Supply chains continue to be unpredictable post-pandemic due to tariffs, environmental factors, and ongoing global trade volatility. Costs shift quickly, availability can tighten without warning, and decisions that feel like they should be routine carry real risk for food and beverage brands.

Hear the inside scoop on what's happening and how to secure your supply chain with Beth Brown, David van Wees, and Tim Near from Agrowgate, a strategic sourcing and supply chain partner for CPG brands. They'll uncov where hidden risk is showing up in ingredients and packaging, how brands can build flexibility into sourcing and inventory strategies, and what teams should be focusing on now to protect margins and avoid costly disruptions.

It has been a whirlwind year for food and beverage brands, with lawsuits, heightened regulatory scrutiny, and shifting rules creating real uncertainty across the industry. Justin Prochnow, a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig who advises food, beverage, and consumer brands on regulatory compliance and litigation risk, joins us to help make sense of what's happening and how brands should respond. In this conversation, Justin breaks down the key legal and regulatory developments shaping 2025 and what brands need to be watching as they head into 2026, including ultra processed food scrutiny, GMO and bioengineered labeling following a recent Ninth Circuit decision, FDA attention on self affirmed GRAS and health related claims, protein and GLP one positioning, ingredient enforcement trends, and how state and federal priorities may shift under a new administration.

Getting into Whole Foods Market is a major milestone, but it's only the beginning. What follows is the work of proving velocity, maintaining placement, and deciding when and how to grow beyond your first region.

In this episode, Cecilia Rios Murrieta, co-founder of JAS alcohol free functional cocktails, and Jomaree Pinkard, co-founder of Hella Cocktail Co, share what it really takes to grow inside Whole Foods Market. Cecilia discusses JAS launch in ninety five stores through a regional program and the reality of staying on shelf, while Jomaree shares advice based on Hella's journey from regional placement to national distribution.

Cecilia and Jomaree discuss the demos, merchandising, distribution strategy, innovation timing, promo decisions, and navigating buyer relationships to pave the way from regional to national growth.