Denise Woodard

Founder & CEO, Partake Foods, Founder-in-Residence, Target’s Forward Founder’s Program, Founder, Black Futures in Food & Beverage, a fellowship program for HBCU students, One of Inc.’s “100 Female Founders

Topics: Leadership, Business Leadership, Thought Leadership, Women Leaders, Entrepreneur, Business, Business Growth, Professional Development, Inspirational & Motivational

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Biography

Founder, entrepreneur, and mentorship expert Denise Woodard is the groundbreaking Founder and CEO of Partake Foods – a natural food company inspired by her daughter’s experience with food allergies. Launched in 2017, Partake’s delicious, allergy-friendly products can now be found in more than 9,000 retailers including Target, Kroger, and Whole Foods Market. Denise is the first Black woman to raise more than $1M publicly for a consumer-packaged goods (CPG) food startup, and the company has raised over $19M to date from investors including HER, Rihanna, Cleveland Ave, FF2032, and Marcy Ventures Partners. Partake was recently named #45 on the 2022 Inc. 5000 list, and Denise was named on Inc.’s “100 Female Founders” list for building a fast-growing snacking brand that everyone can enjoy. After winning a pitch competition with just the idea, Denise conducted hundreds of demos, leveraged her supply chain expertise, and created a product and company that has attracted the attention of major funders and publications alike. She delivers actionable, no-nonsense insights with optimism, creating an uplifting and memorable event for groups including Microsoft, Victoria’s Secret, Danone, Carta, and Target, to name a few.

Denise serves on the board of Naturally New York, the advisory board for the UNC Shuford Center for Entrepreneurship, and on the WP Carey School of Business Dean’s Council. Prior to launching Partake, Denise spent a decade in CPGs at various Fortune 100 companies. A mentorship expert, she has participated as a mentoring founder-in-residence for three cohorts of Target’s Forward Founder’s program supporting 30 founders in that time. Denise is also the Founder of Black Futures in Food & Beverage, a fellowship program that offers mentorship, internships, and job opportunities within the food and beverage industries for active HBCU students. From her commitment to excellence in branding, to growing a strong team that exceeds goals, Denise shares her leadership perspective that resonates with everyone from entrepreneurs looking to make their mark to C-suite executives looking to inspire their teams around a unified vision.

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Building a Beloved Product and Brand

Founder and CEO of Partake Foods DENISE WOODARD Brand has built a fast-growing brand inspired by an idea that hit close to home – her daughter’s food allergies. Leveraging a decade of experience in CPGs at various Fortune 100 companies, Denise launched Partake – which was named #45 on the 2022 Inc. 5000 list. In this engaging and information talk, Denise shares how brand goes beyond logo and packaging, offering insights about creating an inspiring experience at every touchpoint on the consumer journey.

Fostering Meaningful Diversity in Your Industry

Inspired by her own experience as a CEO and Founder, DENISE WOODARD has become a sought-after mentorship and leadership expert. With her fast-growing natural snacking brand Partake Foods, Denise became the first Black woman to raise $1M publicly for a CPG startup. She has gone on to serve as a founder-in-residence for Target’s Forward Founder’s program and founded Black Futures in Food & Beverage – a fellowship program for active HBCU students. Sharing her journey as well as actionable takeaways, Denise offers a unique perspective on fostering meaningful diversity in any industry, from mentorship, to team-building, and beyond.

Testimonials

"Denise Woodard came to speak to our associate group at Victoria's Secret as part of our AAPI Heritage Month celebration in May. I cannot recommend Denise enough for her speaking services. She was engaging, open, and candid about her career and life experience, and her journey as a businesswoman and entrepreneur. All of our associates walked away enthralled with Denise and were eager to learn more about herself and Partake. Denise & her team were incredibly professional, responsive, and easy to communicate with throughout the whole process. She was incredibly accommodating of our schedules and plans as well. I would highly recommend Denise for any speaking engagement!"

– Victoria's Secret

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