SoCal Grocery Run - September 2026

Grocery Run is a national event series connecting retailers to emerging brands. Join us to meet buyers, sample, and network!
About this Event

We're back with another distributor-style Grocery Run this fall! Join us for the biggest Grocery Run yet! We expect 70 sampling brands, 50+ buyers, and over 200 in attendance at this event. You will NOT want to miss this one – it's going to be beyond epic!

This Grocery Run is a very unique opportunity to connect with the top Southern California distributors, retailers, and buyers - all under one roof!

Thank you to HiTouch Libations for hosting this event; you're going to love their Santa Ana warehouse!

Reminder: a ticket to this event only grants admission.
To be considered for table sampling, you must

Featured guests:

• Czar Daniolco - CEO @ HiTouch Libations
• Chuck Casano - Founder @ HiTouch Libations
• Paola Rivera - Asst. Director of Grocery @ Mother’s Market
• Patrick Wyman - Local Purchasing Coordinator @ Whole Foods Market
• Shawnt Karakozian - Vice President @ Provenance
• Jonathan Hung - Managing Partner @ Entrepreneur Ventures
• Jared Jacobs - Managing Partner @ CAVU Consumer Partners
• Mounir Ghabrial - Investor @ CAVU Consumer Partners
• Samantha Martinez - Brand Associate @ CAVU Consumer Partners
• Josie Porcaro - Customer Success Facilitator Relations @ Foundation Foods
• Louis D'Angelo - CEO, Founder @ Foundation Foods
• Ayman Baha - Associate @ Entrepreneur Ventures
• Lauren Arribas - Consumer Investor @ Greycroft
• Josh Dau - Investor @ Willow Growth Partners
• Ellie Wanninger - Investor @ Willow Growth Partners
• Lucia Balan - Operations & Research Analyst @ Greycroft
• Matt Reis - Grocery Category Manager @ Gelson's
• Richard Gillmore - VP Center Store @ Gelson's
• Eddie Rojas - Grocery Category Manager @ Gelson's
• Nick Sokolovskiy - Director of Merchandising Operations @ Gelson's
• Sam Vasquez - Director of Center Store Category Management @ Gelson's
• Gretchen Johnson - Category Manager @ Gelson's
• Kristin Alas - Category Manager @ Gelson's
• Colin Thompson - Category Manager @ Gelsons
• Elie Ayrouth - Publisher, Partner @ FoodBeast
• Cher Cech - Grocery Sales Manager, Pavilions @ Albertson’s
• Eric Winston - Director Grocery & Dairy @ Lazy Acres
• Michael Gregory - Dairy Deli & Grocery Category Manager @ Lazy Acres
• Brian Hall - Grocery Merchandiser, Schematics Coordinator, Category Buyer @ Lazy Acres
• Cory Del Nigro - Category Manager, Dairy @ Bristol Farms
• Hilary Brammer - Grocery Category Manger/Buyer @ Bristol Farms
• Lisa Tosun - Senior Forager for Emerging Brands @ Whole Foods Market
• Russell Heiman - Director of Category Management @ Erewhon
• David Swinson - Director of Food Spots, Guckenheimer @ Google
• Jennifer Armbruster - President @ Casetta Hotels
• Lance Helfert - Principal @ Montecito Venture Partners
• Charlie New - Category Merchant Manager, Juice, Coffee, Tea, Functional Beverage, Soda @ Whole Foods Market
• Jared Cohen - General Partner @ Supernatural Ventures
• Erin Mittelstaedt - CEO @ The FruitGuys
• Brooke Johnson - Category Manager @ The FruitGuys

Here are the amazing brands sampling:

