This is a Premium Brandjectory Event
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Founder-only forum & Ask Tom Anything!

Founders have told us they want a chance to talk to each other, ask questions and share learnings! This is a monthly meet-up just for founders to talk to each other!

When you register, just let us know what you are interested in talking about. Then, Tom and Susan will be there to host the event, keep the satellites orbiting, and the radar tuned to make sure everyone gets picked up and heard. This is your chance to talk to each other as members of the Brandjectory network - a chance to help each other!

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

At SPACE TOOLBOX, each founder will get to work ONE-ON-ONE with a CPG Investor or Industry Expert on a REAL-TIME problem the founder is experiencing! This is an intensive problem-solving session where an investor or expert will provide substantial help & guidance to the brand founder!

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

Join us for our March webinar with Buff Greebe, Executive Director at SKU.

Five founders will get the opportunity for a private practice pitch session with an investor. The founder will have 7 minutes to pitch, then get feedback from the investor. If the founder wishes, we will record the session for the founder's benefit.

*THIS IS A FREE PUBLIC VIRTUAL EVENT*
You do not need to be a Brandjectory member to attend this event.

About Ari

Ari Freedman serves as the Founder and President of Licensing at Surge Brands, a New York-based global brand management agency founded in 2020. In this role, Freedman leads the vision and execution of licensing programs that elevate iconic and emerging brands into new product categories, consumer experiences, and global markets. Under his leadership, Surge Brands has built a diverse portfolio representing beloved consumer names, from confectionery, food & beverage and restaurant brands, including Toxic Waste, Cookie Dough Bites, Albanese, Bosco®, Mister Softee, Benihana, Macaroni Grill, Planet Hollywood to lifestyle, sports and entertainment properties, such as Skip Barber Racing School, Professional Fighters League “PFL”, 1-800-Flowers, Le Clic, and many more, positioning them for long-term growth through thoughtful brand extensions and multi-platform licensing strategies. Freedman’s work emphasizes creative collaboration with creators, studios, and corporate partners to maximize IP value while delivering engaging consumer connections across traditional and emerging retail environments.

Before launching Surge Brands, Freedman developed deep expertise in brand development, marketing, and strategic project leadership in entrepreneurial roles, drawing on more than a decade of experience across multiple licensing and brand franchise development sectors. For over a decade, her served as Director of New Projects at Surge Licensing, the sister company of Surge Brands.  Previously, he co-founded Brooklyn Buttery, which created butters and spreads using the freshest ingredients that were locally and ethically sourced. Freedman launched his career as founder and president of Surge Sports Management, a full-service sports and entertainment management organization that provided services to professional athletes and coaches, in areas of global representation, sponsorship procurement, event production, and media packaging.

Freedman’s professional approach blends market insight with a passion for storytelling and community engagement, helping brands unlock new revenue streams while maintaining authenticity and cultural relevance. Known for his ability to identify untapped potential in both established and niche intellectual properties, Freedman has been featured frequently in the industry media, where he underscores the importance of meaningful brand extensions that resonate with audiences and drive long-term retailer impact.

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
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Brandjectory’s Space Lab is a monthly classroom Q&A. This month, we’ll be joined by Ryan Ball, CEO at Rockwall Services, to talk logistics.

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*

TOPIC
The March to Profitability! (LOL): How to explain/prove out the path to profitability. Why does it matter? What are investors expectations & horizons for profitability? How long is too long to be unprofitable? What are the best ways to illustrate the path to profitability? When or does scale matter?

Brandjectory Members: Check your email for your invite!
Don’t see your invite in your inbox? Email tom@brandjectory.com.

Not a Brandjectory member? Subscribe today to get your invite.

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

Join us for our February Space Walk with Katie Clizbe Mador from Kilele Ventures!

Five founders will get the opportunity for a private practice pitch session with an investor. The founder will have 7 minutes to pitch, then get feedback from the investor. If the founder wishes, we will record the session for the founder's benefit.

*THIS IS A FREE PUBLIC VIRTUAL EVENT*
You do not need to be a Brandjectory member to attend this event.

CPG brand founders are constantly negotiating - with buyers, distributors, investors, manufacturing partners, contractors, employees & more! In this webinar, Michael Sands from the Maker Group will help emerging brand founders develop the skills required & understand the leverage they have to successfully negotiate to improve their profitability! Michael & the Maker Group have worked with companies large & small to help train executives & entrepreneurs on the art of successful negotiation skills, strategies & tactics to gain confidence when in these stressful situations, helping entrepreneurs & business leaders achieve negotiation competency & acquire best-practices to deliver lasting results & higher ROI.

About Michael:
Michael Sands, Principal Consultant - The Maker Group Small Business Academy: Michael is a seasoned entrepreneur, C-suite executive, innovator, and investor with over 35 years in the food and beverage industry. He has led and scaled multiple high-growth consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies, creating substantial value from start-ups to fortune 500 companies.

