Mike Gelb

The Consumer VC

A podcast serving founders and investors that want to learn how some of the top venture capitalists that invest in B2C businesses make investing decisions.

Past guests include:
Mark Gainey, Founder of Strava
Andy Dunn, Founder of Bonobos
Ariel Kaye, Founder of Parachute
Denise Woodard, Founder of Partake Foods
Nagraj Kashyap, Managing Partner at Softbank Investment Advisors' Vision Fund
Wayne Wu, General Partner at VMG
Mike Duda, Managing Partner at Bullish
Brendan Rogers, Co-founder of Wag! and 2am
Madeline Haydon, Founder of nut pods
Matteo Franceschetti, Founder of Eight Sleep
Bret Thomas, Founder of CAVU Venture Partners
Carter Reum, Founder of M13
Soraya Darabi, Founder of TMV
Elizabeth Yin, Founder of Hustle Fund
Ariana Thacker, Founding Partner of Conscience VC
Henri Pierre-Jacques, Founder of Harlem Capital
Greg Bettinelli, Partner at Upfront Ventures
Daniel Gluck, General Partner at Powerplant Ventures
Kiva Dickinson, Founder of Selva Ventures
Adelle Archer, Founder of Eterneva
Kanyi Maqubela, Founder of Kindred Ventures
Steve Hughes, Founder of Sunrise Strategic Partners
Seth Goldman, Founder of Honest Tea, Eat the Change and PLNT Burger
Spike Mendelsohn, Celebrity Chef & Founder of Eat the Change, PLNT Burger
Jesse Draper, Founder of Halogen Ventures
Nick Saltarelli, Founder of Mid-Day Squares
Charles Hudson, Founder of Precursor Ventures
Rick Desai, General Partner at Listen Ventures
Michele Romanow, Founder of Clearco
Mac the VC, Founder of Rarebreed
Michael Ronen, Founder of Branded
Jason Karp, Founder of Humanco, Hu Kitchen and Hu Chocolate
Jackie Fast, Founder of Sandbox Studios
Joe Kudla, Founder of Vouri
John Foraker, Founder of Once Upon a Farm
Kate Beardsley, Founder of Hannah Grey
Mike Ghaffary, General Partner at Canvas
Nisha Dua, Founder of BBG Ventures
Ben Sun, Founder of Primary Ventures
+ more

Ranked by Listen Notes as one of the top 1% most popular shows globally.

To learn more, head over to www.theconsumervc.com

Founder & Host

Manufactured

Community Manager

Grishin Robotics

Venture Scout

Clearco

Venture Partnerships

Team Shift 

Venture Development Analyst

University of Southern California - Marshall School of Business

•	Conducted due diligence and interviewed social media startup that has currently raised $500k; presented findings and recommendation to head of venture capital fund.
•	Developed processes for LP management, sourcing and portfolio company management.

Venture Analyst

•	Led sessions tutoring operations and supply chain material to International Business Education and Research (IBEAR) students

Teacher Assistant

Sunset Canyon Group

I co-founded an ecommerce private label company that sourced, marketed and sold consumer products on Amazon as well as our own brand sites. The company sold chair hammocks, laybags and mason jar soap dispensers.

•	Researched and analyzed niche-markets. Founded and launched e-commerce businesses selling retail consumer products, growing business to $25k in monthly sales
•	Negotiated product sourcing with American and Chinese manufacturers.
•	Sold direct to consumer products on Amazon.com and analyzed key search terms in order to improve return on ad spend.

Business Development Strategist

Smart eStrategy

Smart eStrategy is a digital marketing service that specializes in Social Media and Website Optimiation for ecommerce and service products. Their main clientele are startups that already have operations processes in place to which they're in a position to scale exponentially. 

•	Managed non-profit’s Facebook marketing business and grew business over 2,000%, by using data analytics to analyze consumer segments and building a sales funnel.
•	Lead sales calls with prospective clients and grew business revenue by $80k / year.
•	Audited prospective clients Facebook Business, Website, and Google Analytics accounts and recommended sales strategies.

Ads Strategist

William Morris Endeavor

William Morris Endeavor is one of the largest entertainment agencies in the world. Fortune lists them as top 25 private companies. From critically acclaimed television and film to bestselling novels and sold-out concerts, they influence an unparalleled amount of compelling experiences created around the world each day.

•	Managed contracts for $30M+ in gross earnings and 400 shows per in the north-east of the United States, including Foo Fighters, Florence and the Machine, Sam Smith, Peter Frampton, Morrissey.
•	Coordinated day to day operations for artists such as Tool, Puscifer, Godsmack, The Cult, Failure.
•	Negotiated deal points and contract language with major and independent promoters including Live Nation, AEG, C3 Presents, SLP Presents, Kirschner Concerts.