• Act Bar is an upcycled protein bar fighting food waste and helping feed communities by donating ½ pound of fresh produce with every bar sold.
• Aveyo Avocado Foods crafts a plant based Mayo made from over 80% fresh Hass avocados (not avocado oil) and because it is made from avocados and not oil it is 75% less fat and calories than traditional mayo.
• Bio Ice Cream Dots makes small dots, big revolution - organic, sugar-free ice cream reinvented for a healthier, smarter generation.
• Boostcous is GF protein couscous.
• Buttermints is the only cream candy that melts in your mouth!
• CHUH Matcha makes canned, flavor forward, and ready-to-drink matcha lattes.
• Cirrus 9 Candy is clean take on nostalgic Cotton Candy with freeze dried fruit, and fun flavors.
• Cream of the West makes organic hot cereals made from whole, minimally proccessed grains.
• DIME is redefining MSG with bold Asian flavors.
• DrinkFolks are prebiotic root tonics with the power of wellness shots, without the burn.
• EL NACHO makes delicious tortilla chips! Embrace your inner luchador!
• Esprizio is espresso energy with spritz refreshment – crafted for the 12-4pm window.
• Esspritz makes espresso tonic, in a can.
• Fave is a flavor-first, organic drink mix brand reimagining nostalgic favorites with no artificial colors or flavors.
• Gato Dates are a premium, better-for-you indulgence brand redefining sweet treats with dark chocolate–covered, nut butter–stuffed dates made from simple, ingredients with no-refined sugar.
• Good Grains is rebuilding cereal from the Grain up.
• Good Greed is a low sugar prebiotic gummy candy that is made with real fruit and nothing artificial formulated with a registered dietician to be friendly to your gut.
• Good Journey empowers people to be happy and healthy and makes decadent low sugar and gluten-free donuts and cookies that are packed with fiber.
• GUSSA is the ultimate sweet and spicy sauce - bolder & better than your everyday sauce.
• HASSY is three generations of avocado farming in Mexico, captured in every drop, that’s HASSY Avocado Oil.
• Honeymooon Chocolates makes organic, honey-sweetened chocolate that pairs ethically sourced cacao with raw honey for a richer, cleaner take on indulgence.
• Iris + Arlo is more than period care, we are a movement redefining the category with non-toxic, sustainable products made from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton and biodegradable materials, while generating meaningful impact with every purchase.
• Jennie's House makes small-batch, artisanal focaccia by hand in Los Angeles using stone-milled heirloom grains from a regenerative organic farm just 100 miles away - better bread, from better grains, for people who refuse to choose between convenience, quality, and nutrition.
• Joey Nordic Seed Crisps are a clean label seed crisp that is powered by 7 super seeds, including watermelon seeds, offering 22g of protein and 13g of fiber, being all organic, gluten-free and vegan.
• Joon Pistachios is an elevated pistachio snack rooted in a 300 year old family recipe.
• Lexington Bakes makes award-winning premium treats from Protein Cookies, Protein Oat Bars, to Dessert Brownies built on one principle: never having to choose between extraordinary taste and ingredient integrity.
• LOHSO is a premium, soy-free seasoning sauce made from organic fermented coconut sap - the modern pantry staple built for people who don't compromise on flavor or ingredients.
• LuLu Asian Kitchen makes better for you Asian meals and dumplings with real ingredients and flavors you know and love.
• Masala Gossip crafts seed-oil-free Indian simmer sauces and chili crisps that bring the vibrant flavors of Indian home cooking to every table—making delicious, real meals easy, fun, and accessible for all.
• Naomi is practical luxury for hardworking hands, offering a premium hand scrub that neutralizes cooking odors.
• NOMINA is a premium Japanese extra sparkling water made with natural soft water from the Japanese Southern Alps and extra carbonation for a crisp, exceptionally refreshing taste.
• Obour Foods makes ultra-premium dips & pita chips - made fresh in San Francisco.
• OHME! is turning everyday fruit into your newest snack obsession.
• Old Hillside Bourbon Company is a black and veteran owned brand that celebrates history, heritage and homage in every bottle.
• Ollin is the first premium real-wheat cake mix made with stone-milled ancient grains. We're the "A2 Dairy of Wheat" — bringing heritage grains to modern celebrations.
• OOZ Birch Water is a premium plant based hydration brand offering 100 percent organic birch water bottled in glass, with naturally occurring antioxidants, minerals, and gentle electrolytes.
• Party Of, founded by 4 Thai-American sisters, puts a bolder, better spin on snacks—like Pad Thai & Thai Chili Lime popcorn.
• Reprise Health puts ancient Eastern herbs into daily gummies, drawing from centuries of wisdom - creating a convenient and holistic daily ritual.
• resbiotic creates precision microbiome formulas beyond just gut health.
• SAM+LEO is a clean, vegan gummy vitamin brand for teens and families, designed to support mental wellness and make daily health something they’ll actually want to take.
• Samsara Nutrition makes flavor forward, Indian-inspired protein bars with 15g protein, 7g fiber, and 0g added sugar.
• Santa Gula makes Spanish snackable charcuterie.
• Sap's Original makes a functional beverage with 20 purpose driven ingredients including; 6 electrolytes for smart hydration, 2 aminos for absorption, and 3 adaptogens to aid with cognition and inflammation, non carbonated with no added sugars or colors - superior hydration for regular people.
• Shooka Sauce is a bold, clean Mediterranean tomato sauce inspired by shakshuka, designed for creative, everyday cooking.
• SÍ Salt. Your guests will ask what you changed. One ingredient. No additives. From the Pacific coast of Colima, Mexico — where ocean water filters naturally through volcanic terrain before evaporation. The flavor nature created.
• SoCo Ginger Beer crafts ginger soda from fresh, simple ingredients.
• SOLZI Espresso Tonic is bold espresso balanced with citrusy tonic and sweetened with organic dates, blending a symphony of flavors in every sparkling sip.
• Stimmie is a toothpick, but smarter.™
• SUNDAY SUPPER brings premium Italian comfort food to the freezer aisle with restaurant-quality meals and appetizers inspired by generations of family tradition.
• Thanks! Naturals is a woman-owned, all-natural personal care + wellness brand on a mission to spread gratitude - every product is vegan, dermatologist-approved, made-in-the-USA and features positive affirmations on the packaging, because gratitude is the simplest form of self-care.
• The Cycle is a functional beverage for women’s health: period & perimenopause.
• TofuGo Snacks are savory protein snacks made of tofu. 12g protein, 2g fibre, 0g sugar.
• Tuyyo Foods is a heritage-rooted Latin food and beverage brand using premium ingredients to create refreshing electrolyte agua frescas, umami-forward seasonings, and craveable crunchito snacks made with cactus.
• TruCrumb heats up the frozen aisle with premium gluten-free doughs—low sugar, high protein & fiber—delivering irresistible, bakery-quality results and obsessed consumers!
• Twist Foods is a U.S.-based, chef-crafted brand bringing bold Indian heritage flavors to everyday meals with clean-label, slow-cooked simmer sauces made for busy lifestyles.
• Unbothered Foods is a premium, dietitian-crafted sourdough cracker brand made for better digestion and bold sourdough flavor.
• Xinca Foods makes frozen pupusas!

