Aaji's

Say hello to the 2024 Summer #FancyFoodShow cohort from (Included)CPG, a collective of BIPOC founders and executives in consumer packaged goods. These makers are ready to make waves in the industry! 👋 Check them out: Peepal People KULA RECOUP Aaji's Tal's JOI, Poppa’s Custard Nepal Tea Collective, PBC. Sweet Fields Shire's Naturals #wefancy

To all our FANCY FRIENDS: The (Included)CPG Fam invites you to join our BIPOC founders for 🍾 HAPPIER HOUR 🥳 If you’re in NYC for the Specialty Food Association Summer Fancy Food Show, please join us for a killer spread of sips, sweets, snacks & center plate innovations. 🔥Monday June 24, 2-3PM EST 📍BOOTH 5120, Javits Center, Level 1 (look for the colorful Arya Foods booth, our awesome, sofi award-winning hosts 🏆) 😛 Sample products from Twrl Milk Tea Anjali's Cup Nepal Tea Collective, PBC. SEEDLY pi00a Tastelli Aaji's Better Sour Sweetkiwi Steepers Only doosra KULA BUBLUV Sun Ghee I Eat My Greens Tal's MORE 🙌🏼 👀 and peep the whole crew of (included) members rocking the show floor this summer. From heritage flavors to heartfelt translations of classic American foods, we’re bringing joy to the table. #fancyfoodshow #cpg #brand #bipoc #dei #community #cpgindustry #happyhour

The Fam is fired up to get ✨FANCY✨ Say 👋🏽 to our 2024 Summer Fancy Food Cohort. These 10 BIPOC-owned brands are bringing innovation, inspiration & pure indulgence to the Big 🍎. The (Included)CPG Cohort program drives game-changing growth opportunities for founders of color, opening doors to direct networking with decision-makers & resources for omnichannel success. Our partners at the Specialty Food Association provide each Cohort with a sponsorship to the industry’s most beloved celebration of specialty foods. Together, we’re shifting the shelf towards a more equitable (& exceptionally tasty) representation of America’s ethnic & cultural fabric. 🙏 to collaborative leaders like Bill Lynch, CEM & the SFA staff who give our voices the mic to make impact beyond the show floor. These Founders can’t wait to feed you: Peepal People Fermented peppers & South Asian superfoods deliver full-bodied flavor & balanced (not overbearing) heat. A brand refresh honors the Pakistani heritage of Ahmer & Alyzeh Rizvi. Tal’s One taste of Tal’s silky sesame Tahini & you’ll be lining up every veg in your fridge for a dip. Founder Tal Garden’s fresh family recipes are a modern Mediterranean feast. 3 NEW SKUS 👀 Nepal Tea Collective, PBC. Founder Nishchal Banskota shares the treasures of Nepal with single-origin brews that feature traceability back to the farmer (& compostable tea bags🌱) Aaji's Rajus & Poorva Korde named their company Aaji’s (Indian for grandma) in honor of their family’s nurturing matriarch. Aaji’s savory Tomato Lonsa is a slow-simmered dip, inspired by coastal South Asian cuisine. #sofiwinner Recoup Beverage, Inc. No added sugars, punchy ginger & Certified Regenerative Organic: Siwat Siengsanaoh & Susan Buckwalter Hartman make hydration better-for-you & good to the 🌎. New: Prebiotic Sparkling Beverages. KULA Traditional Afro-Caribbean foods inspire founder Asha Wheeldon’s plant-based, frozen meal starters (like BBQ Chik-un) & vibrant, pepper-laced finishing sauces. Scotch bonnet lovers unite! Shire's Naturals Founder Joshua D Velasquez is spreading the plant-based 💚. Shire’s plant-based cream cheese & cheese spreads are clean-crafted with buttery fermented cashews & ZERO GUMS. New: ravioli! JOI Shelf-stable, 1-ingredient plant milk powders & concentrates. CEO Hector Ian Gutierrez & team JOI source non-GMO & organic grains, nuts & seeds for mindful sipping. 🤯: clean, on-the-go oat creamer. Sweet Fields Bakery-fresh cinnamon rolls that go from freezer to face in minutes. Thank Chanel Fields for this heavenly, MICROWAVEABLE indulgence. Poppa’s Custard Co. Classic, creamy custard demands technical precision & top-tier ingredients. Co-founders Joshua & Christen Johnson NY Chef Jewel Johnson cover all the bases, including a luscious 🥥 vegan line. See y’all soon, friends 😍. Reach out to schedule a meetup, or a personal tour of our dynamic #dei pavilion. #cpgbrands #entrepreneurship #bipoc #community #food

Loved meeting the Aaji's team. They are so wholesome and deserving of the best outcome that a CPG brand can get! Give them a follow :)

