It's All Happening : Women In CPG

Danielle Calabrese
  • 5.0 (4)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

It's All Happening : Women In CPG is an ongoing conversation about the ins and outs of everything related to launching and running a successful CPG business. Join Danielle Calabrese, a multifaceted leader and CPG expert, in diving into the juiciest conversations with fellow female leaders about everything from branding to sales strategy, scaling, and beyond. You’ll hear firsthand accounts on struggles, triumphs, challenges, and industry secrets that will equip you to be a better entrepreneur. Each episode is laced with actionable takeaways and thoughtful conversations meant to dismantle the barriers around the CPG-space. Visit the It's All Happening Website and on Instagram 

  1. How to Show Up at Expo West & Get Real ROI

    2D AGO

    How to Show Up at Expo West & Get Real ROI

    In this episode, we break down how to actually get a return on your investment at Expo West — and it’s not just about buyer meetings or badge scans. Using our Expo West itinerary as a guide, we talk through how to approach everything from the Innovation Summit and Pitch Slam to CPG Sisterhood, Ladies Lounge, Anti-Expo, and the after-hours house parties with real strategy and intention. The biggest takeaway? ROI at Expo is built through proximity and community. The founders who win aren’t standing on the sidelines — they’re putting themselves in the middle of conversations, building relationships before they “need” them, making introductions, and becoming part of the ecosystem. This episode will help you shift from short-term transactional thinking to long-term momentum building, so you leave Expo with more than leads — you leave with positioning, visibility, and real community equity that compounds long after the show floor closes. Links to events mentioned in this episode: Expo West new Hope Innovation SummitNaturally Network HERESnaxshot & Misfits Party HERE CPG Sisterhood Social HERE America's Next Top Snack HERE Startup CPG Ally Rally HERE Ladies Lounge HERE Anti Expo HERE cpg house party HERE   It's All Happening WebsiteRegister for Launch LabFollow Us On InstagramDanielle on Linkedin

    25 min
  2. How a Wedding Cake Obsession Turned Into a Launch at Central Market

    FEB 13

    How a Wedding Cake Obsession Turned Into a Launch at Central Market

    Alyssa Fernandez is the founder of Ollin, a cake mix company that is making cakes real again with better grains. She's bringing stone-milled heritage wheat from Texas farmers to your kitchen— because gluten isn't the problem, it's what we did to it. Ollin (pronounced all-in) is a Nahuatl word meaning "movement" or "to come full circle"—which is exactly what Alyssa is doing with baking. She's calling a truce with gluten by bringing heritage grains back where they belong: in your kitchen, at your celebrations, on your Sunday table. Every box is hand-packed in North Texas. Every grain is sourced from Texas farms. Every cake you bake tells a story—one that connects culture with celebration, tradition with taste, and Texas soil with your table. Follow Ollin on Instagram It's All Happening WebsiteRegister for Launch LabRegister for our Free Power Hour Workshop on 2/26 Follow Us On InstagramDanielle on Linkedin

    36 min
  3. High-Protein, No Compromises: How COTTO Is Changing the Dip Game

    FEB 6

    High-Protein, No Compromises: How COTTO Is Changing the Dip Game

    Cotto reimagines classic dips with high-protein whipped cottage cheese and clean, simple ingredients to create lighter, fresher versions of nostalgic flavors. Designed to be enjoyed straight from the container, added to everyday meals, or shared with friends, Cotto brings ease, elevated flavor, and clean protein to modern eating. Founded by Kendall Kransdorf, Cotto was inspired by her journey to recreate classic foods with wholesome ingredients that supported her wellbeing. After her cottage cheese–based dips became favorites among friends and family, she realized there was an opportunity for a new kind of dip—nostalgic, delicious, and genuinely better-for-you. Kendall brings deep CPG experience to the brand, from strategy work with major retailers at Boston Consulting Group to hands-on product development with food scientists and co-manufacturers at a supplement startup. She brings this expertise and passion to Cotto. Follow COTTO on Instagram COTTO WebsiteKendall Kransdorf on Linkedin Register for Lab Lab Live Register for the Launch CourseFollow It's All Happening on Instagram Danielle Calabrese on Linkedin It's All Happening Website

    36 min
  4. Welcome Back To Season 4!

    FEB 5

    Welcome Back To Season 4!

