Attend the HEI in person!
For $280 per person, you can select a single day ticket for the date of your choice. Attend all three days May 1 – 3, 2023 for the discounted rate of $689, which includes all meals. This year’s Institute will be held at the Boulder JCC, 6007 Oreg Ave., Boulder, CO. See the agenda for daily schedules. Note that you must be a registered guest (either in person or online) in order to apply to be a featured Case Study, pitch to investors, or pitch to the purchasing team from Sprouts Farmers Market.
We’re partnering with our friends at Naturally Boulder to offer a discounted add-on ticket to the HEI guests who might also like to attend Spring Fling, the nonprofit’s annual celebration of the natural and organic products industry’s roots in Boulder and the thriving ecosystem it now nurtures. For an additional $84, join 350 professionals at the Boulder JCC 4:30 – 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3 for an evening of high-energy networking, sampling from budding brands in the Shoots Showcase, and toasting to our shared future!
Connect with the HEI virtually!
For $60 per person, you can select online access for a single day, on the date of your choice. Join all three days virtually for the discounted rate of $160. See agenda for daily schedules. Note that you must be a registered guest (either in person or online) in order to apply to be a featured Case Study, pitch to investors, or pitch to the purchasing team from Sprouts Farmers Market.
In-Person: $280.00 – $773.00, with online access for 1 yearFor $280 per person, you can select a single day in-person ticket for the date of your choice. Attend all three days for the discounted rate of $689, which includes all meals. Add on a discounted ticket for $84 more to attend Naturally Boulder's Spring Fling on Wednesday evening for even more networking opportunities. This year's Institute will be held Monday, May 1 – Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at the Boulder JCC, 6007 Oreg Ave., Boulder, CO. See agenda for daily schedules. Note that you must be a registered guest (either in person or online) in order to apply to be a featured Case Study, pitch to investors, or pitch to Sprouts Farmers Market. |
||
Online: $60.00 – $160.00, with online access for 1 yearOne fee of $60 per person gives you online access to one of three days of learning from our panel of experts using real-world cases and companies pitching for financing from our investor panel. Enjoy all three days via Zoom for one low price of $160. This year's Institute will be held Monday, May 1 – Wednesday, May 3, 2023. See agenda for daily schedules. Note that you must be a registered guest (either in person or online) in order to apply to be a featured Case Study, pitch to investors, or pitch to Sprouts Farmers Market. Note that only one online ticket may be purchased at a time. If you would like to purchase an online ticket for yourself and a guest, please complete the registration form twice, for two separate transactions. After checkout, you will need to forward the email with the Zoom links to your guest. |
Event Schedule
REMINDER: ALL TIMES ARE MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT (DENVER) TIME
Items in BOLD are available to both the in-person and online audiences.
Monday, May 1, 2023 Day 1 Program
9:00 – 9:10 a.m. | WELCOME AND LOGISTICS |
9:10 – 10:00 a.m. | HOW TO NOT RUN OUT OF CASH Gary Hirshberg, Andy Whitman (Managing Partner, Loft Growth Partners) and Elliot Begoun (Founder & Brand Champion, TIG Brands) will provide a practical guide to how to project and manage your cash needs (and not run out of cash) |
10:00 – 11:40 a.m. | CASE STUDIES – FINANCING YOUR BUSINESS – SESSION 1 Four companies will have the opportunity to present their real time case question about determining your best financial strategy to a panel of experienced experts |
11:40 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. | LUNCH BREAK |
12:20 – 1:20 p.m. | PANEL: INNOVATIVE FINANCING ALTERNATIVES with Elliot Begoun, Gigi Chang (Managing Partner at BFY Capital), Jonny Price (VP of fundraising for Wefunder), and Jasper Von Brakel (President & CEO, of RSF Social Finance ) |
1:30 – 3:08 p.m. | CASE STUDIES – FINANCING YOUR BUSINESS – SESSION 2 |
3:08 – 4:00 p.m. | PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION WITH GROCERY OUTLET on a powerful way to turn your inventory into cash and build your everyday sales |
4:00 – 6:30 p.m. | Offline Discussions with Grocery Outlet, Product Expo, and Happy Hour |
6:30 – 8:00 p.m. | Buffet Dinner and Evening Panel: When Things Did Not Work Out |
Tuesday, May 2, 2023 Day 2 Program
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. | Special NielsenIQ Sponsored Breakfast and Discussion |
9:00 – 10:35 a.m. | CASE STUDIES – POSITIONING YOUR BRAND STORY – SESSION 1 Four companies will have the opportunity to present their real time case question about positioning their brand story to our panel of experienced marketing experts |
10:35-10:50 a.m. | Break |
10:50 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | CASE STUDIES – POSITIONING YOUR BRAND STORY – SESSION 2 |
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. | Lunch Break – Breakout tables by topic |
1:30 – 3:00 p.m. | CASE STUDIES – EXPERIENCES WITH E-COMMERCE Two companies will have the opportunity to present their real time case question about their experiences with e-commerce to our panel of e-commerce experts |
3:00 – 3:15 p.m. | Break |
3:15 – 4:45 p.m. | NCG/INFRA BUYER PANEL with Summer Auerbach, Owner of Rainbow Blossom Natural Food Markets,; Nick Auzenne, INFRA Director of Purchasing; Rebecca Lee Director of Purchasing and Merchandising, Twin Cities Co-Op Partner; and Jason Stein, NCG Category Management Director, moderated by Bob Burke and Corinne Shindelar |
4:45 – 5:30 p.m. | Break |
5:30 – 6:15 p.m. | Product Expo and Happy Hour |
6:15 – 8:00 | Buffet Dinner and Tales From the Trenches presentation with nutpods founder and CEO Madeline Haydon with Gary Hirshberg |
Wednesday, May 3, 2023 Day 3 Program
9:00 – 11:00 a.m. | Four companies will have the opportunity to pitch to our Investor Panel |
11:00 – 11:10 a.m. | Break |
11:10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Three companies will have the opportunity to pitch to our Investor Panel |
12:30 – 1:00 p.m. | Lunch Break |
1:00 – 4:15 p.m. | PITCH TO SPROUTS PURCHASING TEAM – Kim Coffin, SVP & Chief Forager, Sprouts Farmers Markets and Sprouts Purchasing team |
1:05 – 2:30 p.m. | Four companies will have the opportunity to pitch their products to the Sprouts Farmers Markets purchasing team |
2:25 -2:35 p.m. | Break |
2:35 – 4:00 p.m. | Four companies will have the opportunity to pitch their products to the Sprouts Farmers Markets purchasing team |
4:00 – 4:15 p.m. | CLOSING: KEY LEARNINGS FROM THE SPROUTS PURCHASING TEAM AND HEI WRAP-UP |
4:30 – 8:00 p.m. | Naturally Boulder’s Spring Fling networking party and Shoots Showcase in the Boulder JCC’s Lobby and Gymnasium (separate ticket required, discounted for HEI attendees) |