Music Assistant

•	Proposed and pitched the premier “Spartan Cruise” to Senior Management (The first fitness obstacle course cruise by Spartan Race and by WME and the first cruise with a major brand in the obstacle race industry.)
•	Managed bookings of artists for music cruises and celebrities for comic-con appearances, including Whoopi Goldberg, among others.

•	Managed offices in the music department when staff were absent.
•	Managed ticket counts from promoters for entire company roster.

Music Floater

Howard Benson

•	Studio Caretaker during Rascal Flatts recordings. Documented signal flow.
•	Interim manager of band “Broadway Bullies”. Handled all social media.

Assistant/Runner

Follow for insights on venture capital, consumer startups and tips on how to build your network // Looking To Learn? Head to 👉 theconsumervc.com

I produce content that teaches you how the top consumer VCs invest in the most exciting brands and B2C technology. 

Some of the content I produce:

🎧  Podcast - Learn from some of the top VCs on your time by tuning in twice a week. 
Check it out 👉 theconsumervc.com

🏔 Live events - Come and interact with investors and founders. Last one was with Ty Haney, Founder of Outdoor Voices in Austin on 10/13

✍️ The Consumer Fortnight Newsletter - I share a bit of deal flow to help founders fundraise.
If you're an investor, apply to be added here 👉 https://forms.gle/v2u7wEvwodrNxaQt9

Thank you for reading!

I'm thrilled to share that I started a new position at Bridge 

And I couldn't be more delighted.

Over the past six years, I've been passionate about helping brands on the investment side – whether through curating thoughtful events, sharing content that supports the broader consumer community or connecting them directly with investors (after double opt-ins, of course). I'll continue doing that with Consumer VC

Now, I get to also help brands in a new way: by connecting them with the right lenders for their working capital needs.

Our mission at Bridge is simple but powerful: to give emerging companies the same access to capital that Fortune 500s have always enjoyed.

With a 10-minute application, Bridge instantly connects businesses with top financing partners, turning months of paperwork into competing offers within 48 hours.

I’m deeply grateful to Rohit Mathur, Harte Thompson, Cletus McKeown, and Emily Reeves for the opportunity. Excited to get started!

If you're looking for a lender or looking to get competing offers, feel free to DM me!

#CPG #consumerbrands #workingcapital #growth

Founder and Host of Consumer VC | 300+ Unfiltered Conversations with Top VCs & Founders | Building the #1 Community for Consumer Investors and Founders

I'm flying out from LA for this.

Which I rarely do for NYC events.

Two years ago, Sumeet Shah and I started Consumer Brews with one goal: bring together the people actually building consumer brands—founders, operators, investors—in the same room for real conversations.

No panels. No pitches.

Just the kind of conversations that actually move your business forward.

We're bringing it back December 10th.

If you're working on a consumer brand or thinking about starting one, this is where you need to be.

The full Bridge and VHS Ventures teams will be there.

I'll be wearing my ugly (actually awesome) Capitals Holiday sweater because Go Caps. Right, Sam Wiser

Spots are limited.

Sign up here – https://luma.com/ib64o1kd

cc: Cletus McKeown Emily Reeves

#consumerbrews #consumerbrands #consumer #CPG #coffee #GoCaps

A few weeks ago, my wife, Molly, and I launched a new series for premium Consumer VC substack subscribers called Talking Shop.

Talking Shop zooms in on a particular topic/theme within consumer and asks 1-3 people who we believe are experts (and "in the thick of it") their point of view to become more educated.

This week's edition focused on the cannabis-infused beverage market, which is on a heater.

We were delighted to feature Alexi Chialtas (FIND WUNDER) and Justin Buchanan (Reframe Beverage).

Link: https://lnkd.in/g7qAjWJZ

Our previous editions:

"Investing in Beauty and Personal Care Today"

Featuring:
- Diana Melencio (XRC Ventures)
- Odile Roujol (FAB Ventures Co-Creation Studio)
- Cristina Nuñez (True Beauty Ventures)

Link: https://lnkd.in/gDiphRXq

__________

"The State of the Chocolate Industry"

Featuring:
- Douglas Lamont (Tony's Chocolonely)
- Nick Saltarelli (Mid-Day Squares)

Link: https://lnkd.in/gB4r8Y_W

_________

"Is Protein Peaking or Just Getting Started?"

Featuring:
- Matt Landen (Chomps)
- Melissa Urban (Whole30)

Link: https://lnkd.in/gz5dmYnB

Next up: Current state of seed investing.

What topics should we also explore?

Beauty & Personal Care:

How do you invest in it?

What returns are realistic?

What sets brands apart?


Well, I wanted to find out.

