Consumer VC

Mike Gelb
  • 4.9 (136)
  • Investing
  • Semiweekly

Consumer VC takes a look into early-stage consumer investing and venture capital. If you are interested in learning about consumer trends, have a b2c business and interested in learning about the fundraising process at the early stage, you have come to the right place. Mike interviews some of the top venture capitalists in the world that focus on B2C and consumer type companies or have a deep track record investing in these categories such as marketplaces, SaaS, social, CPG and non-tech subscription. Mike also interviews founders that are building some of the most disruptive consumer facing companies in the world. The conversation usually includes the insight the founder discovered, fundraising strategy, and the pitch. This podcast also includes bonus episodes. Each bonus episode dives into a particular subject that might not have to due with the fundraise or venture capital, but still would be helpful to founders. For example, a bonus episode on brand strategy or how to construct a board of directors. All bonus episodes will be clearly labeled. For all episodes, please visit www.theconsumervc.com. For updates, you can follow @mikegelb on Twitter.

  1. 3d ago

    How Sending Monthly Boxes To Investors Led to $27M in 70 CPG Brands with Brian Folmer

    This episode is brought to you by The Hidden Gems.Hiring agencies is risky — most overpromise and underdeliver. The Hidden Gems connects founders with highly vetted, brand-beloved boutique agencies across media, creative, dev/design, events, social, and more — at preferred rates.https://thehiddengems.com/Whatever your need, just send a request and they’ve got the solution... it’s that easy! – david@thehiddengems.comEvery month, Brian Folmer reviews about a hundred consumer brands, picks six, and packs their samples into boxes on his garage floor in Cleveland. Two full days of taping. Then the boxes go out to roughly a hundred angels, VCs, and family offices.That's First Look, the investor community Brian launched in June 2020. Since then, 500 companies have gone through the boxes, and members have put $27M into 70 of the brands they met that way.0:00 Intro2:07 What First Look actually is4:25 The bike ride that started the box6:58 Bootstrapping and launching in June 20208:58 A month at First Look: 100 brands, 6 boxes, one garage15:38 What stage fits: pre-seed vs. seed18:25 Talent-led brands and "ludicrous" valuations20:14 The back-of-the-napkin math23:06 Sizing the outcome: base case vs. bull case24:46 Building the investor community (and why 200 is the cap)28:47 Is CPG AI-proof?31:21 First Look vs. First Look Ventures33:41 When your own members take the whole round34:44 Too much money chasing too few deals38:20 Debt vs. equity for emerging brands43:25 The wall of cash and the new millionaires46:51 What founders underestimate about how investors decide47:52 What he's excited to fund: supplements, VMS, peptides50:45 Will AI make incumbents harder to beat?53:16 M&A, PE, and IPOs55:42 The biggest surprise about VC57:00 First advice for a founder with only a vision58:00 Where investor communities fit over the next decade59:11 Books

  2. Oct 15

    From Dead in the Water to Profitable and Why People Don’t Buy Because of the Mission | David Simnick, Founder of Soapbox

    This episode is brought to you by The Hidden Gems.Hiring agencies is risky — most overpromise and underdeliver. The Hidden Gems connects founders with highly vetted, brand-beloved boutique agencies across media, creative, dev/design, events, social, and more — at preferred rates.https://thehiddengems.com/Whatever your need, just send a request and they’ve got the solution... it’s that easy! – david@thehiddengems.comToday’s episode is with David Simnick, co-founder and CEO of Soapbox. David started making soap in his college kitchen in 2010 (his landlord thought he was cooking meth). Sixteen years later, Soapbox is sold in Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Target, Costco, and Wegmans, it’s profitable, and private equity firms reach out every month.Getting there took a near-death rebrand. In 2016, Soapbox was moving 0.15 units per store per week against a target of two, and their broker said he’d never seen velocities that low. The team rebuilt the brand with the agency Anthem and put it back on shelf in 2018.We get into why consumers don’t buy because of the mission (and why the mission still drives repeat purchases), what a BCG study found about Soapbox’s loyalty, why a one-for-one model beats a percentage pledge, what one of his largest investors said when David brought him a bad acquisition offer, and how David thinks about building new brands through incubation and M&A.Listener offer: 20% off your first order at soapbox.co with code CONSUMERVC20

  3. Oct 4

    Why He Invests in the Factories, Not Just the Brands with Jared Stein, Co-Founder of Monogram Capital

    This episode is brought to you by The Hidden Gems.Hiring agencies is risky, most overpromise and underdeliver. The Hidden Gems connects founders with highly vetted, brand-beloved boutique agencies across media, creative, dev/design, events, social, and more at preferred rates.Jared Stein is co-founder of Monogram Capital, which closed its third fund last year at $350 million. Monogram invests across consumer, but unlike most firms in the space, it backs thefactories, ingredient suppliers, and service businesses underneath the brands as much as the brands themselves. Olipop, Archer, and Chewy sit in the same portfolio as a 330,000 squarefoot aseptic beverage plant the firm built from the ground up.

