The Natural List: NCN Fall recap, healthy aging innovation reshapes the CPG industry

This week’s episode of The Natural List Podcast offers listeners an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the Nutrition Capital Network (NCN) Fall Meeting in San Francisco and dives into one of the most exciting trends shaping the health and wellness industry: Health span.

Co-hosts Jessica Rubino and Adrienne Smith are joined by NCN Investment Business Development Manager Jennifer Pfeifer to explore how NCN fosters meaningful connections between brands and investors, while also unpacking the generational drivers behind the health span trend.

Listeners will gain insights into the mentorship and community-building that NCN provides, as well as the innovative brands and products that are capturing investor attention. Functional beverages, supplements and health span innovations are at the forefront of investor interest, with a focus on partnerships built on collaboration that go beyond just financial backing. The emphasis on partnership—where investors contribute both expertise and funding—is key to NCN’s success.

Our hosts and guest also explore the health span conversation, sharing insights into how different generations are engaging with health span and the unique opportunities that creates for brands to meet evolving consumer needs.

This episode is sponsored by Premier Research Labs. To learn more, visit their website. https://prlabs.com/

In this episode:
0:42 – Welcome to our guest, Jennifer Pfeifer
2:15 – How does NCN curate the list of companies that present at NCN?
3:25 – What were some standout trends or brands you saw at NCN this year?
6:28 – What were some consistent themes you heard from investors at these meetings that highlight a real market need?
7:56 – NCN events provide a stage to share deeply about what differentiates your product
8:52 – NCN provides mentorship and true partnership for the brands that participate
9:39 – What is important for companies to think about when they pitch to investors specifically?
13:49 – What is a trend in the CPG health and wellness industry that you are most interested in right now?
14:47 – Jennifer explains how health span encompasses a wide range of products and technologies.
15:18 – What is health span?
16:56 – How different generations are interacting with health span what that means for brands
19:57 – How AI can be a part of the health span discussion
21:26 – Traditional supplements like CoQ10 and DHEA are still part of the conversation, but collagen, mushrooms and pre-, pro- and post-biotics are leading the way in supplement innovation and delivery systems.
22:50 – Women’s health and sexual health are being looped into the healthy aging conversation
24:31 – GLP-1s and the conversation around healthy aging and nutrition needs
25:33 – Looking ahead, Jennifer shares her thoughts on the themes that will shape future NCN events and investments