While Chairman of Fenway LLC, a strategic consulting firm, and Fenway 2 LLC, his family office he focused on early-stage investments, Michael draws on his deep operational, marketing, and leadership expertise. He previously served as CEO of YumEarth Organic Candy and Balance Bar Nutrition and held senior leadership roles including Chief Marketing & Operations Officer at Snapple Beverage Group, Chief Marketing Officer at Ben & Jerry’s, and General Manager/SVP at B&G Foods. He also co-founded LesserEvil Snacks and held strategic marketing positions at InBev (Labatt USA) and Unilever.

A Babson College graduate with a degree in marketing, Michael has been inducted into the Advertising Hall of Achievement for executives under 40 and honored with an Inc. 500 Award for leading one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

Founder-only forum & Ask Tom Anything!

Founders have told us they want a chance to talk to each other, ask questions and share learnings! This is a monthly meet-up just for founders to talk to each other!

When you register, just let us know what you are interested in talking about. Then, Tom and Susan will be there to host the event, keep the satellites orbiting, and the radar tuned to make sure everyone gets picked up and heard. This is your chance to talk to each other as members of the Brandjectory network - a chance to help each other!

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*

TOPIC
Cash Flow & Burn Rate Basics & Questions. What are the underlying basics of cash flow & burn rate? What are investors looking to learn & understand? What are the red flags? Ways to improve cash flow & burn rate. Do cash flow & burn rate expectations change based on revenue size?

Brandjectory Members: Check your email for your invite!
Don’t see your invite in your inbox? Email tom@brandjectory.com.

Not a Brandjectory member? Subscribe today to get your invite.

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

Join us for our February Space Walk with Mark Brodeur, Founder & Principal at MSB Global Food Advisors LLC.

Mark has years of experience at Nestle, working with emerging brands & building growth as market development leader. He is an advisor to a number of CPG brands (including one Brandjectory member) & is a mentor & Board of Advisor member with Stanford's StartX entrepreneurial program. Mark has a large contact list & is always willing to share helpful contacts!

Five founders will get the opportunity for a private practice pitch session with an investor. The founder will have 7 minutes to pitch, then get feedback from the investor. If the founder wishes, we will record the session for the founder's benefit.

This is an open-to-all event!

Join us as the first half of Jeff Church’s 2025 Dreammakers Accelerator pitch their brands to a panel of judges to win cash and prizes!

More info to come!

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

Brandjectory’s Space Lab is a monthly classroom Q&A. This month, we’ll be having Part 1: The Pitch with Allison Geller & Rory Tischler from G+T Creative!

Creating the unique visual identity for your brand; making your brand or package stand out on the shelf; creating an iconic brand; developing & using a moodboard; what makes a logo work; making your packaging your single, best marketing asset; getting feedback from your most important partners!

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

Brandjectory’s Space Lab is a monthly classroom Q&A with Jonathan Rich where founders can ask questions about funding, valuation, dilution, due diligence, P&L, Cash Flow, & more!

Jonathan answers questions about:

• Diligence

• Valuation(s)

• Financials

• Presentations

• Corporate and Business Strategy Discussions

• Organizational Structure/Governance/ Best Practices

• Soft Skills/Presentation Prep and Coaching

About Jonathan Rich
Jonathan Rich is a 30-year veteran of investment banking at mid-size financial services firms, working with private and public companies facilitating raising capital and advisory work. Throughout his career, Jonathan has raised over $6 billion in equity and debt capital for private and public companies as private placements, IPOs, follow-on investments, etc. Jonathan has successfully worked with over 500 unique companies across the Consumer, Healthcare, and Technology sectors, and during his career has reviewed more than 10,000 business plans, myriad financial models, corporate governance structures, brand positioning statements, and market messaging.

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

Join us for our February Space Walk with Jared Cohen from Skyview Capital!

Five founders will get the opportunity for a private practice pitch session with an investor. The founder will have 7 minutes to pitch, then get feedback from the investor. If the founder wishes, we will record the session for the founder's benefit.

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

Founder-only forum & Ask Tom Anything!

Founders have told us they want a chance to talk to each other, ask questions and share learnings! This is a monthly meet-up just for founders to talk to each other!

When you register, just let us know what you are interested in talking about. Then, Tom and Susan will be there to host the event, keep the satellites orbiting, and the radar tuned to make sure everyone gets picked up and heard. This is your chance to talk to each other as members of the Brandjectory network - a chance to help each other!

*THIS IS A FREE PUBLIC VIRTUAL EVENT*

Join us as Allison Geller and Rory Tischler, from G&T Creative, talk about what you need to know before you hire external help with your branding, what you should be looking for in a branding agency, red flags to watch out for & how to make sure you don't waste time & money.

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*

TOPIC
Explaining Use of Funds. What does an investor look for & expect? What are acceptable categories? Are there certain allocation parameters investors like to see or that are questionable (ie, working capital, production, salaries, marketing, etc). How is ROI best explained for use of funds? Ways to tie investment to growth/revenue/EBITDA.

