Nicole Johnson-Hoffman Joins Meati Board
Meati Foods, the producer of animal-free meats crafted from the company’s whole-food MushroomRoot, has appointed food and agriculture luminary Nicole Johnson-Hoffman to its board of directors.
Johnson-Hoffman brings over two decades of transformative leadership within the food and ag sectors to Meati, most recently serving as CEO of cultivated meat company Believer Meats. Her rich career, spanning roles with industry stalwarts like Cargill and OSI, has positioned her at the forefront of managing the global beef industry’s most dynamic supply chains and making them more sustainable.
“In the realm of animal meat and animal-free alternatives, Nicole stands unmatched in her depth of experience and knowledge of operations, market requirements and emerging opportunities,” said Tyler Huggins, CEO and co-founder of Meati Foods. “Having Nicole on board with team Meati is a testament to the uniqueness of our product and the boundless promise of our MushroomRoot, as well as an endorsement of our vision and overall approach.”
Meati Foods continues to scale its fully vertically integrated manufacturing capabilities to support rapid growth in the coming months in both retail and food service locations. Its Eat Meati line recently launched at Whole Foods Market with its Classic Cutlet, Crispy Cutlet, Classic Steak and Carne Asada Steak. In foodservice, Meati Foods most recently announced its first Northern California restaurant offering in San Francisco’s Causwells after a series of restaurant launches including Birdcall, PLNT Burger and Next Level Burger.
“I’m frustrated when I see brands, interest groups and other organizations put the onus of change on the consumer, asking them to shop our way out of problems caused by the food industry,” said Johnson-Hoffman. “It’s the responsibility of incumbent industry leaders and disruptors like Meati to bring solutions that work for consumers. Meati is nailing it, and I’m thrilled to partner with such a great group of people who are doing great things.”
Featuring its nutrient-dense and nearly infinitely scalable whole-food MushroomRoot, Meati Foods today makes whole-cut steaks and cutlets that deliver not only unprecedented, clean nutrition, but flavors and textures that have won the enthusiastic support of some of food’s biggest icons, including David Chang (chef and founder of Momofuku and Majordomo Media) and Sam Kass (former White House senior policy advisor for nutrition and partner at Acre Venture Partners).
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Capri Sun Issues Kid Noise-Canceling Juice Drink Packs
ack-to-school season is upon us and parents are in the midst of never-ending to-do lists. From school supply shopping and endless forms, to sports practices and meet the teacher nights, parents often spend the only moments they have to themselves trying to keep up with the never-ending demands. With 66 percent of parents reporting being burned out, Capri Sun Juice Drink wants to give parents a much-needed break by introducing Kid Noise-Canceling Juice Drink packs, which offer parents 50 seconds of calm, in partnership with Taskrabbit.
In order to truly enjoy their 50 seconds of calm, Capri Sun Juice Drink teamed up with Taskrabbit to give parents the luxury of delegation, with recipients receiving a $100 Taskrabbit credit to outsource their responsibilities to a skilled Tasker in their area. Parents can enjoy a bit more “me time” knowing that their back-to-school to-do list is being taken care of. From cleaning to home repairs and yard work, parents can outsource household tasks to Taskrabbit and revel in silence.
“At Capri Sun, we know that back-to-school season is a hectic time and our goal through launching the Kid Noise-Canceling Juice Drink is to show our appreciation for parents by providing them 50 seconds of calm,” said Samantha Mills, associate director, brand communications. “When parents buy these new juice packs, they are buying themselves some much needed peace and quiet. Our partnership with Taskrabbit is a strategic effort to give parents what they really need – time to themselves without worry.”
Capri Sun’s Kid Noise-Canceling Juice Drink packs are available on noisecancelingjuicedrink.com with no purchase necessary. The giveaway includes 2 pouches per box and a $100 Taskrabbit credit that can be used toward hourly service rates on the platform, while supplies last.
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BuzzBallz Ready-to-Drink Cocktails Goes on the Road
BuzzBallz is on the road, stopping in 11 cities for 11 installations of the USA Today Wine & Food Experience. From Aug. 12-Nov. 4, BuzzBallz ready-to-drink cocktails will be sponsoring every event on the tour.
The USA Today Wine & Food Experience will feature a plethora of local cuisine from new and established chefs, as well as wine, beer, and spirits from multiple vendors. BuzzBallz will be hosting tastings of their cocktails at each event.
BuzzBallz Trade and Shopper Marketing Manager Yashika Maru, said she is excited to have BuzzBallz present in all 11 stops of the tour with a variety of flavors to offer samples of.
“This incredible opportunity will help create brand awareness with a new set of audiences that enjoy wining and dining,” Maru said.
Aside from food and beverage tastings, each event will feature live demonstrations and music for an overall immersive experience, all within the span of an afternoon.
This sponsorship run comes timely for BuzzBallz, with its 2023 sponsorship of Seltzerland, which ended in July. Along with this tour, BuzzBallz will be sponsoring a handful of country music festivals and local beverage-based experiences throughout the remainder of the year.
BuzzBallz Trade and Events Marketing Manager Cori Culbertson said she has enjoyed sponsoring events with multiple stops.
“I love doing all kinds of events, but it’s especially fun when we get to sort of follow an event from city to city,” Culbertson said. “We can get more acquainted with the vision of the event and more accustomed to the types of consumers we’ll be interacting with, which just makes for better connections and more fun!”
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