Initiative provides insights literacy to enable ongoing growth opportunities for women- and minority-owned businesses in the CPG space

[CHICAGO] – March 14, 2023 – Circana, the new combined company name and brand identity for IRI and The NPD Group, today announced its lineup of new participants in the company’s Diversity Advantage Program (DAP), which empowers company owners from underrepresented groups to drive business growth.

DAP’s second cohort of 13 participating businesses in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry joins 27 inaugural participants who have already achieved noteworthy business results in the program. Participants in the new DAP class will receive access to data and application training to build insights literacy, which is a foundational element of ongoing success. They also can leverage Circana’s expertise to help drive sales growth and market share for their businesses.

“We are pleased with the significant impact we have made in our community through the DAP program so far, and with the positive growth our participants are achieving,” said Boris Oglesby, executive vice president and practice leader for Circana. “As we head into year two, we look forward to continuing to provide resources and coaching to diverse-owned CPG companies with the support of Circana’s employee volunteers and retailer partners.”

“We are proud to be part of DAP, which is working to create more equality in the consumer goods space,” said Stuart Aitken, chief merchant and marketing officer for Kroger. “We’ve seen amazing outcomes for minority-led businesses participating in the program. We’re seeing just how impactful data, insights and a strong collaboration between manufacturers and retailers can be. We’re thrilled to continue our involvement in a program that is making meaningful change in our industry.”

New participants in this year’s DAP program include:

1. Beauty Bakerie Cosmetics Brand Inc.

2. Black Opal

3. Caribé Juice Inc.

4. Creamalicious

5. Maggie’s Farm Ltd.

6. DYLA Brands LLC

7. Golde Wellness Inc.

8. Kitsch LLC

9. Lochirco Fruit and Produce Inc.

10. Mr. Kooks Inc.

11. Night Hawk Frozen Foods Inc.

12. Play Kids Products LLC

13. Purely Gourmet Meat Co. LLC

14. The Honey Pot Company (DE) LLC

Anish Patel, president of Mr. Kooks Inc., which offers a range of premium global seasonings and Indian simmer sauces, said, “We are excited to join the DAP program, as its initiatives are ideally suited to help a company like ours capture growth opportunities. The support from Circana gives us the resources and insights to succeed as an Indian-owned company in this market. We’re eager to continue partnering with large retailers and to seeing each cohort thrive.”

Circana employees created the Diversity Advantage Program because they wanted to foster a fairer and more equitable consumer goods ecosystem. The program empowers rising minority- and women-owned consumer packaged goods companies to achieve positive organizational growth. DAP is supported by more than 200 Circana employee volunteers and includes 11 retail partners across the United States and the United Kingdom.

To be eligible to participate in DAP, companies must have $1 million to $25 million in annual sales and be recommended by a participating retailer. Click here for more information about the program, or email DAP@Circana.com for information on how to apply for next year’s program.