Chicago Grocery Run with Whole Foods Market - Sept. 2026

Ever wondered how to get product into Whole Foods? Now's your chance to meet buyers and ask them directly!
About this Event

Join us at our Grocery Run in Chicago to meet Margaret Omastiak, Whole Foods' Senior Category Merchant! This is a special opportunity to get direct facetime with someone who could put your products on shelves all over the Midwest region!
There will be NO SAMPLING at this event. Come for 1:1 meetings, networking, and a panel discussion with Whole Foods.

While there is no formal product sampling, we always encourage you to bring products to show or give to buyers at our events.

Tentative Agenda:

• 5:00-6:00pm: 1:1 Meetings with Margie – by selection only
• 6:00-6:30pm: Arrival and open networking
• 6:30-7:00pm: Panel with Margie (open to all)
• 7:00-8:00pm: Networking and chance to meet Margie
  

Want to have a 1:1 meeting with Margie?

Meeting spots are limited. You must be accepted to have a 1:1 meeting with Margie at this event from 5-6PM. If you are not selected for a meeting, we highly recommend coming to network and get a chance to meet her.
NOTE: You will hear back with a decision on a rolling basis. Please refrain from emailing about application status. You will receive an email confirmation with a copy of your application, so please check your inbox accordingly.

We’ll have food and refreshments available!

About

Whole Foods Market is a leading natural and organic grocery retailer known for its commitment to quality, sustainability, and transparency. Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, the company has grown into a trusted destination for health-conscious shoppers, offering a wide selection of fresh produce, responsibly sourced meats and seafood, and carefully curated pantry staples. With rigorous quality standards that ban hundreds of artificial ingredients, Whole Foods Market supports local producers, promotes environmental stewardship, and empowers customers to make informed food choices.

About

NIQ is a global leader in retail data solutions and has the most comprehensive and up-to-date retail and shopper panel data on the market. The data used by Fortune 500 brands can now be used by small or emerging brands to grow market share thanks to the Byzzer™ platform.

Byzzer™ levels the playing field by making reliable data and insights accessible to emerging brands that don’t have the personnel or resources to match larger competitors. From actionable smart reports to weekly data alerts to an AI-power presentation creator, we have everything you need to succeed at a price you can afford.

Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Email [email protected]

About

Startup CPG is the biggest community in the world for emerging brands. We have 30k+ Slack members, produce the #1 podcast in CPG, host 100+ events per year, and are the #1 education hub for brands trying to improve our CPG ecosystem. It’s free — join today!

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