Brandjectory Members: Check your email for your invite!
Don’t see your invite in your inbox? Email tom@brandjectory.com.

Not a Brandjectory member? Subscribe today to get your invite.

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

Brandjectory’s Space Lab is a monthly classroom Q&A. This month, we’ll be having Part 1: The Pitch with Allison Geller & Rory Tischler from G+T Creative!

The words that convey what is special about your product; what makes your brand unique; how to represent your values; differentiate your brand from the competition; does your brand name convey your message; define your unique value proposition & express it in your tagline & messaging! 

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

Brandjectory’s Space Lab is a monthly classroom Q&A. This month, join us as Drew Balbera & Avi Levine from Star Funding to chat about lending options for the upcoming year.

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

Founder-only forum & Ask Tom Anything!

Founders have told us they want a chance to talk to each other, ask questions and share learnings! This is a monthly meet-up just for founders to talk to each other!

When you register, just let us know what you are interested in talking about. Then, Tom and Susan will be there to host the event, keep the satellites orbiting, and the radar tuned to make sure everyone gets picked up and heard. This is your chance to talk to each other as members of the Brandjectory network - a chance to help each other!

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*

TOPIC
Holiday networking & fun!

Brandjectory Members: Check your email for your invite!
Don’t see your invite in your inbox? Email tom@brandjectory.com.

Not a Brandjectory member? Subscribe today to get your invite!

-CANCELLED-

*THIS IS A FREE PUBLIC VIRTUAL EVENT*
You do not need to be a Brandjectory member to attend this event.

Alex Rudolph & Tyler Brechbiel from TB & AR Partners are joining us for our December Special Webinar, focusing on how to successfully target customers through Tiktok shop and Meta ads!

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

Brandjectory’s Space Lab is a monthly classroom Q&A with Jonathan Rich where founders can ask questions about funding, valuation, dilution, due diligence, P&L, Cash Flow, & more!

Jonathan answers questions about:

• Diligence

• Valuation(s)

• Financials

• Presentations

• Corporate and Business Strategy Discussions

• Organizational Structure/Governance/ Best Practices

• Soft Skills/Presentation Prep and Coaching

About Jonathan Rich
Jonathan Rich is a 30-year veteran of investment banking at mid-size financial services firms, working with private and public companies facilitating raising capital and advisory work. Throughout his career, Jonathan has raised over $6 billion in equity and debt capital for private and public companies as private placements, IPOs, follow-on investments, etc. Jonathan has successfully worked with over 500 unique companies across the Consumer, Healthcare, and Technology sectors, and during his career has reviewed more than 10,000 business plans, myriad financial models, corporate governance structures, brand positioning statements, and market messaging.

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

Join us for our November Space Walk with Jeff Silver & Mark Griffin from VerteSante Venture Partners!

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

Founder-only forum & Ask Tom Anything!

Founders have told us they want a chance to talk to each other, ask questions and share learnings! This is a monthly meet-up just for founders to talk to each other!

When you register, just let us know what you are interested in talking about. Then, Tom and Susan will be there to host the event, keep the satellites orbiting, and the radar tuned to make sure everyone gets picked up and heard. This is your chance to talk to each other as members of the Brandjectory network - a chance to help each other!

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*

TOPIC
What are investors expecting for 2026 - investment opportunities, hot/cold trends & markets, consumer behaviors, economic impacts

Brandjectory Members: Check your email for your invite!
Don’t see your invite in your inbox? Email tom@brandjectory.com.

Not a Brandjectory member? Subscribe today to get your invite!

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

Join us for our October Space Walk with Greg Clark from Beckett Industries!

Five founders will get the opportunity for a private practice pitch session with an investor. The founder will have 7 minutes to pitch, then get feedback from the investor. If the founder wishes, we will record the session for the founder's benefit.

*This is a Premium Brandjectory Event*
Become a Brandjectory subscriber to get your invite today!

About David
David Kulow has invested in, grown and sold multiple, natural domestic and imported CPG companies. He now works with companies under Bearclaw Advisory, providing practical, solution-based advice in:

1.) Sales growth strategy and execution

2.) Cash flow and profitability improvement

3.) Fundraising

4.) Exit strategy and execution

to help owners and senior management overcome challenges to reach their goals.

*THIS IS A FREE PUBLIC VIRTUAL EVENT*
You do not need to be a Brandjectory member to attend this event.

About Lynn
With over 26 years of experience in R&D, Food Safety and Regulatory, Lynn Lye is a seasoned innovator and strategist in human and pet food development. She has held leadership roles at Keystone Foods–Tyson, Freshpet and Chewy, successfully launching products across startups to IPOs, working with contract manufacturers and driving significant market growth across multiple channels. Passionate about transforming big ideas into results, she specializes in strategic business recommendations, product innovation, operational efficiency and regulatory-compliant formulations. Connect with Lynn on LinkedIn or visit this website for more information.