First Founding Member: Turning an Idea Into a FDA Approved Food Brand
First Founding Member: Turning an Idea Into a FDA Approved Food Brand
First Founding Member: Turning an Idea Into a FDA Approved Food Brand
The founder had only an idea - no brand, no compliance, no distribution. I built FDA approval, US-ready packaging, and wholesale/retail systems to launch successfully in North America.
Services:
GTM Strattegy | Startup Building
GTM Strattegy | Startup Building
Client:
Bold Afrika & Afrifresh
Bold Afrika & Afrifresh
Year:
2024
2024
Problem:
The founder came to me with nothing but an idea, no brand, no operations, no marketing, no compliance. To succeed in the US market, I needed to:
Build everything from scratch, manufacturing, compliance, wholesale systems.
Design a brand identity and packaging that would resonate with US/Canadian diaspora customers.
Secure logistics, retail distribution, and digital growth channels simultaneously.
Align all of this with stakeholder expectations and real-world supply chain constraints.
Approach:
Brand & Business Architecture
Built the brand from scratch - naming, positioning, packaging, and compliance standards.
Authored 15+ SOPs covering product ops, CRM workflows, influencer programs, and quality control.
Installed dashboards and reporting systems so stakeholders had clear visibility into growth and ops.
Bold Afrika – Manufacturing Arm
Secured FDA compliance, trademarks, and import readiness.
Partnered with manufacturing facilities and optimized cost structures.
Developed over 10 package designs to meet shelf appeal + regulatory standards.
Afrifresh – Wholesale Arm
Conducted market research in the DMV region (retailer profiles, price sensitivity, distributor requirements).
Secured 3PL partners for warehousing and fulfillment.
Designed multi-touch campaigns: postcards, ads, letters, email campaigns, and in-person visits to African food retailers.
Built a retailer outreach playbook for expansion across the US and Canada.
Integrated Growth Engine
Directed 5 verticals (Growth, Brand, Product, Ops, CX).
Built acquisition funnels + loyalty systems at the same time as wholesale expansion.
Balanced manufacturing capacity with wholesale demand, ensuring execution matched stakeholder timelines.
Results:
Launched Afrifresh (wholesale) and Bold Afrika (manufacturing) as US-ready businesses.
Established distribution and compliance systems that unlocked DMV retail penetration.
Created a repeatable expansion playbook for the broader US and Canada markets.
Problem:
The founder came to me with nothing but an idea, no brand, no operations, no marketing, no compliance. To succeed in the US market, I needed to:
Build everything from scratch, manufacturing, compliance, wholesale systems.
Design a brand identity and packaging that would resonate with US/Canadian diaspora customers.
Secure logistics, retail distribution, and digital growth channels simultaneously.
Align all of this with stakeholder expectations and real-world supply chain constraints.
Approach:
Brand & Business Architecture
Built the brand from scratch - naming, positioning, packaging, and compliance standards.
Authored 15+ SOPs covering product ops, CRM workflows, influencer programs, and quality control.
Installed dashboards and reporting systems so stakeholders had clear visibility into growth and ops.
Bold Afrika – Manufacturing Arm
Secured FDA compliance, trademarks, and import readiness.
Partnered with manufacturing facilities and optimized cost structures.
Developed over 10 package designs to meet shelf appeal + regulatory standards.
Afrifresh – Wholesale Arm
Conducted market research in the DMV region (retailer profiles, price sensitivity, distributor requirements).
Secured 3PL partners for warehousing and fulfillment.
Designed multi-touch campaigns: postcards, ads, letters, email campaigns, and in-person visits to African food retailers.
Built a retailer outreach playbook for expansion across the US and Canada.
Integrated Growth Engine
Directed 5 verticals (Growth, Brand, Product, Ops, CX).
Built acquisition funnels + loyalty systems at the same time as wholesale expansion.
Balanced manufacturing capacity with wholesale demand, ensuring execution matched stakeholder timelines.
Results:
Launched Afrifresh (wholesale) and Bold Afrika (manufacturing) as US-ready businesses.
Established distribution and compliance systems that unlocked DMV retail penetration.
Created a repeatable expansion playbook for the broader US and Canada markets.
