THE PARTNERS.

Rooted Expo is the new home of the Texas CPG community — three days of commerce, capital, curriculum and community. 300+ brands and 20+ invited retailers under one roof, 20 to 22 October 2026 at the Irving Convention Center, with H-E-B as founding title sponsor. Butcherbird is its first Brand Ambassador.

John spent two decades building consumer brands inside South Africa's biggest FMCG boardrooms, then rebuilt his career from scratch in Australia. He founded the APAC arm of brand and packaging consultancy Berge Farrell International in Sydney, and now runs CHZN, getting consumer brands onto Australian shelves and keeping them there. He also leads the Australian chapter of The Lekker Network.

Lisa Cove

Principal Consultant · Shelf Ready · U.S. + Canada · shelfreadyinc.com

Lisa Cove helps scaling CPG manufacturers build and implement the food safety systems they need before a retailer, distributor or regulator requires them. Shelf Ready prepares teams for HACCP-based programs, third-party audits, GFSI certification and the next stage of retail growth.

Saniya Aggarwal

Founder & CEO · Prima Mode · Amazon Growth · primamodeagency.com

Saniya Aggarwal is the founder and CEO of Prima Mode, an Amazon growth platform for health and beauty brands. Her team takes a P&L-first view of the whole channel rather than isolating ad spend, pairing strategy with software, reporting and hands-on execution.

Lora helps emerging consumer brands get ready for Texas retail and navigate the buyer conversations that follow. She spent five years as a merchant and Business Development Manager at Central Market, following an own-brand role at H-E-B. Through Touchbase CPG, she brings that buyer’s perspective to packaging, positioning, pricing and category strategy, alongside hands-on brokerage representation. From sharpening a brand’s first retail pitch to supporting its longer-term growth, she works directly with founders to build a stronger case for their place on shelf.

Hamzeh helps consumer product founders turn an idea into a retail-ready brand. Across more than 12 years and 100 product launches in FMCG, beverages, cosmetics and consumer health, he has combined science, brand and commercial strategy across Australia, Africa and the Middle East. His work spans new product development, packaging, buyer readiness and market entry.

Steven is the founder and CEO of ROGUE, a PR and brand storytelling agency for CPG, consumer and tech brands. He brings more than two decades in public relations, including founding Grapevine PR in 2006 and exiting the agency in 2024. Through ROGUE, he helps founders sharpen their narrative, build credibility and earn attention across media, ecommerce and retail. His team combines brand positioning, messaging and strategic media relations to support product launches, market entry and retail expansion.

Amber Pierre is the founder of AP Consulting, where she leads Strategic Diagnosis for CPG founders who are ready to make their next growth investment. She helps founders look at the market, their business, and their customers before deciding where to invest next. Through a focused 45-day assessment, Amber brings the evidence together to help founders understand what makes sense for the business today, what needs to be refined, and what still needs to be proven.

Tia Ellis

Founder & CEO · Wildflower Insight · Retail Buyer Strategy · wildflowerinsight.com

Tia Ellis is a former broker turned retail strategist and buyer meeting expert who has helped brands sell over $200M worth of products into major U.S. retailers. She runs Wildflower Insight, an education and retail strategy company built to teach founders how to pitch to buyers directly. Her program gives founders the tools, templates and resources they need to prepare for buyer meetings, deliver a strong pitch and secure purchase orders without relying on expensive brokers or middlemen.

Daniel Hagemann

Ello Branding · Brand & Packaging Design · ellobranding.com

Daniel Hagemann runs Ello Branding, a full-service branding and design studio built for consumer packaged goods. The studio partners with food, beverage and lifestyle brands that have a great product but need a brand that can compete on the shelf and scale with their growth. Its packaging and brand work has helped clients earn placement and stand out in major retailers. Every project starts with strategy and is finished with craft, so the brand looks great and drives real sales.