Welcome to the NC Specialty Foods Association’s
2026 Lunch and Learn Series:
‘Summer of Intelligence’
Throughout the Summer of 2026, the NCSFA will offer a series of live, online events designed to help our members learn and grow in this season of new innovations in products and technologies. Please review and sign up early to reserve your spot and take advantage of this opportunity to connect with your peers and expand your knowledge on a variety of topics.
Each event will be a live, interactive format using the Zoom video platform. No account or login required. You will receive complete information when you register.
Current NCSFA Members: Free
Guests: $10 per event
** Exclusive – NCSFA Member Only Benefits **
- Door prize ticket for each event if you register AND attend the live event
- Incentive bonuses for members that register AND attend the events
Grand Prize: $200 grant from the Carlye Teague Education fund
First Prize: Two members will receive a one-year extension on your membership
Second Prize: Three members will receive a six-month extension on your membership
Here is how the incentive bonuses work:
Incentive awards will be drawn at random during our Grand Finale on August 26th. Members will receive one entry for each session you actually login and attend. If you are a member, please register using the Member Ticket and login to Zoom with your real name, otherwise, you may lose your chance to win.
NOTE: Registration alone does not qualify you for an entry. Attend more sessions – get more chances to win!
** NEW! Click here to register for all events with one ticket**
Each event is free for members – guests save $10 – $50 for all events!
~ Grants and Funding ~
Leigh is a Program Manager with NC IDEA, a private foundation advancing entrepreneurship and equitable economic development in North Carolina. She manages the MICRO and SEED grant programs for entrepreneurs, including the application, review, and grant award processes. She’s passionate about supporting founders on their entrepreneurial journeys.
Who: Leigh Blancato, NC IDEA
Date: Wednesday, June 10th, 2026
Time: 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.
~ eCommerce – What’s new in 2026 ~
Hart discovered his passion for marketing when his first small efforts at Telluride.com started yielding a serious impact on revenue. He saw how much marketing could help businesses grow and communities flourish, and he was sold. Now back in his hometown of Raleigh, Hart is always searching for fresh, creative ways to gain exposure and bring companies closer to their customers at his creative marketing agency, Chair 8. He and his team of 10 specialize in full-service marketing campaigns for small-to-medium challenger brands.
Who: Hart Roberts, Chair 8 Media
Date: Wednesday, June 24th, 2026
Time: 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.
~ Distribution FAQs ~
Join Brantley Hattrich and Wendy Martin as they discuss the ins and outs of distributing you products in the retail marketplace. Get answers to your questions about distribution and the requirements for getting your products on the shelf in top retailers in NC and the surrounding states.
Brantley graduated from UNC Pembroke in 2012 with degrees in Business Management and Marketing. He began working at B&B Pecan Processors of NC, Inc. in 2012, became Vice President of Operations in 2021.
Wendy has over 30 years of store and retail experience. She has spent the last 6 ½ years at UNFI supporting Harris Teeter stores. She is responsible for launching brands such as Poppi, Simple Mills, Siete, Liquid Death and Mountain Valley and countless others at Harris Teeter. Her passions include healthy eating, exercise and the outdoors.
Who: Brantley Hattrich, B&B Pecan Processors
Wendy Martin, Account Manager at UNFI
Date: Wednesday, July, 8th, 2026
Time: 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.
~ Shipping A to Z ~
Worldwide Express is a third-party logistics company that provides shipping and transportation solutions for small to mid-sized businesses across the United States. It offers services such as parcel shipping (UPS), less-than-truckload (LTL), full truckload, and supply chain support through a network of carrier partners and technology tools. The company helps businesses manage freight movement, shipping visibility, and transportation operations/accounting more efficiently.
Who: Ryan Cornwell, Senior Account Executive
Date: Wednesday, July, 22rd, 2026
Time: 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.
~ Artificial Intelligence: Beyond the Buzz ~
Jake Finkelstein is the Founder and CEO of 10cubed, a digital marketing agency that helps B2B companies grow through strategy, AI and automation. Over the past two decades, he founded and led several successful ventures across marketing, media, and technology, including Universal Buzz Intelligence, a creative and experiential marketing agency, and Method Savvy, an integrated marketing consultancy. Today, through 10cubed, Jake and his team help organizations align strategy, automation, and creative execution to drive measurable, sustainable growth.
Who: Jake Finkelstein
Date: Wednesday, August 12th, 2026
Time: 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.
~ The Grand Finale and Awards Presentation ~
Join Adam Yee, Patricia Menegato and Gretchen VanEsselstyn as they discuss 2026 Specialty Food Business Trends and key tips for brands moving into Q4. And of course, we’ll announce the winners of our 2026 Best in Taste Awards competition.
The trend discussion panel will include:
- Ingredient sourcing and working with co-manufacturers (Adam)
- Tradeshows that matter (Patricia)
- New flavors and consumer trends (Adam)
- Emerging marketing tactics (Patricia)
Who:
Patricia Menegato, Director of Marketing & Community at Startup CPG
Patricia is the Director of Marketing & Community for Startup CPG, a thriving community and platform dedicated to supporting emerging consumer packaged goods brands. Patricia champions early-stage founders, connecting them to the resources, insights, and networks they need to grow and succeed. Through her work, Patricia has become a leading voice for growth and accessibility in the CPG industry.
Adam Yee, Founder – “My Food Job Rocks” Podcast
Adam Yee is a food scientist, entrepreneur, and the creator of the My Food Job Rocks podcast, a long-running platform spotlighting the people and pathways shaping the food industry. Drawing on his own experience in product development, venture-backed startups, and food tech innovation, Adam brings a uniquely candid and deeply informed perspective on how ideas move from concept to shelf—and the many careers in between.
Gretchen VanEsselstyn is the Director of Member Education at the Specialty Food Association. She has spent 12 years at SFA dedicated to helping food and beverage brands succeed in the marketplace through education, mentorship, and community.
Date: Wednesday, August 26th, 2026
Time: 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.
And of course, we’ll present the winners of our 2026 Best in Taste Awards Competition! Join us and meet Sheri Castle, our awards presenter. Sheri is the host of The Key Ingredient, an two time Emmy-winning cooking show from PBS. She is also an award-winning professional food writer, recipe developer, and cooking teacher known for melding stories, humor, and culinary expertise. She’s authored a tall stack of cookbooks and her writing and recipes appear in a long list of publications, including her role as featured monthly columnist of Our State and Contributing Editor for Southern Living. In 2024, the Southern Foodways Alliance presented Sheri with their prestigious Keeper of the Flame Award given to a “foodways tradition bearer of note”. The SFA also named her one of 20 Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller. Sheri grew up in Watauga County, NC in her beloved Blue Ridge Mountains and now lives in Chatham County, NC.