Interested in sampling at this event and getting direct access to all of Southern California's buyers? Apply here!

About HiTouch Libations:

HiTouch Libations is Southern California's Premier Direct Store Distributor servicing all SoPac Whole Foods Locations and all of the best local Natural Food Supermarkets (Mothers Market, Lassens, Jimbos Naturally, Bristol Farms, etc). We specialize in perishable fresh foods that require high service levels, and strive to exceed both our retailer and brand partner expectations. We service all of our retailers multiple times a week to ensure that our brands are properly merchandised, stocked and constantly flowing. Our eco-friendly refrigerated fleet of Mercedes Sprinter Vans ensure that your customers are always getting the freshest product possible. We are a truly employee-owned company that takes pride in helping brands grow and keeping our retail partners smiling.

Thank You to Our Incredible Sponsors:

About Escalon

Escalon helps growing companies stabilize finance and HR quickly, so leaders can focus on building the business instead of managing operational complexity. We support financial operations, accounting, revenue optimization, HR, recruiting, payroll, and more. Escalon isn’t just an outsourced back-office solution. We’re a strategic growth partner that helps teams scale with confidence.

About The CPG Collective

The CPG Collective is a California-focused sales agency firm that helps emerging CPG brands launch, grow, and scale by winning California first. We combine deep relationships with leading California retailers and distributors with hands-on sales strategy and execution to help founders navigate retail, build distribution, and accelerate sustainable growth. Whether you're preparing for your first retail placement or expanding into new markets, we become an extension of your team to help turn great products into lasting brands. Win Cali!

If you're a service provider / non-CPG brand interested in sponsoring & participating in this event, please email [email protected].

About Startup CPG

Startup CPG is the biggest community in the world for emerging brands. We have 37k+ 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!

Instagram: @startupcpg