New York, NY—Naturally New York (NYY) will once again host “A Fancy New York Pitch Slam” at the Summer Fancy Food Show. The event, taking place on June 26 in partnership with the Specialty Food Association (SFA), will provide natural and specialty products entrepreneurs with a platform to present their consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands to a host of expert judges and attendees. The pitch slam will highlight five finalists, who have been chosen to compete for $150,000 worth of prizes, including cash, services, and a free booth at the 2024 Winter Fancy Food. 


“The first Fancy New York Pitch Slam collaboration was a highlight of the Summer Fancy Food Show last year,” said Denise Purcell, Vice President, Resource Development, Specialty Food Association. “There is a lot of positive momentum going into this second Pitch Slam event. We are looking forward to an exciting competition and opportunity to collaborate with Naturally New York.”


The top finalists were selected from a range of natural CPG companies from across the country. In order to be considered, each must have been in the market for at least one year (before the date of entry into the contest) and must be a member of NNY. Generated gross revenues sales during 2022 must be between $100,000 - $2,000,000, to qualify.


The 5 finalists in A Fancy New York Pitch Slam: 

  • Harlem Baking Co., a premium dessert, food company founded by Charles Devigne, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and New York City restaurateur based in East Harlem, who is known for his original, handcrafted, gluten-free, hormone-free cheesecake and the development of his unique sustainable packaging for delivery.

  • Jasberry, a B Corp, social enterprise food company co-founded in Thailand by CEO, Peetachai (Neil) Dejkraisak and CMO, Pornthida Wongphatharakul that transforms lives by solving farmer poverty with the world’s first, non-GMO, Jasberry Organic Superfood Rice.

  • Kekoa Foods, a purpose-built, inclusive food company based in New Jersey and co-founded by Danny Auld, President, and David Fullner, CEO, that focuses on veggie-forward organic purees incorporating herbs, roots, and spices for nutritional value and palate expansion resulting in a bold new take on baby food.

  • Loisa, a New York-based, minority-owned food company, co-founded by Scott Hattis, CEO, and Kenneth Luna, that brings an upgraded Latin cooking experience to families with its line of pantry and flavor essentials including non-GMO, organic, vegan, allergen-friendly seasonings and sauces that replace existing mainstay artificial ingredient brands.

  • SAYSO, a Brooklyn-based, women-owned, premium cocktail company co-founded by Alison Evans and Chloe Bergson, who invented the first-ever craft cocktail tea bags to create complex, mixologist-quality cocktails and mocktails, in minutes, with clean ingredients that are low-sugar, Kosher, gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan and plant-based.

Each finalist will have 3 minutes to impress the judges. They will be judged on the following criteria: presentation, storytelling abilities, innovation, social impact, branding, packaging, and market viability. 


The pitch slam will be hosted by GoodSAM Foods founder and CEO Heather K. Terry, who will be accompanied by judges Christina Briscoe, food and beverage category manager, SoHo House & Co., North America; Melissa Dolan, director, Emil Capital Partners; John Lawson, senior local forager, Northeast Region, Whole Foods Market; and Tapan Shah, head of venture capital, Snack Futures, Mondelēz International. 


“All finalists, whether they win or lose, benefit from our Pitch Slam event,” said Terry, who is also an executive board member and founding partner of NNY. “The visibility alone is worth the opportunity. Last year, we had 625 professionals in attendance. It’s a huge boost to any brand.”


Show attendees can also get in on the fun, by voting for their favorite. The People’s Choice winner will receive a valuable prize package. Anyone attending the show can attend for free or you can purchase an individual ticket for $35. NNY members can attend for a discounted $25. The winners will receive prize packages from: Specialty Food Association, NIQ, FounderMade, SPINS, Kerry, JPG Resources, Pitch Publicity, New Hope Network, Haven’s Kitchen, Ampla, SG, BeyondBrands, Foa & Son, SIX60 Partners and BeyondSKU.


“A Fancy New York Pitch Slam”,  will take place on June 26, at the Javits Center, Main Stage, Level 1 Hall E, from 4-5:30 p.m. EST. The Pitch Naturally New York works to foster relationships among New York area entrepreneurs, leaders, investors, and service providers within the natural products community. Attendees can register here: https://www.naturallynewyork.org/2023pitchslam.