NEW YORK — The Specialty Food Association is excited to announce the 2024 Winter Fancy Food Show (included) cohort. (included) is a mission-driven collective of BIPOC founders and executives, dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices and creating equitable opportunities for diverse leaders across the consumer packaged goods ecosystem. The ten brands selected for the (included) Cohort will debut as SFA members at the Show January 21-23, 2024, in Las Vegas.
Since 2022, the SFA has been a proud supporter of (included), which made its debut at the Summer Fancy Food Show. “Partnering with (included) is an important initiative for the Specialty Food Association,” said Bill Lynch, president, SFA. “As a not-for-profit trade association striving to create a more diverse community in the specialty food industry, working with (included) allows us to bring more BIPOC makers to market through the Fancy Food Shows.”
The exhibitors from (included) are:
- Barlow’s
- Frescos Naturales
- Funky Mello
- Grumpy Ginger
- Krack’d Snacks
- Myles Comfort Foods
- Paro
- Sobo
- Todo Verde
- Tuyyo
“As a proudly Asian American frozen dumpling brand, Sobo faces a lot of challenges breaking into retail and getting in front of customers. Storytelling from behind a pane of frosty glass is hard enough as it is, but this is compounded by the fact that Sobo is SO new – we only launched a few months ago – and that we’re trying to tell nuanced stories about the flavors that we grew up with as the children of immigrants,” said Eric Ji Sun Wu, Co-Founder and CEO, SOBO. “We knew that the Winter Fancy Food Show would be Sobo’s big introduction to the world of grocery, but we were certainly stressing about how we’d be able to stand out on a limited budget. Thanks to (included) we’ve found some unbelievable mentors, peers, and cheerleaders to help Sobo make the splash we knew we had to at our first big trade show.”
“Three years ago Barlow’s was just an idea that started out of my home kitchen. I had a wild idea that our better for you 3in1 pancake biscuit waffle mix and line of seasonal syrups needed to be on everyone’s table. The thought of exhibiting at tradeshows seemed out of scope for us due to the need to maximize resources, logistics and the overall lack of tradeshow experience from a brand perspective,” said Tiffani Neal, Founder and CEO, Barlow’s Foods. “(included) is bridging the gap for Barlow’s and so many other emerging brands. To have a space to share the journey of this industry that provides a platform for us to be seen and heard is immeasurable. SFA is where it’s at, the partnership for the upcoming Winter Fancy Food Show is not only right on time but has the opportunity to be a game changer for us. For this we are forever grateful!”
Said Stefanie Garcia Turner, Founder and CEO, TUYYO, “I am thrilled to be debuting my brand TUYYO at the SFA show with the incredible support of the (included) community. It is a joy to be amongst other BIPOC and woman-owned businesses as we shape the next generation of inclusive food and beverage brands.”
The Winter Fancy Food Show is the largest B2B specialty food event in the western United States, and features thousands of specialty food and beverage products from around the world. The Show is open only to qualified members of the specialty food trade, industry affiliates, and journalists. For more information, click here.
About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association (SFA) was founded in 1952 and is the not-for-profit trade association of the $194 billion specialty food industry. Representing more than 3,000 businesses worldwide, SFA champions industry participation and success for a diverse community of makers, buyers, importers, distributors, and service providers by developing resources, information, education, and events that celebrate innovation and inclusivity. SFA owns and operates the Fancy Food Shows—which are the largest specialty food industry events in North America—as well as the sofi™ Awards—which have honored excellence in specialty food and beverage annually since 1972. The SFA also produces the e-newsletter SFA News Daily, the Trendspotter Panel annual predictions and Fancy Food Show reports, the State of the Specialty Food Industry Report, Today’s Specialty Food Consumer research, and the Spill & Dish podcast. Find out more online and connect with SFA on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
About (included)
Founded in 2020 as a gathering place for leaders of color in the natural foods industry, (included) is a non-profit organization that has become the nation’s largest collective of BIPOC founders and executives in CPG food and beverage. (included) is invested in amplifying the voices of its systemically underrepresented members, as well as driving visibility and sustainable growth for the brands they lead. The organization is committed to advocating for racial equity across the CPG ecosystem, with a goal of reshaping the retail landscape to reflect the US population. Its flagship sponsorship programs have provided members with unprecedented access to growth opportunities and industry decision-makers. Learn more and join the community at includedcpg.com