So I chatted with Rich Gersten, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at True Beauty Ventures – one of the most respected early-stage funds in the beauty and wellness space – on Consumer VC

They were early investors in K18, Crown Affair, Vacation Inc., Youthforia among other incredible brands.

We get into:
• Why beauty & personal care consistently outperform other consumer categories
 • How Sephora & Ulta reshaped the entire retail landscape
 • The biggest mistakes founders make when scaling beauty brands
 • How True Beauty Ventures thinks about early-stage investing
 • Why most celebrity brands flop (and what makes Rhode the exception)
 • What’s really happening in beauty M&A and why exits have slowed
 • Valuation discipline, pro-rata, and why execution > product

Thank you to Glimpse for sponsoring this episode –

Glimpse is the most efficient and effective way to make sure that you’re not losing 2-3% of topline revenue to invalid deductions and fees across all the retailers, distributors, and Amazon… without putting any work on your team.

Links in comments below to listen to the full episode 👇👇👇

#beauty #personalcare #investing #venturecapital #retail #brands

Retail Deductions.

Let’s talk about it.

They’re confusing, time-consuming, and often misunderstood — yet they materially impact a brand’s profitability.

I spoke with Akash Raju (CEO & Co-Founder of Glimpse) about how deductions really work and what brands can do to protect their margins on the latest episode of Consumer VC.

Glimpse is the most efficient and effective way to ensure you’re not losing 2-3% of topline revenue to invalid deductions and fees across retailers, distributors, and Amazon… without putting any work on your team.

Glimpse has a 91% win rate on deduction disputes.

We dive into:
• The “deduction economy” retailers never explain
• How to identify invalid deductions
• Why distributors like UNFI + KeHE complicate the process
• When automation + AI can meaningfully help
• Tactical steps founders can take today

If retail is part of your growth strategy, this episode will save you money.

🔗 Listen here: https://lnkd.in/gKeytuZR

#retail #CPG #Deductions #Finance #Podcast #ConsumerVC #Margins

Who are the top CPG lawyers who specialize in co-manufacturing contracts?

I have a brand that's in a tough spot and needs some help.

What's your favorite venue in LA for a business event (preferably the westside) for 200ish people?

Habitat Partners

Early-stage VC fund focused on pre-seed/seed/Series A investments in the consumer and software ecosystems

Partner

InvestEco Capital

Venture Partner

Vitality Ventures

My entity for angel investing and leading/participating in SPVs. 

I invest in Pre-Seed to Series A rounds with a focus on Marketing/Retail/E-Commerce Technology, CPG, DeepTech, and HealthTech. Honestly, I usually just try to invest in "smart friends."

Some companies I've backed: Keychain, Mid-Day Squares, Machina Labs, Brightland, Prescient AI, Tiny Health, Platter, Tandem, Aisle, MultiOn, Nara Organics, Stylux, and more...

General Partner

Term Sheet Pitfalls

Go to newsletter for term sheet and fundraising education. Join thousands in the link below.

Author

TRYBL Brands

My LLC for advising, biz dev, and consulting. 

A few of the clients I've been fortunate to work with: With Coverage, The Platform CPG, Skio, Spread the Love, Obvi, Mmmly, SmartSweets, Gopop, Snapchill

CEO & Founder

Spread The Love®

Bringing Spread The Love to athletic facilities near you!

Sports Nutrition Advisory Board Member

Forum Brands

Director of Finance

VMG Partners

VMG Partners (“VMG”) is a private equity firm specializing in building iconic consumer brands. Since it was founded in 2005, VMG has been at the forefront of consumer products investing, partnering with entrepreneurial companies, founders and co-investors to deliver a depth of experience to help grow, scale and prepare companies for exit.

MBA Investment & SPAC Intern

Stanford GSB Impact Fund

The GSB Impact Fund is an evergreen fund that invests in early-stage for-profit ventures seeking both financial and social and environmental returns. We invest in, partner with and grow early-stage, seed to series A impact-first startups seeking to solve the most challenging problems in Food and Agriculture.

Investor, Food & Agriculture

Selva Ventures

At Selva Ventures, we invest in emerging brands that make their consumers’ lives better. We want to support brands and the entrepreneurs that lead them early in their journey, before they reach $10 million in annual sales, and provide strategic resources along the way. Our capital comes 100% from a small collection of individuals and family offices, which allows us to be patient as our partner brands build their companies the right way.

Associate

Partner @ Habitat Partners | VC | Stanford MBA | ex-NCAA Tennis

My newsletter on term sheet / fundraising education: 

https://termsheetpitfalls.beehiiv.com/subscribe

I'm currently a Partner @ Habitat Partners, an early stage VC firm based in NYC, born out of the renowned creative agency, Red Antler. 