Ever wonder what the power of community has to do with sustainability? At Expo West, it means building a brighter future together. 🌟 Which is why we: 🤝 partner with (Included)CPG) to elevate BIPOC voices and brands in the CPG space 🏳️🌈 work with the Naturally Proud Network to ensure there is a safe space for LGBTQ friends and professionals to connect ✨ alongside J.E.D.I Collaborative, empower companies and leaders to create space for and help underrepresented communities thrive By nurturing communities and empowering individuals, we believe this industry can drive meaningful change towards a more sustainable and equitable future for all. 🙌 Shoutout to all of our (Included)CPG participating brands! We are grateful for you all! Aaji's Grass Grazed LLC Growee Foods I Eat My Greens Latin Goodness Foods/MasPanadas New Breed Meats NIRAMAYA FOODS Purewild Co. Sabor Mexicano Sobo Foods Learn more about our social sustainability efforts: https://utm.io/ugRqt New Hope Network #bipoc #lgbtq #expowest #naturalproducts #cpg #socialsustainability #communityempowerment #togetherwethrive

Proud to see Sobo Foods get a shoutout in Bain & Company's roundup of themes from this year's #ExpoWest Even prouder to be featured alongside trailblazing friends and role models like Aaji's, wildwonder, Nguyen Coffee Supply, HOT JIANG®, GOODLES, and Bachan's 💚 Read the full write-up:

Get those EXPO sneaks and stretchy pants ready. The (Included)CPG fam is serving up a globetrotting flexitarian feast. So proud to intro the BIPOC founders selected for our ACCESS x EXPO West Program, Booths N1528-N1533.   These are retail-ready emerging brands who are bringing memorable heritage flavors, approachable wellness, supply chain integrity and sustainable ops to the table. The common baseline? A commitment to making real good, feel-good food that is as innovative as it is accessible.   Meaningful innovation makes IMPACT, not just buzz. Buzz is airborne, intoxicating, LFG loud. Impact goes deep, gets in the water, infuses the mainstream. Let’s grow THIS. The opportunity for these brands to showcase on a national platform like #expowest2024 goes beyond opening doors to decision makers. It amplifies the visibility and collective voice of BIPOC leadership across the entire CPG ecosystem.   We are deeply grateful to our partners New Hope Network for their sponsorship and foundational support of our BIG vision to expose and eliminate systemic inequity for underrepresented communities in CPG. New Hope is an inspiration for how to swell a mission into a global movement. 💪🏽💪🏼💪🏿Together, we're turning ACCESS into activism Carlotta Mast Jenn B. Michelle G. Christy G Bailey Newsome Robert Decker   The Makers You Wanna Meet: Margarita Womack PhD, MBA, Latin Goodness Foods/MasPanadas Golden, flaky-crisp, party-sized empanadas! In classic meat, veggie and pizza (“for the kids" 😏) flavors Eric Ji Sun Wu Adam Yee, Sobo Foods Plump, pleated dumplings bursting with (100% meatless, if you’re into that) fillings inspired by the co-founders’ nostalgic childhood faves Rajus Korde Poorva Virginkar Korde, Aaji's. This slow-simmered, umami-packed tomato dip is like having your own Indian grandma (and yes, you want one) Aman Blana, Growee Foods NEXTY-winning, dairy-free creamy dips that celebrate veggies being veggies, with a tasty assist from buttery sunflower seeds Mehek Khera, NIRAMAYA FOODS The ultimate excuse to eat dips for dinner, this fulfilling vegan trio is inspired by iconic Indian street foods & boosted with adaptogens     Eric Munguia of Sabor Mexicano Vibrant, homestyle salsas with bold spices and brilliant texture, plus CRONCHY, bubbly tortilla chips Paige Jackson, Grass Grazed LLC. This smallholder farming family brings you next-level jerky sticks crafted with pasture-raised pork and no added sugars Samantha Edwards, New Breed Meats. Juicy patties, links and chunks that make meatless fun & family-friendly (without the breaded nuggets) Manuel (Mac) Villarreal, I Eat My Greens Blissfully creamy, 100% vegan soups with rich, vibrant flavors. Sold chilled and ready to chug Cynthia Convery, Purewild Co. Mindfully crafted, restorative elixirs featuring #nongmo marine collagen & superfood fruits, herbs & spices See y’all soon 🌴💕. #cpgindustry #deib #community #naturalproducts #enterpreneurship #bipoc

While it was the last #ExpoEast 🥲 it was filled with first-in-class #branding and #design 🎉 We collected some of our favorite design moments in partnership with the Dieline as we bid the show farewell 👋 Shout to these wonderful companies making amazing products and investing in powerful creative: Shire's Naturals Drumroll Snacks Geem Maine Crisp Co. DrinkYoro Melting Forest TreeHouse Foods Halmi Rob's Backstage Popcorn Blue Zones Kitchen Pricklee Bollygood SAYSO Jack & Friends Emotional Utility Beverage Paro Jay Shetty Interact Brands Blake Mitchell Sydney Seiff Bill McCool Chloe Gordon Andrew Gibbs https://lnkd.in/gUH4ipgM

Tried a lot of great stuff at last week's Expo East, but here are 9 of my favorites: - Aaji's Coastal Indian Cuisine (Rajus Korde) - Moss Beverages - Parch Spirits Co's new Desert Margarita (Ila Byrne) - Tilden's NA spirits - Kokada's Mint Chip Coconut Spread - LEXINGTON BAKES Hazelnut Gianduja brownie (Lex Evan®) - Bollygood - Eat Arya Roti Feel free to reply and share your favorites.