Program & Events

Program

Wednesday, September 2nd

1:00 - 6:00 pm · Registration at Millennium Harvest House Hotel
4:00 - 6:00 pm · Entrepreneur's Pitch Slam · Preliminary Contest
6:00 - 8:30 pm · Gala Awards Dinner
Join 350 of your colleagues to celebrate the successes and build the Spirit of Community at the Opening Night Dinner and Awards Ceremony. Enjoy wine, beer and a fresh, organic dinner donated by local farmers and natural products producers. Then sit back and enjoy an inspirational evening highlighting the Rising Stars of the industry with special recognition of our Lifetime Achievement Award winner and their moving story of helping to build this industry.

Thursday, September 3rd

7:00 - 8:30 am · Registration at Millennium Harvest House Hotel
8:30 - 8:40 am · Welcome to Attendees · Linnea Simons, Naturally Boulder President
8:40 - 9:30 am · Keynote Address - Driving Through Turbulent Times · Dr. Fred Kirschenmann, Distinguished Fellow, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture; President Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture
The current economic uncertainties have greatly impacted, and in many cases reduced, the willingness of entrepreneurs to "boldly go" in new directions with new opportunities. On the other hand, our Natural Products industry has always approached challenges with an energetic, creative, "can-do" spirit of optimism and success. In this engaging and thought-provoking opening Keynote Session, Dr. Kirschenmann will lay the foundation for the Naturally Boulder Days sessions by demonstrating how natural/organic entrepreneurs play a leading role in building a more prosperous future where sustainability and earth-friendly practices are pervasive. Addressing key topics of today's turbulent times – creating abundance in a world of resource scarcity, ensuring the vitality of farming and building a viable future for the Earth and its people – this session promises to energize your spirit and ignite your passions for building your natural and organic business.
Sponsor: WhiteWave Foods
9:30 - 9:45 am · Break
Enjoy coffee, tea and snacks donated by local natural products producers.
9:45 - 10:45 am · General Session - Which Way is The Compass Pointing? Economic & Market Trends
Turbulent Times call for clear thinking and a good road map. Join Dr. Rich Wobbekind, lead economist from the Leeds Business School at the University of Colorado, as he helps you set your compass for success in this uncertain economy. Providing an overview of the current and expected U.S. economic trends, Dr. Wobbekind will provide you with useful information to help steer your business through the obstacles of today's challenging environment. Once the landscape of the broader economy has been mapped, we'll take a closer look at the specific economic impacts affecting the natural and organic marketplace. Patrick Rea from Nutrition Business Journal will provide you with facts, figures and trends to help navigate both the opportunities and challenges facing natural and organic entrepreneurs, now and into the future.
Moderator: Frances Draper, Executive Director, Boulder Economic Council
Speakers: Patrick Rea, Publisher, Nutrition Business Journal; Dr. Rich Wobbekind, Economist and Director, Business Research Division, Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado
10:45 - 11:15 am · Networking Break
Enjoy coffee, tea and snacks donated by local natural products producers.
11:00 am - 2:30 pm · Vendor set-up at Product Fair
11:15 am - 12:30 pm · Morning Breakout Sessions
- So, Just How Do We Drive Through Turbulent Times?
  To paraphrase an old saying: "All Roads Lead to the Grocery Buyer's Desk." Retailers are the gatekeepers and the stewards for nearly all purchases that consumers make, natural products or otherwise. In our General Session, three leading retailers discuss what they see as key retailing trends going forward, and what natural products companies need to do to succeed in the current retail environment.
  Moderator: Doug Radi, Vice President, Marketing, Rudi's Organic Bakery
  Speakers: Laura Coblentz, Vice President of Marketing and Innovation, Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy; Barney Feinblum, Managing Director, Greenmont Capital Partners; Tadd Overstreet, Whole Foods Market; Rick Sterling, President, Sterling Rice Group
- The 'Necessary Revolution' - Local / Regional Food Systems
  Is local the new organic? Are consumers really becoming "locavores"? Can local and regional food systems be sufficiently developed to meet demand and serve a large percent of U.S. food needs? Will these systems be a vital contributor to both the sustenance and food quality needed in the future? How does the local food movement affect your business as you grow and expand distribution? Our expert panel will explore these and other questions as you learn more about this collaborative effort to build more locally-based, self-reliant and resilient food economies. As the local food movement gains traction, attend this session to learn how you can integrate these new opportunities into the growth and success of your entrepreneurial business.
  Moderator: Mark Menagh, President, Koru Fresh Innovations
  Speakers: Shanan Olsen, Founder, Abbondanza Organic CSA; Tracey Ryder, Founder & President, Edible Communities, Inc.; Larry Yee, Co-founder, Association of Family Farms
- The Entrepreneurial Spirit
  Are entrepreneurs born or can they be developed? What makes a person entrepreneurial? Is entrepreneurship a teachable, learnable skill? Thousands of students enter universities and business schools each year with dreams of developing their entrepreneurial spirit. Companies are born every day out of entrepreneur's dreams, yet many good ideas don't make it past the starting gate. What is the secret to cultivating your entrepreneurial spirit? How can you channel this spirit for success and to make sure your business not only gets out of the gate, but continues to thrive amidst the myriad challenges along the road? Boulder is considered an incubator of the Entrepreneurial Spirit both at the university level with The Deming Center for Entrepreneurship and at the Boulder Innovation Center where new entrepreneurial ventures are developed and launched each year. Attend this session to get hands-on knowledge from the leaders of these organizations on how to nurture your Entrepreneurial Spirit and ensure that your efforts lead to success.
