What would $5,000 mean for your brand?
Naturally Rising Seattle 2026 is here and applications are open!
April 30, 2026, 5-8pm | Seattle University
Naturally Rising is a regional pitch competition celebrating emerging, purpose-driven brands that embody Naturally Network's quintuple bottom line — passion, purpose, people, planet, and prosperity. Now in its second year in Seattle, selected candidates are mentored and judged by notable industry leaders, building a lasting cohort along the way.
The winner of Naturally Seattle will advance to a national pitch at the tradeshow Newtopia Now (August 18-20) in Denver, CO, where winners receive a free booth, a spot on the national stage, and a $5,000 cash prize.
Applications MUST be submitted no later than MARCH 20TH
Meet Our Judges
David Lemley
David is President of Voodoo Brands and a brand strategist with over three decades of experience helping consumer-facing brands in food, beverage, wellness, and lifestyle break through crowded categories. He is a frequent speaker and advisor to founders, CMOs, and executive teams on brand strategy, positioning, and growth.
Principal, Voodoo Brands
Mandy Lozano
Mandy brings 20+ years of executive CPG experience across brands including Burt's Bees, PepsiCo, Starbucks, and Nestlé, with C-suite roles spanning commercial strategy, marketing, and business development. She holds an MBA from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business and currently advises CPG, retail, manufacturing, and tech companies through her consultancy, North Fork Partners.
Principal & Founder of North Fork Partners
Edmond Sanctis
Co-founder of REASON Venture Partners and former CEO of Sahale SnacksCo-founder of REASON Venture Partners, Edmond has built and scaled consumer brands across food, tech, and media — most notably as co-founder and CEO of Sahale Snacks, which he grew into the leading natural trail mix brand in the U.S. before its acquisition by The J.M. Smucker Company. He has since served as a board member and chair for companies including Second Nature Brands and Del Real Foods, both of which were acquired under his board tenure.
Melissa Lyons
Melissa is Head of Marketing at Blue Dog Bakery, bringing natural products marketing expertise from her prior roles at Ellenos Yogurt, Alden's Ice Cream, and Julie's Organic. Her background spans brand building and marketing across the Pacific Northwest's natural food ecosystem.
Marketing Director at Blue Dog Bakery
Bob Wallach
Board Member at Alliance of Angels and Lopez Dorada FoodsBob's career spans senior executive roles at Kraft, Dannon, Nabisco, ConAgra, and Krusteaz — alongside leadership of two successful startups — with functional expertise across marketing, sales, operations, and M&A. He currently serves on the boards of the Alliance of Angels, Lopez Dorada Foods, and Prosperity Organic Foods, and was recognized by Advertising Age as one of the "Top 100 Marketers in America."
Tony Matta
President & CEO of Conifer Foods and former President of Starbucks Global Channel DevelopmentWith 25+ years in Food & Beverage CPG across the U.S., Canada, and the UK, Tony has held senior leadership roles at Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz, Starbucks, and Clorox — including President of Starbucks' $2B Global Channel Development division. He currently serves as President & CEO of Conifer Foods, home of Fisher Scones, Snoqualmie Falls Lodge Pancake Mix, and Starbucks Cocoa.
Meet Our Mentors
Darcy Landis
Darcy has spent 25+ years in natural foods grocery at Whole Foods Market, where she currently serves as Forager for the Mountain West region, based in Denver, CO. She is passionate about connecting with founders and helping innovative products find their place on shelves, with a deep commitment to supporting the brands and people doing meaningful work in the natural foods industry.
Principal Forager, Whole Foods Market/ Amazon WWGS
Gage Mitchell
Gage is the founder of Modern Species, a creative agency focused on branding, packaging, and impact storytelling for organizations building a more just, healthy, and regenerative food system. He also serves as host of the Brands for a Better World Podcast, Creative Director at the Kindship Group, and President of the Washington B Corp Collective.
Founder, Modern Species
Greta is a growth and innovation executive with 30+ years of experience launching products, transforming brands, and driving portfolio growth across Fortune 500, private equity, and emerging consumer brands. Over her career she has delivered $4B+ in incremental revenue from 200+ product launches across 80 brands and created $1.2B+ in enterprise value, supporting organizations as CMO, Innovation Lead, and Operating Partner.
Growth & Innovation Executive, Venture Mechanics
Greta Remington
Chris Bloomquist
A 20-year recruiting veteran and two-time founder, Chris specializes in building extraordinary, equitable teams for mission-driven organizations at the intersection of executive talent and environmental impact. His community involvement includes creating PNW Climate Week's first career fair and serving on the board of the KD Hall Foundation, which supports BIPOC girls in career growth and educational opportunities.
Co-Founder / VP of Climate Talent, The Talent MineThe Naturally Rising Experience
Apply to Pitch
Naturally Rising applications opened at the end of 2025 and any Naturally member brands under $2M are invited to apply. There is one application for ALL regional Naturally Chapters.
Applications for Naturally Rising Seattle are due no later than MARCH 20TH. Apply here.
National Competition
The Naturally Rising national pitch competition will feature retail ready, purpose-driven brands on stage as part of Newtopia Now (August 18-20, Denver, CO). Each regional winner will receive a complimentary booth as a part of their regional winner package from New Hope Network and exhibit as part of the Naturally Rising finalist pavilion on the show floor.
Regional Finalist Process
Each chapter will select a cohort of finalists to compete at their chapter’s Naturally Rising pitch competition. Finalists will be assigned a mentor to prepare for competition day. NWhat makes this competition different?
All applicants will get access to retail readiness resources!
Regional Competition
Each Naturally chapter will host an in-person competition locally where each regional finalist will present their four minute pitch, followed by a four minute Q&A from the judges. A regional winner will be chosen to represent their Naturally chapter at the national competition at Newtopia Now in Denver.
Naturally Rising Seattle’s event will be on APRIL 30TH.
Why Participate?
Win Big
Cash prizes, in-kind services, and the opportunity to advance to the National Naturally Rising Competition.
Gain Exposure
Pitch to industry leaders, investors, and retailers. Get media coverage and social media spotlight.
Build Your Network
Connect with mentors, investors, and fellow entrepreneurs in the natural products community.
Develop Your Skills
Refine your pitch with expert coaching and gain confidence presenting your business.
Eligibility Requirements for Naturally Rising Seattle
Be an emerging natural, organic, or better-for-you brand
Be headquartered in or operating primarily in the Pacific Northwest
Have annual revenue under $2 million
Be in operation for at least 6 months
Have a product currently available for purchase (or launching within 6 months)
Align with Naturally Seattle's mission of supporting conscious, sustainable businesses
Are you ready to apply?
2025 Naturally Rising Seattle Winner
“What made Naturally Rising so powerful was that it was accessible. For bootstrapped founders like me, this was a low-cost way to hone my pitch, build my network, and walk away with tangible support—cash and a trade show booth—that actually moved my business forward.”
— Stephanie McGregor, founder of RINGA
Want to partner with us for Naturally Rising Seattle?
Help us make Naturally Rising 2026 a success for all our participating brands while gaining visibility with an engaged, targeted audience of natural products industry professionals and enthusiasts.
