


If you have a natural products brand that needs funds to grow, you certainly don't want to waste your time barking up the wrong trees. To help you find your way, Naturally Chicago and Naturally Boulder are presenting "Stop Looking for the Wrong Funding: Raising Capital in Challenging Times," a free webinar on Wednesday, March 6 from 3:00-4:15 p.m. central time.


The webinar will be led off by Elliot Begoun, Founder of TIG Brands and expert on CPG capitalization. According to Elliot, most CPG brands are not ideally suited for traditional venture capital financing. Yet many founders approach potential investors with structures and terms that would necessitate an exit to monetize the investment.


Not surprisingly, most of these brands are turned down, and those that do get funding find themselves accelerating forward in a way they did not intend. For a capital raise to be successful, It is critical that the founder and funder are aligned. And Elliot will provide insights how such an alignment can be accomplished.


He will be joined in a panel discussion by William Haynes, a Co-founder of Bags, a consulting firm that helps diverse and women entrepreneurs build strong businesses by discovering a better way to manage finances and fund growth, as well as four entrepreneurs who have navigated the choppy waters of financing:


• Tonya Donati of Mother Kombucha, brewing every small batch by hand with the best fair-trade organic teas and a variety of unique ingredients.


• Emily Griffith of Lil Bucks, a fast-growing producer of crunchy, gluten-free snacks made from regeneratively produced sprouted buckwheat.


• Kyle Koehler of Wildway, which makes grain-free granola, planet-friendly oat cereals and organic coconut chips.


• Kelly Perkins of Spinster Sisters, producer of plant-based, natural, clean label personal care items.


The webinar is sponsored by Bags, and will be moderated by Jim Slama, Naturally Chicago's Managing Director.

Speakers