Naturally Chicago is the community for our Good Food & Natural Product Industry.
Why Naturally Chicago?
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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.
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We Support Our Partners
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.
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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.
Naturally Chicago Events
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NATURALLY CHICAGO'S NATURALLY RISING CONSCIOUS PITCH COMPETITION & FORUM — 6/2/25 LIVE EVENT
Congratulations to Ivan Gutierrez of Tierra Negra Dark Salsa, winner of Naturally Chicago’s 2025 Pitch Slam. And thanks to all the entrepreneurs, experts, and industry leaders who attended/participated in our best Pitch Event and Forum ever.
Ciick the button below to read our blog recap of the big event, with lots of photos and links to related articles about our panels and our Fireside Chat.
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IT'S A GREAT TIME TO INVEST IN CPG — 5/1/25 WEBINAR
It is a great time to invest in emerging CPG brands. That was the topic of our "It's a Great Time to Invest in CPG" webinar on Thursday, May 1, co-presented by Naturally New York and Naturally NorCal.
The investment landscape is constantly changing. The webinar featured the perspectives of these leading CPG industry investors: Arthur Chow, S2G Investments… Paul Mariani, Mesirow…Jason Mercer, Cleveland Avenue… Mollye Santulli, Springdale Ventures… Eric Schnell, Beyond Brands… Wayne Wu, VMG Partners
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Building a Partnership with a Broker — 4/2/25 Live Members-Only Event
Our IN-PERSON event in downtown Chicago enabled attendees to learn more about working with brokers — and to celebrate the success of our Mentorship program.
This gathering took place on April 2 at the headquarters of C.A. Fortune, a leading brand broker, at 651 W. Washington Blvd. in the West Loop neighborhood.
The event had two components: a panel discussion on brokers, as well as a social and networking finale to thank all of the Mentors and Mentees who have participated in the 2nd cohort of our Mentorship program
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.
Chicago Seed Co. Investor Group is Now Part of Naturally Chicago
Naturally Chicago — the region’s association for the natural products industry — has joined forces with Chicago Seed Co., the premier network of Chicago-area investors who are passionate about supporting food, beverage and natural products companies.