    With 16+ years in CPG, Danielle has scaled brands from zero to $40M, revived a legacy brand, guided 100+ brands to $75M+ in sales, and secured hundreds of SKUs with top distributors and retailers. It’s All Happening™ was built for founders who refuse to watch from the sidelines. From the CPG School to the high-touch Brand Catalyst Advisory, everything is powered by the proprietary IAH Launch Formula™. Build sales and marketing systems that drive velocity, repeat purchase and increase company valuation is what we do. This isn’t a theory, it’s the proven path to shelf, margin, and scale. It's All Happening Website Register for Launch Lab Follow Us On InstagramDanielle on Linkedin

    11 min
  5. How Hummingbirds is Turning Everyday Fans into a Marketing Engine

    10/17/2025

    How Hummingbirds is Turning Everyday Fans into a Marketing Engine

    Emily Steele is the CEO and cofounder of Hummingbirds, a venture-backed platform that connects CPG brands with over 30,000 everyday content creators. With a deep belief in the power of authentic partnerships, Emily and team have scaled Hummingbirds to dozens of U.S. cities, helping brands drive shelf-level awareness by matching them with creators eager to try & share their products with friends. Hummingbirds IG Hummingbirds Website It's All Happening Website Launch Lab Enrollment Follow Us On Instagram Book Your 1:1 Profit Plan

    40 min
  6. How Ciao Pappy is Building a Modern Italian Brand That Actually Feels Real

    10/10/2025

    How Ciao Pappy is Building a Modern Italian Brand That Actually Feels Real

    Francesca Pittaluga founded Ciao Pappy in 2022, inspired by her first-generation Italian roots and her love for both the California and Italian coasts. Growing up between these two worlds, she developed a deep appreciation for the beauty of Italian tradition and the laid-back vibrancy of the West Coast. Following a 14-year career in luxury fashion, Ciao Pappy brings those influences together—blending old-world flavors with a fresh, modern sensibility to introduce a new kind of Italian American story, rooted in quality and authenticity. Ciao Pappy’s premium marinara sauces are made with non-GMO ingredients, no added sugar, and California-grown tomatoes. A true people person, Francesca finds her greatest happiness in gathering and sharing meals, believing that food has the power to bring people closer and enrich everyday life. Today, Ciao Pappy is available online and in more than 300 retail stores across the U.S., including Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, Goop, Farmshop, and Gjusta Grocer. The brand has been featured in Goop, Eater, Town & Country, and the LA Times.Ciao Pappy IGCiao Pappy WebsiteIt's All Happening WebsiteLaunch Lab Enrollment Follow Us On InstagramBook Your 1:1 Profit Plan

    36 min
  7. SaladSprinkles Decision To Pause Operations & How They Navigated The Challenge of Product Education

    10/03/2025

    SaladSprinkles Decision To Pause Operations & How They Navigated The Challenge of Product Education

    Blakely and Jordan are best friends, creative pros, and food lovers who met in art school fifteen years ago. Jordan is an award-winning designer and entrepreneur with a sharp eye for branding, while Blakely has spent over a decade running creative operations at a top global ad agency. Together, they created SaladSprinkles—born from a shared love of clean ingredients and clever shortcuts, and built to make everyone fall back in love with lettuce. We recorded this episode a few months back and a lot has changed in their business. Since then, Jordan & Blakey decided to stop production. Here is a note they sent out to their followers this week: We've hit a wall: our production costs are too high to make larger retail expansion work. To get our price point where it needs to be, we'd need to produce at a much larger scale—which requires capital we don't have. We've explored every angle (different suppliers, packaging options, cost models), but without significant funding upfront, we can't solve this puzzle on our own. Rather than take on debt we can't sustain, we're pausing production to find the right partner—a larger company with the infrastructure and resources to produce SaladSprinkles more efficiently and get it into stores nationwide at a price that works. Tune in as we have a really raw conversation of why they came to this decision and whats next for Jordan, Blakely and SaladSprinkles.Follow SaladSprinkles on IGShop SaladSprinklesIt's All Happening Website Launch Lab EnrollmentFollow Us On InstagramBook Your 1:1 Profit Plan

    1h 4m
  8. Coro Foods Expansion Into Retail with Clara Veinard

    09/26/2025

    Coro Foods Expansion Into Retail with Clara Veinard

    Clara Veniard is the co-founder and CEO of Coro Foods, a premium salami brand that marries old world techniques with unexpected flavors like Orange Cardamom and Lemongrass. With a life and career that has taken her all over the globe, it's no surprise that Clara has a deep passion for food and international ingredients. Sharing food is a way of life, whether it’s assembling after school snack plates for her kids, a thrown together charcuterie board to tide everyone over while dinner is cooking or an impressive-looking spread for company-Coro comes to the rescue every time. Clara is dedicated to making the best product possible. That includes only using pork from US family farms that are humanely raised without any hormones or antibiotics. CORO FOODS IG  Coro Foods Website  It's All Happening Website Launch Lab Enrollment Follow Us On Instagram Book Your 1:1 Profit Plan

    40 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

It's All Happening : Women In CPG is an ongoing conversation about the ins and outs of everything related to launching and running a successful CPG business. Join Danielle Calabrese, a multifaceted leader and CPG expert, in diving into the juiciest conversations with fellow female leaders about everything from branding to sales strategy, scaling, and beyond. You’ll hear firsthand accounts on struggles, triumphs, challenges, and industry secrets that will equip you to be a better entrepreneur. Each episode is laced with actionable takeaways and thoughtful conversations meant to dismantle the barriers around the CPG-space. Visit the It's All Happening Website and on Instagram 

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