Naturally Chicago is the community for our Good Food
& Natural Product Industry.

Why Naturally Chicago?

  • We Create Connections

    Naturally Chicago hosts regular networking events that provide an opportunity to exchange ideas and explore new business opportunities. These events connect entrepreneurs with investors, start ups with industry experts, retailers and other industry professionals.

  • We Incubate Businesses

    Your membership to Naturally Chicago, gets you resources, access and support to help your natural product start-ups and early-stage companies grow and succeed. This includes mentorship, access to funding opportunities, and market-focused workshops and events.

  • We Provide Insights

    Naturally Chicago offers our members valuable industry insights and information through our educational and thought-leadership programs. These programs provide members with the latest trends, insights and best practices in the fast-growing natural products industry, helping them to stay ahead of the curve and make informed business decisions.

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Apply for the Pitch Slam 2024

Naturally Chicago Events

  • 2024 Pitch Slam and Financing & Innovation Forum

    One of the region’s biggest Natural Products events of the year, our Pitch Slam and Financing & Innovation Conference takes place on Tuesday, May 21 at Chicago’s beautiful Epiphany Center for the Arts. Witness rising-star business owners compete for a prize package valued at nearly $200,000 in two pitch slams, one for early-stage businesses and the other for more estabished businesses; learn from industry-leading speakers and panelists; and enjoy some of the best and most impactful networking this year. Click the button below for all details and links to apply to pitch and to buy tickets.

    Click Here

  • Kerry's Taste Charts and Trends Webinar (Recording)

    Kerry's annual Taste Charts are your go-to toolbox for long-standing flavor favorites, soon-to-be discovered taste quirks and future taste trends. In this session, Amy Devitt — Kerry's Activation Marketing Manager — provided an information-rich and engaging presentation that included a detailed discussion of the Taste Charts, forecasting the trending flavors for 2024 across Savory, Sweet, Salty Snack & Beverage, and an overview of five consumer & market macrotrends that are driving food & beverage category growth. Click below to view a recording of the webinar.

    ACCESS THE WEBINAR RECORDING

  • Stop Looking for the Wrong Funding: Raising Capital in Challenging Times (Recording)

    Naturally Chicago and Naturally Boulder on March 6 co-presented a webinar titled “Stop Looking for the Wrong Funding: Raising Capital in Challenging Times.” It includes a master class in alternative business financing by CPG capitalization expert Elliot Begoun and four entrepreneurs who have had success navigating the choppy waters of financing. Click below to access Naturally Chicago’s blog recap, which includes links to the webinar recording, Elliot Begoun’s slide deck, and text takeaways.

    ACCESS THE BLOG

Brand Investment Connector Database

Building Business Success and Diversity

Naturally Chicago’s Brand Investment Connector database is designed to address one of the biggest obstacles to business and industry expansion: Accessing capital to finance growth is the most critical need for emerging brands, but the current investing trends make it a very challenging environment in which to raise money.

As the association for our region’s natural products industry, Naturally Chicago is uniquely well suited to facilitate connections between businesses and investors. We have a large network of investors who, even in challenging times, are looking for early-stage businesses that they believe will provide a strong return on investment. And we have a large network of brands that are seeking capital.

The Brand Investment Connector database will provide promising brands with the opportunity to showcase themselves on a platform that will enable investors to find and meet them.

While our Connector is an asset for all early-stage food and natural products companies, we are thrilled to join in a strategic partnership with Chicago:Blend to the benefit of entrepreneurs in under-represented communities. This nonprofit is committed to expanding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in venture capital (VC), and it is extending its Startup Spotlight newsletter platform to better reach natural product startups associated with Naturally Chicago.

Locally Made

Get on the Shelves with Leading Chicago Retailers Through Naturally Chicago’s Locally Made!

Welcome to Naturally Chicago’s Locally Made Program - a groundbreaking initiative designed to connect Illinois retailers with the region’s emerging and top-performing brands.

Locally Made is a partnership between Naturally Chicago and KeHE Distributors, along with other industry-leading partners who have extensive relationships with retailers and a proven track record of securing shelf presence for early-stage and emerging brands.

We have one mission…
to make Chicago an epicenter for innovative, fast-growing natural products companies.

DIAMOND PARTNER

PREMIER PARTNER

PLATINUM PARTNER

GROWING PARTNERS

EXPANDING PARTNERS

EMERGING PARTNERS

NATURALLY NETWORK PARTNERS

Follow us on social

Join Naturally Network and guest experts on June 20th for a mid-year update on the state of the Natural Product industry. Learn about new retail, new regulations, and fundraising updates. Leave this virtual event armed with crucial insight to inform
Members of our food and natural products industry are mourning Fred Neubauer, founder of FDM Business Consulting, who died unexpectedly on May 13. Naturally Chicago shares its condolences with Neubauer's family and many friends.
At Naturally Chicago, community means so much to us! We want to hear from you. Please submit your wins to Naturally Chicago for the opportunity to be featured on our social media and in our newsletter. Link to form in bio.
What a great panel at last week's Naturally Chicago Pitch Slam and Financing & Innovation Forum! Thank you panelists for an amazing discussion on Raising Capital in Challenging Times. All five speakers are Naturally Chicago board members.
We're so excited to announce here (a few days later) our Pitch Slam winners for 2023! Congratulations @theglobowl and @everybody_eating We're so excited for you and so glad you pitched in the 2023 Naturally Chicago Pitch Slam.
A big thank you to our sponsors for the Naturally Chicago Pitch Slam and Financing & Innovation Forum, to be held May 3 at Chicago’s beautiful Epiphany Center for the Arts. Tickets are now on sale for the natural products industry event o
The Naturally Chicago Pitch Slam is the centerpiece of our Pitch Slam and Financing & Innovation Forum, to be held May 3 at Chicago’s beautiful Epiphany Center for the Arts. Meet our judges! M. Laird Koldyke, Winona Capital Management
The Naturally Chicago Pitch Slam is the centerpiece of our Pitch Slam and Financing & Innovation Forum, to be held May 3 at Chicago’s beautiful Epiphany Center for the Arts. Meet our judges! We're celebrating six industry leaders today, a
Attention all aspiring entrepreneurs with a passion for natural foods! Are you dreaming of starting your own natural foods company? Don't miss the upcoming Naturally Chicago Pitch Slam and Financing & Innovation Forum on May 3rd. This is the per
Happy Earth Day!