  4. Sep 26

    Why This VC Built the Marquee Event in CPG | Josh Wand, Family Fund

    Josh Wand joins the podcast to discuss the origins of Founderland, which has become of the marquee events in CPG.Josh Wand, co-founder of Family Fund and Founder Community, sits down with Mike Gelb to break down his approach to ecosystem building. They discuss the strategic collaboration with his partner Sean and why the CPG industry needed a dedicated space like Founderland to facilitate real connections between operators.Subscribe to Consumer VC for more conversations with the founders, investors, and operators shaping the future of consumer.

  5. Sep 8

    How Proper Good is Making the Soup Aisle Cool Again with Chris Jane

    "We're going to make soup in a pouch. Hear me out."That's how Chris Jane pitched his sister Jennifer on what became Proper Good. They launched in April 2020, scaled DTC through the pandemic, got a Shark Tank deal with Mark Cuban, and then did something almost no emerging brand does: skipped the natural channel entirely and launched national in Walmart.In this episode, Chris breaks down why that decision made sense on the math, what it took to get a Walmart buyer to underwrite a five to seven year category rebuild, and why the health claims that drove sales online actively hurt them in the aisle. Plus the oatmeal test that killed one of their own brand pillars.Chapters0:00 Intro0:46 Launching a brand in April 20204:11 Montana Mex and building with his sister9:09 Where Proper Good came from15:08 Shark Tank19:32 Why Walmart was the first retail swing24:20 Competing with Campbell's on price26:24 When health claims hurt sales32:35 Raising from family offices38:12 The brand pillar we made up43:51 Taking the Walmart data everywhere else53:46 Biggest win, biggest mistake, and one piece of advice📬 Subscribe to Consumer VC for more conversations with the founders, investors, and operators shaping the future of consumer. 👉 https://www.theconsumervc.com/

  6. Jun 24

    Why Israel Keeps Producing Billion-Dollar Consumer Companies with Danny Cohen and Oren Charnoff

    Israel's next breakout wave isn't coming from B2B. It's being built in consumer. Most people think of Israel as a cybersecurity and enterprise tech powerhouse. Danny Cohen and Oren Charnoff are betting that the country's next defining chapter is being written by consumer founders, and they're building Sticker Ventures to back them. In this episode, Mike sits down with Danny and Oren, co-founders of Sticker Ventures, to unpack why Israel is quietly producing world-class consumer companies, how Israeli founders approach distribution differently than their American counterparts, and why they believe the next decade will see more massive consumer exits out of Israel than the previous twenty combined. They discuss the military-to-startup pipeline that shaped Israel's innovation culture, why Israeli consumer founders are obsessive about unit economics from day one, how AI is creating a new wave of vertical consumer opportunity, and why the US market is almost always the first and primary target, even for founders who've never set foot there. Danny and Oren also share how they came together as co-founders (including the friction that almost kept them apart), their conviction that distribution-oriented founders win, and why they're seeing a surge of physical brand companies entering their pipeline right now. You'll learn: ✅ Why Israel has always been a consumer powerhouse, not just B2B ✅ How Israeli founders use a "quantitative hedge fund" approach to marketing ✅ Why unit economics matter more than growth at all costs at the early stage ✅ How companies like Resident Mattresses outcompeted Casper and Purple ✅ Why AI creates more consumer opportunity, not less ✅ How the Israeli military network translates directly into startup success ✅ Why 98% of Israeli consumer companies target the US market on day one ✅ What Sticker Ventures looks for in pre-revenue founders ✅ Why 1 in 5 new companies in Israel last year was a consumer business ✅ The missed investments Danny and Oren wish they could get back If you're a founder, investor, or operator curious about where the next generation of consumer innovation is coming from, this episode delivers a rare inside look at Israel's emerging consumer ecosystem. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:11 Why Israel dominates in tech and startup innovation 03:33 Oren's perspective as an immigrant founder in Israel 04:53 Israel's consumer moment; it's not new, it's accelerating 06:31 How Resident Mattresses beat Casper and Purple 08:10 How Sticker Ventures thinks about marketing spend vs. ROI 09:50 Why unit economics matter more than growth at all costs 10:02 Why Israeli companies go US-first from day one 11:55 Balancing profitability and growth at the early stage 14:16 How to build conviction in pre-revenue companies 23:41 Balancing consumer tech vs. physical inventory businesses 25:22 Why distribution-oriented founders win 28:06 How AI is changing consumer behavior and opportunity 29:28 Why vertical AI products will outlast generic platforms 31:35 The gap Sticker Ventures is filling in Israel's VC landscape 33:02 Why Israeli founders build world-class global consumer companies 35:15 Misconceptions Israeli founders have about the American consumer 37:49 How Danny and Oren came together, including the conflict that shaped them 41:16 Fund size, check sizes, and investment strategy 42:46 Bringing American capital into Israeli consumer deals 44:16 Why the US is almost always the first target market 45:17 Companies Danny and Oren wish they had backed 47:30 One takeaway about Israel and consumer you need to know 48:36 Books that have shaped Danny and Oren personally and professionally 52:16 Closing thoughts 📬 Subscribe to Consumer VC for more conversations with the founders, investors, and operators shaping the future of consumer. 👉 https://www.theconsumervc.com/ Follow Mike Gelb: Twitter/X: @mikegelb Instagram: @consumervc TikTok: @consumervc

