I was pretty shocked actually because the first week you were pretty blown away by the amount of

resources that were put into this, right? Like I was, I was blown away at how individualized it was.

Literally almost like a personal incubator. Welcome to the Startup CPG podcast. I'm your host, Jesse Freytag.

What could you learn from one of the largest snack companies in the world?

Lonnie James from Bunny James Boxes got to learn just that this year as a member of the

2022 Colab cohort. Bunny James Boxes makes gift boxes for people with specialty diets, allergies, and eating styles.

And they provide this niche gifting solution for individuals, businesses, and retailers.

They were already on a fast path to growth when Lonnie decided to apply for Mondalese International's

co-lab program.

With iconic brands like Oreo, Cadbury, Bellevita, and Wheat Thins, Mondales International

holds the number one global position in biscuits like cookies and crackers, and number two in chocolate.

They've also acquired a few fast-going brands you may recognize like Hugh,

Perfect Bar, and Tate's Bake Shop in the last few years. Brands selected for their co-lab cohort

get access to a 12-week program, a $20,000 grant, one-on-one mentoring, and so much more,

which you'll hear about in this episode. It's one thing for me to tell you about the program, but it's another to really dig into an alumnus experience, so that's what we're going to do today.

Listen in to learn why Lonnie founded Bunny James Boxes and pivoted from vending machines?

Why he applied to the COLAB program and why it exceeded all his expectations?

What it was like to be

in the program and how he leveraged Mondalees International's resources to help grow Bunny James

boxes, tips for applying to the next cohort of COLAB, and more. Keep in mind that if you're

listening to this episode, close to release date, applications are open right now for the next CoLab

cohort.

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