Kirstin Ross, SKU incoming Managing Director

SKU is a Texas-focused, female-led consumer products accelerator that advances innovation and entrepreneurship within the consumer products industry. SKU has built a community of serial entrepreneurs and industry experts to aid in turning emerging CPG businesses into strong brands and scalable companies. Since launching their first track in January 2012, SKU has taken in many local companies that have gone to become widely successful, such as Austin Eastciders, Siete Foods (found in Whole Foods across the nation), Seaweed Bath Co. (found in Target, Whole Foods and Bed Bath and Beyond nationwide), Wildway (sold at grocery stores across the country) and more. SKU also maintains that 96 percent of companies that go through their program are still in business to date.

”The barriers to entry for launching a consumer brand are lower than ever but once you get past the gates, understanding how to efficiently run and scale a business is crucial and that is where SKU adds tremendous value,” said Genevieve Gilbreath, SKU outgoing Managing Director.

Companies accepted into SKU are given a cash stipend, as well as exclusive access to additional forms of funding, followed by a 14-week program consisting of courses that go over various topics important to growing businesses, such as product development, marketing and branding, accounting and finance and more. 12 weeks out of the track will feature time to meet with SKU Mentors who can advise on and aid the growth of the companies. SKU Mentors for this upcoming track include Doreen Lorenzo, Clayton Christopher, Blake Chandlee, Scott Jensen, Leon Chen, Even Loomis and Caroline Goodner. These Mentors and leaders are devoted assets focused on helping conceptualize products, effective branding and business practices to maximize the odds of long-term success.

Photo of a previous SKU demonstration event

”The knowledge and connections that SKU provides to our companies cannot be found at any other accelerator,” said Doreen Lorenzo, SKU Strategic Director. “What SKU provides is uniquely powerful.”

After the intensive molding process, SKU hosts a showcase event to introduce the track companies to potential investors, partners and media. Once companies graduate from the program, SKU receives a small equity stake from each business in exchange for continued guidance towards future success. Companies proceed independently after their time with SKU, but the SKU team and Mentors remain available for ongoing guidance as needed.

SKU seeks brands with market-validated products that have achieved at least early-stage distribution and revenue. These products may be food, beverage, apparel, jewelry, toys or tools that can sold at brick-and-mortar or online retailers.

Photo of products from a previous SKU track

SKU Mentors form the core of each program’s faculty. SKU seeks equity Mentors, who are accredited investors in addition to being successful entrepreneurs, industry executives, subject matter experts. Mentors pay a membership fee to join the SKU equity Mentor pool. As a benefit of membership in the community, every SKU equity Mentor owns a fractional portion of equity in each company from the track in which they participate.

For more information on applying to SKU, becoming a Mentor or sponsoring SKU, visit www.sku.is.

ABOUT SKU:

SKU was founded in 2011 by lawyer Shari Wynne Ressler and serial entrepreneur Clayton Christopher with the mission of accelerating innovation and entrepreneur success by coalescing CPG communities around the globe. SKU surrounds their startups with an ecosystem of seasoned entrepreneurial mentors, customized educational content, advanced operations support and privileged access to funding, all while preparing these companies to rapidly scale and become breakout successes and household names. For more information, please see www.sku.is.

ABOUT KIRSTIN ROSS:

Kirstin Ross is SKU’s incoming Managing Director, taking over for Genevieve Gilbreath, who will be taking an advisory role for SKU’s seventh track. Ross has been a regular SKU guest lecturer the past two programs and is an active CPG investor and expert in CPG-related insurance/risk issues. As managing director, Ross will focus on continuing to develop solutions and resources for incoming companies and alumni, building upon SKU’s world class curriculum and providing tools and new approaches to strengthen the SKU program and community.

###

MEDIA NOTE:

For general press inquiries about SKU or to RSVP to their Dec. 12 event, please contact the team at Juice Consulting:

Heather Wagner Reed

713 208 3891

Tyler Ostby

210 854 9119