  Moderator: Lucy Stark, Attorney, Holland & Hart
  Speakers: Tim Bour, Executive Director, Boulder Innovation Center; Paul Jerde, Executive Director, The Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, Boulder
12:30 - 2:00 pm · Mentor Lunch
Join us out at the Pavilion in the beautiful Harvest House gardens for an eco-friendly box-less, box lunch and an opportunity to lunch with a Legend. Take in this outdoor setting while sitting at one of 15 mentor tables. You may also choose a "Topic Table" to network with people in your field, or a "Chill Table" to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
2:00 - 3:15 pm · Afternoon Breakout Sessions
- Social Media Frenzy - What's Hot, What's Not
  Whether Blogs or Tweets, Facebook or Second Life, social media has rapidly emerged as a key driver of the digital economy and the LinkedIn consumer. Is it a tool mainly for 20-somethings and the "digerati," or is it a viable business tool that can provide significant benefit for a wide range of users? Is it a fad, soon to fade, or will it endure as a permanent part of the digital landscape? No matter if you're a social media veteran or a neophyte, a believer or a skeptic, there is no doubt about the current market prevalence of social media and its importance to the consumers you are trying to reach. So how do you tap into the power of social media to generate awareness, create a brand community and build your company? We've put together a panel of the people behind the blogs and the brands to tell you how to harness the power of social media. If you're not on board yet, you just might need to be – come to this session to learn how.
  Moderator: Sylvia Tawse, Fresh Ideas Group
  Speakers: Mara Fleishman, Special Projects Leader Global Marketing, Whole Foods; Gwen Bell, Social Media Consultant, Teacher and Writer; Bill Roden, Creative Director, Sterling Rice Group
- Preparing Your Company for New Investment
  At one point or another, every company will undergo an investment of some type. When your company is ready for new investment, will you be prepared? What is the plan you need to put into place now to ensure you are a candidate for new investment? Will you want to sell your business, receive an infusion of capital, take on new partners or look at another scenario to fit your business goals? No matter which direction you choose, it is vital that you know the key facts about the investment process. Our panel for this session combines the talent of experienced veterans from all sides of that process. You will hear from company leaders that seek out and invest in smaller natural food companies, from the founder of a smaller company that has just sold, and from a private equity investment banker who makes it all happen. Whether you are ready for investment now or not, someday you will be. Attend this session to make sure you know what to do when that time arrives.
  Moderator: Mark Retzloff, Chairman and Co-founder, Aurora Organic Dairy
  Speakers: Pedro Garcia, Managing Partner, Hadley Partners: Steve Hughes, Chairman and CEO, Smart Balance Inc.; Arron Mansika, Founder, Boulder's Best Organics; Chuck Marcy, CEO, Breyer's Yogurt Company
- Creative Reinvention in This and Other Times
  What do a rock star, an organic "rock star," a "Survivor" survivor and a spiritually-enlightened recording entrepreneur all have in common? They have each made inspiring and significant re-inventions in their lives, and they are all here on this panel to tell you their fascinating stories. What happens when you are out on tour with U2 and you become aware of a serious health challenge? What happens when you've built one business for nearly thirty years and then start another from scratch? What comes next after competing to "survive" on a national television show? How do the different chapters in life create new opportunities to grow and thrive? Join this enlightening panel to hear about the real-life challenges that turned into new opportunities and helped these speakers learn about Creative Reinvention and how to use it in their lives.
  Moderator: Steve Hoffman, Managing Director, The Organic Center
  Speakers: Steve Demos, Founder, WhiteWave Foods, NextFoods; Tami Simons, Founder, Sounds True; Brendan Synnott, CEO & Co-founder, Bear Naked Granola, Chief Marketing Officer, evol. burritos; Brad Wilk, Drummer, Rage Against the Machine, Founder, Olade Beverage;
3:15 - 5:30 pm · Product Fair
Slow down and enjoy meandering through the Product Fair booths out on the Millennium Harvest House lawn. Take a moment to sample the newest products in natural and organic. Plus meet new companies that are interested in supporting and servicing your business growth.
3:15 - 5:30 pm · The "Biz Doctors"
Sign up for a one-on-one, 20-minute session with an industry veteran. In this intimate session, you'll have the opportunity to ask questions specific to your business and career, and hear how this successful entrepreneur met significant challenges.
5:30 - 7:30 pm · Closing Reception and Entrepreneur's Pitch Slam
Close the day by enjoying heavy hors d'ouevres and cocktails donated by local farmers and natural products producers. Then, don't miss the ever-popular Entrepreneur's Pitch Slam. In this lively and interactive event, entrepreneurs are given a forum to present their business ideas and plans to a unique panel of judges who offer their advice and guidance. One entrepreneur will pull away as the winner with a valuable package of prizes!