I focus on Pre-Seed to Series A investments, splitting my time between CPG, Commerce/Retail/Marketing/Ad Tech, Consumer Tech, and other areas within the general technology sector (including but not limited to FinTech, PropTech, AI/Robotics, and HealthTech). 

- I strongly prefer warm intros but am occasionally open to an amazing cold email; if I don’t respond, please follow up

- I won’t respond to sales or service inquiries 

I also actively angel invest & run occasional SPVs with a focus on Seed to Series B companies in the CPG, Commerce/Retail/Marketing Tech, DeepTech and HealthTech sectors. Some of my prior investments include Mid-Day Squares, Keychain, Tiny Health, Elo Health, Mealogic, Brightland, Prescient AI, Machina Labs, Platter, Aisle, and others. 

My biggest personal passion is health and wellness derived from my days as a former Division One tennis player at Yale. While I'm always open to a coffee or zoom, if you're in NYC and are active, I'd love to go on a run, do a workout, play pickleball/padel, etc.

** AGAIN I DON'T RESPOND TO SALES INQUIRIES **

Daniel Faierman

Habitat Partners is one of the few funds that is still investing in pre-launch CPG opportunities while most funds have moved their goalposts. 

Here are the 6️⃣ pre-seed criteria we use to assess companies with minimal financial traction - these have led us to formally partner with brands like Ayoh Foods, sincerely yours, Elm Biosciences, Roxberry Naturals, PopUp Bagels, and more in their earliest days. 

We look for brands that meet at least 4, but ideally 5 of the following:

1️⃣ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐚𝐭: not a common attribute in CPG... but real IP and formulation defensibility guarantees differentiation and increases the likelihood of exit when paired with great branding and commercial execution

Example: Elm's proprietary triple-pathway antisenescent molecule

2️⃣ 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐚𝐭: when a brand has unique, privileged access to a channel, retailer, or method of distribution. This can be an extension of an influencer's or celebrity's reach or a special relationship with a physical retailer. 

Example: Sincerely Yours' exclusive launch partnership with Sephora

3️⃣ 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐚𝐭: a founder that has deep, relevant experience operating in the category they are now building in - this could mean the founder has a relevant exit under their belt or it could mean the founder simply has tremendous commerical firepower based on historical roles.

Example: Ayoh's founder who spent years at Whole Foods before leading Siddhi's Ops group, serving as fractional COO for many top brands 

4️⃣ 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧: early stage brands live or die by gross margins (unless they can fundraise sizable amounts of money extremely quickly/effectively to cover burn). We audit costs within co-manufacturing contracts compared to planned pricing architecture to decipher if gross margin is viable compared to benchmarks we have across categories. This criterion trumps nearly all others. 

Example: all of the above brands 

5️⃣ 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝/𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: does the brand take a unique approach to positioning and community building? How fragmented is the category to date and does the brand demonstrate strong competitive differentiation vs the peer set?

Example: Ayoh's differentiated flavor profiles and positioning surrouding re-inventing sandwich culture OR PopUp Bagel's viral partnership model and commitment to a simple rip and dip menu 

6️⃣ 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: we've seen it all (especially when a celebrity/influencer gets involved) but median target is $5M post. Even with a celeb founder, we haven't seen enough evidence to unequivocally conclude that acquirers pay a premium at exit, so we don't see a rationale for paying up at entry (immediately eating into a target MOIC) even if the $0 to $10M journey is accelerated.

The truth is if you can't hit 5+ of the above, you are better off maximizing your angel/family office surface area until you have enough financial traction to pursue institutional investors.

Partner @ Habitat Partners | VC | ex-NCAA Tennis | Stanford MBA

Excited to support Kyle Fitzpatrick and the launch of paperboy ventures fund ☝️ as a venture advisor. 

Paperboy has a rich history of supporting CPG startups whether through media amplification, job search support, or Kyle’s deep network. Capital deployment is the obvious next step. 

Sivan Gompers, Kyle, and I will work closely to fund 8 incredible founding teams building the future of CPG! 🚀

founder @ paperboy ventures || CPG || Basketball Coach 🏀

We've expanded the paperboy ventures team!

Thrilled to share that Daniel Faierman and Sivan Gompers have officially joined as Venture Advisors supporting Paperboy Fund I.

Both are incredibly talented CPG investors, sharp operators, and even better humans.

One of my favorite quotes comes to mind here:

"Your 20s are about WHAT you want to do. Your 30s are about WHO you want to do it with."

While I'm grateful to be working on deeply meaningful 'what', it's clear the 'who' becomes even more important as the years go on.

Excited for what's ahead. Welcome aboard Dan & Sivan!

#cpg #paperboyventures #VC #paperboyfundI

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