In this episode of Founder + Funder, hosted by Hannah Dittman, Hannah sits down with Emily Groden, Founder and CEO of Evergreen, and Brian Bernstein, Principal at Rich Products Ventures, for a conversation about fundraising, founder-investor relationships, and what it takes to build an emerging food brand into a category leader.
Emily founded Evergreen after struggling to find frozen breakfast products she felt good about feeding her daughter. What started as homemade waffles made in her own kitchen grew into a nationally distributed brand now found on more than 9,000 retail shelves across the country. Along the way, she transitioned from a career in corporate law into entrepreneurship, learning every part of the CPG industry from the ground up.
Brian leads investments at Rich Products Ventures, the venture arm of Rich Products, a global food manufacturer and strategic investor focused on supporting the next generation of food and beverage brands. Together, Emily and Brian share both sides of the fundraising table, discussing how their relationship developed, what made Evergreen stand out as an investment opportunity, and how founders should think about choosing the right partners as they grow.
The conversation covers everything from product differentiation and retail expansion to fundraising strategy, diligence processes, founder resilience, and the importance of building relationships long before capital is needed.
Listen in as they cover:
· How Emily built Evergreen from homemade waffles into a brand carried in more than 9,000 stores nationwide
· Why founders should start building investor relationships long before they begin fundraising
· What Rich Products Ventures looks for when evaluating emerging food brands
· The importance of product differentiation and solving a real consumer problem
· Why investors often invest in founders as much as they invest in products
· How strategic investors can support brands beyond capital
· The fundraising process from both the founder and investor perspective
· Why founders should not take fundraising rejections personally
· How Evergreen is expanding beyond mini waffles into pancakes, protein products, and a larger breakfast platform
· What makes a strong founder-investor relationship after the investment closes
Whether you're preparing to raise capital, evaluating investors, or building your first consumer brand, this episode offers practical insights from both sides of the table.
Episode Links:
Evergreen Website: https://eatevergreen.com
Emily Groden on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-cole-groden/
Rich Products Ventures: https://www.richproductsventures.com
Brian Bernstein on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-bernstein/
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· Episode music by Super Fantastics