  7. Jun 3

    The Future of Consumer Health with Nicolas McCoy

    The future of consumer health is being built right now. Consumers are becoming the CEOs of their own healthcare. From GLP-1s and peptides to protein, wearables, functional foods, and preventative wellness, entire industries are being reshaped by changing consumer behavior. In this episode, Mike sits down with Nicolas McCoy, Managing Director of Whipstitch Capital, to unpack the biggest trends driving consumer health, food & beverage, supplements, wellness, and M&A. Nick spends his time analyzing what separates niche brands from the companies that break into the mainstream and get acquired. They discuss why better-for-you products continue to outperform, how GLP-1 adoption is changing consumer spending habits, the rise of peptides and hormone optimization, why protein isn't slowing down anytime soon, and what strategic buyers are looking for in today's market. Nick also shares his framework for evaluating brand headroom, explains why profitability matters more than ever in consumer M&A, and breaks down how founders should think about timing an exit. You'll learn: ✅ Why consumers are becoming the CEOs of their own healthcare✅ How GLP-1s are changing food, supplements, and wellness✅ Why better-for-you products continue to outperform the market✅ The future of peptides, hormones, and preventative health✅ How investors evaluate brand headroom and acquisition potential✅ Why some brands successfully cross from natural to mass retail✅ The growing role of wearables in consumer health✅ Why protein is still growing and where it goes next✅ How strategic buyers think about acquisitions today✅ What founders should know before trying to sell their company If you're a founder, investor, operator, or simply curious about where consumer health is headed over the next decade, this episode is packed with data, trends, and practical insights. Timestamps 00:00 Intro01:11 Consumers becoming the CEOs of their healthcare06:07 The state of consumer M&A today09:48 Why profitability matters more than ever12:09 How to know when to sell your company13:51 Understanding brand headroom17:11 Which retail channels create the most value20:00 Crossing from natural to mass retail24:30 The K-shaped consumer economy explained27:45 Why lower-income consumers are adopting health trends faster29:13 The surprising growth of injectable health products32:40 RFK Jr., MAHA, and peptide awareness34:42 The future impact of GLP-1 adoption37:26 Protein's next phase of growth39:24 The future of peptides and personalized health42:17 Why injections are becoming more mainstream44:31 The rise of gummies as a supplement format48:19 Women's hormone health opportunities51:31 Mental health, wellness, and consumer behavior53:23 Are founders selling because they want to or have to?54:36 Is the consumer market back?57:06 The growing role of private equity in CPG59:23 The evolution of billion-dollar consumer exits01:01:17 Why more capital is flowing into consumer brands01:02:13 Categories Nick is watching closely01:07:51 Personal experiences that shaped Nick's career01:11:15 Closing thoughts 📬 Subscribe to Consumer VC for more conversations with the founders, investors, and operators shaping the future of consumer 👉 https://www.theconsumervc.com/ Follow Mike Gelb:Twitter/X: @mikegelbInstagram: @consumervcTikTok: @consumervc

