Food & Beverage

Get 1:1 advice from experienced F&B founders.

Josh Campbell

Josh Campbell

CEO – Human Improvement, Former Starbucks Executive
Human Improvement
Starbucks

Josh Campbell is the founder and CEO of protein supplement brand Human Improvement and wine brand So Gay Rosé. Formerly a Starbucks Executive and President of cannabis wellness company Dosist, Josh has founded, funded, built, and exited multiple startups in the consumer packaged goods spac...read more

$175 / 30 mins

Available tomorrow

Bryan Wilcox

Bryan Wilcox

Co-founder & CTO – Tovala, Y Combinator Alum
Tovala
Y Combinator

Bryan Wilcox is a co-founder and the former CTO of Tovala, a food-tech company that saves people time with a smart oven and paired meal service. Tovala has raised $70M in venture funding from Y Combinator, Comcast Ventures, Interplay, Origin Ventures and Left Lane Capital. Prior to Tovala,...read more

$125 / 30 mins

Available tomorrow

Billy Bosch

Billy Bosch

Founder – ICONIC Protein, CPG Marketing Expert
Iconic
Whole Foods

William (Billy) Bosch is a consumer products entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience launching products, scaling into retail and e-commerce, and raising money. He is most known for founding ICONIC – one of the largest natural protein supplement brands in the United States. Starting w...read more

$250 / 30 mins

Available on Thursday

Alec Lee

Alec Lee

Co-founder & CEO – Endless West, F&B Expert
Endless West
Extem

Alec Lee is the co-founder and CEO of Endless West, a beverage startup that creates its own unique blend of wines and spirits using scientific production methods. The whiskey has won 14 awards, and the company has raised more than $100 million in funding from IndieBio, SOSV, Horizon Ventur...read more

$225 / 30 mins

Available on Thursday

Jacob Jaber

Jacob Jaber

Co-founder – Philz Coffee, Investor and Forbes 30 Under 30
Philz Coffee
TPG

Jacob Jaber is the Co-Founder & Chairman of Philz Coffee. As CEO for nearly two decades, Jacob grew Philz from the original coffee shop in San Francisco's Mission District to more than 70 locations across the country. Jacob has raised more than $100 million in funding from investors. Jacob...read more

$425 / 30 mins

Available tomorrow

Lisa Curtis

Lisa Curtis

Founder & CEO – Kuli Kuli, Forbes 30 Under 30
Kuli Kuli
Forbes

Lisa Curtis is the founder and CEO of Kuli Kuli, the leading brand pioneering the superfood moringa in the US market. She began working on Kuli Kuli while in the Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa. As a volunteer in her village’s health center, she gained an understanding of nutritional cha...read more

$175 / 30 mins

Available on Friday

Bill Capsalis

Bill Capsalis

Board Member - Naturally Boulder, F&B Expert
Naturally Boulder
Foundermade

Bill Capsalis is a recognized expert in healthy lifestyles and go-to-market strategies in the natural product industry. He was previously the CEO of Haystack Mountain Creamery - an artisanal goat cheese company and saw the company through a sale in early 2021. Today he is the Executive Dir...read more

$125 / 30 mins

Available on Friday

Sasha Tan

Sasha Tan

Founder – C.riously, Retail & Ecommerce Expert
C.Riously
500 Startups

Sasha Tan is the founder of C.riously, a company that makes nutritious health snacks. She previously founded Favful (a personalized beauty care platform), which was backed by Segnel Ventures, Gobi Partners, and 500 Global before it was acquired by iMedia in 2022. She is a serial entreprene...read more

$125 / 30 mins

Available tomorrow

What Does a Food and Beverage Expert & Mentor Do?

A food and beverage mentor is an experienced professional in the food and beverage industry who knows the ins and outs of how this unique market works. Food and beverage mentors have faced the challenges and felt the triumphs that come with building a food or beverage startup, and they use their hard-won expertise to guide aspiring entrepreneurs in the food and beverage sector.

What Is the Food and Beverage Industry?

The food and beverage industry is a broad market comprising a wide range of companies that contribute to the production, processing, distribution, and sale of consumer food and beverages. It includes everything from large-scale food manufacturing companies to small, artisanal food startups and beverage startups. 

Food and beverage is a constantly evolving industry driven by consumer demand and advancements in food technology. Many of today’s emerging food and beverage brands focus on popular niches, such as:

Many of the most successful brands on the cutting edge of the food and beverage market also employ innovative business strategies like food subscription business models and farm to table solutions.

How Big Is the Food and Beverage Industry?

The global food and beverage industry is one of the largest in the world. In 2023, the value of the food and beverage industry was approximately $7.2 trillion, up from approximately $6.7 trillion in 2022. Though the war between Russia and Ukraine has disrupted global food supply chains considerably, the value of the food and beverage market is still expected to rise over the next few years at a compound annual growth rate of 6.3%

What Are the Top Challenges of the Food and Beverage Industry?

While the food and beverage industry presents tremendous opportunity for entrepreneurs, it also comes with its share of challenges.

A food and beverage advisor can help you navigate these challenges and persevere through the tough early stages of startup growth in the food and beverage industry.

What Can a Food and Beverage Mentor Do for You?

A food and beverage mentor from Mentorcam can offer invaluable support as you build your food and beverage startup. Mentorcam’s food and beverage mentors have spent years exploring this industry and discovering its key trends — you can use their expertise to your advantage as you establish your company as a player in the market.

The food and beverage industry offers great potential for first-time food and beverage founders and experienced foodpreneurs alike, but succeeding despite its complexities can be a tall order. Having a food and beverage mentor by your side can help you face the market’s challenges with confidence and allow you to thrive in this ever-evolving industry.

Related areas of interest: Growth Marketing, Fundraising, eCommerce