  8. May 25

    The Psychology of Great Founders with Tony Conrad

    This episode is brought to you by The Hidden Gems. Hiring agencies is risky. Most overpromise and underdeliver. The Hidden Gems connects founders with highly vetted, brand-loved boutique agencies across media, creative, dev/design, events, and more — at preferred rates. Free for Consumer VC listeners → https://thehiddengems.com/ Most venture capitalists have never actually built companies. Tony Conrad did both. In this episode, Mike sits down with Tony Conrad, Partner at True Ventures and one of the earliest investors behind companies like Blue Bottle Coffee, Sweetgreen, Madison Reed, Modern Animal, WordPress and more. Before venture capital, Tony spent a decade at Danone before leaving corporate life to build startups during the earliest days of Silicon Valley’s internet boom. Tony shares what it was really like living through the dot-com crash, why he believes AI is creating another major market correction and the lessons founders keep ignoring when it comes to fundraising, valuations, and building sustainable companies. The conversation goes deep into founder psychology, venture incentives, why most investors get founders wrong and how Tony evaluates companies before there’s even product-market fit. He also breaks down: - Why he instantly invested in Blue Bottle - The danger of overheated seed valuations - Why most founders choose the wrong investors - The real role of storytelling in fundraising - What separates iconic founders from everyone else - Why “fast money” creates long-term pressure - How AI is reshaping both enterprise and consumer investing - Why he still believes consumer is massively underrated You’ll learn: ✅ Why Tony left Danone for Silicon Valley startups ✅ What the dot-com crash taught him about AI today ✅ The founder traits most investors overlook ✅ Why inflated valuations hurt founders later ✅ How True Ventures thinks about ownership and returns ✅ Why Blue Bottle was an obvious bet for him ✅ The difference between scalable venture bets vs angel investing ✅ Why founder-investor alignment matters more than valuation ✅ How to know if you have the right investors around the table ✅ Why consumer investing always comes back 👉 If you’re a founder, operator, or investor trying to understand how great companies are actually built across multiple cycles, this episode is packed with hard-earned lessons. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:00 Leaving Danone for Silicon Valley 04:00 Why tech felt more exciting than CPG 05:30 The early days of startup investing 08:00 Moving to San Francisco during the internet boom 10:00 Lessons from the dot-com crash 13:00 Is AI in a bubble right now? 15:00 How Tony joined True Ventures 17:00 Building startups while investing simultaneously 20:00 The burnout of being both founder and VC 22:00 Why Tony loves four-wall retail businesses 23:00 The Blue Bottle investment story 27:00 How True Ventures makes investment decisions 29:00 Why being a generalist investor matters 32:00 Angel investing vs venture investing 34:00 What “venture-scale” really means 35:00 The one mistake Tony hates making 36:00 How to identify the right founders 39:00 Why founders shouldn’t rush fundraising 41:00 The danger of inflated valuations 45:00 What founders should look for in investors 47:00 When founders should step aside as CEO 50:00 Balancing founder support with LP responsibility 51:00 Lessons from building About.me 55:00 Why digital identity still matters 56:00 Why consumer investing is underrated 58:00 AI infrastructure vs AI applications 01:00:00 Consumer AI opportunities Tony is excited about 01:02:00 Investing in competing companies 01:05:00 The problem with mega funds 01:07:00 Lessons from Slack & Stewart Butterfield 01:08:00 Favorite books & leadership lessons 01:11:00 AI, job displacement & optimism for the future 01:14:00 Final thoughts 📬 Subscribe for more founder stories & scaling insights: 👉 https://www.theconsumervc.com/ Follow Mike Gelb: Twitter / IG / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc

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4.9
out of 5
136 Ratings

About

Consumer VC takes a look into early-stage consumer investing and venture capital. If you are interested in learning about consumer trends, have a b2c business and interested in learning about the fundraising process at the early stage, you have come to the right place. Mike interviews some of the top venture capitalists in the world that focus on B2C and consumer type companies or have a deep track record investing in these categories such as marketplaces, SaaS, social, CPG and non-tech subscription. Mike also interviews founders that are building some of the most disruptive consumer facing companies in the world. The conversation usually includes the insight the founder discovered, fundraising strategy, and the pitch. This podcast also includes bonus episodes. Each bonus episode dives into a particular subject that might not have to due with the fundraise or venture capital, but still would be helpful to founders. For example, a bonus episode on brand strategy or how to construct a board of directors. All bonus episodes will be clearly labeled. For all episodes, please visit www.theconsumervc.com. For updates, you can follow @mikegelb on Twitter.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Gelb
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    416
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Mike Gelb
  • Show Website
    Consumer VC

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