People say that third time is the charm. And that was definitely the case for Drew Lederman, co-founder of Resist Nutrition.
Drew first applied for the Enthuse Foundation Pitch Competition in 2021 after being in business for a few months. When she wasn't considered as a finalist, Drew took advantage of the Enthuse Foundation's feedback sessions to understand what her deck was lacking. She took that feedback and applied it to her 2022 application, but it still wasn't strong enough to convince the Enthuse Foundation's selection panel. Again, she wasn't chosen to be among the top five.
Instead of giving up, Drew continued to implement the advice and evolved her application. Finally, in October 2023, she received a coveted e-mail notifying her that she was selected as one of five Enthuse Foundation Pitch Competition finalists.
Resist Nutrition was created to solve a problem. Drew was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and insulin resistance and struggled to eat for balanced blood sugar on the go without artificial ingredients. She teamed up with her college classmate Emily Cohen and medical experts to create Resist Nutrition, doctor-recommended vegan bars with a clinically-backed stable blood sugar response.
Drew and Emily are used to handling adversity but are better because of it. Need evidence. Drew and Resist Nutrition won Audience Choice and took home $2,500 at the 2023 Pitch Competition. We caught up with her a few months later to reflect on the event.
Enthuse Foundation (EF): Describe your experience competing in the 2023 Enthuse Foundation Pitch Competition. What was it like winning Audience Choice?
Drew Lederman (DL): I had applied twice before, once when Resist was just an idea (we didn't even have the product in our hands) and the second time when we had started to grow. The third time I got in, winning audience choice felt like a full-circle moment! It was also the first time I had won anything at a pitch competition, proving that the hard work paid off. I also loved meeting the other participants. What an inspiring group of women!
EF: Wow, we are so glad to hear that. You used the $2,500 prize money on marketing classes. Why was that important, and how did it impact Resist Nutrition?
DL: We did! We invested some of the money in a marketing class to bring our digital marketing in-house and the remainder in the paid ads themselves. This has not only saved us so much money in the long run, but it has also helped us grow our digital strategy with expertise and confidence, alongside our intimate knowledge of our products and core audience.
EF: How has Resist Nutrition grown since the 2023 Pitch Competition?
DL: We launched into Hy-Vee, which has been a great partnership since they have dietitians on staff and even do free A1C screenings twice a year! As a clinically backed, blood sugar-friendly bar, launching in those ~100 stores has been incredible. We now have a little over 200 retailers and have learned so much about retail and improving velocities on a budget. We launched an ambassador program for our demos, brought on a sales assistant, updated our recipes, and sold out twice!
EF: As we are amid pitch competition season, what advice would you give to founders who applied last year but weren't selected?
DL: Keep applying! The third time's the charm -- it worked for me ;)
EF: What's next for Resist Nutrition?
DL: We're really focusing on our manufacturing and supply chain. We are gearing up to scale in 2025 and that means lots of smart set-up and optimization for our partners and automations so that we can stay lean. We are also increasing our points of distribution so a lot of our energy is going towards our omnichannel strategy. Our updated recipes and packaging are launching in the next few months, so I'm super excited to share those when we have them.
EF: You exemplify perseverance and determination. We are so proud of your success and can't wait to be a part of the future.
HC: Thank you so much!
Hundreds of CPG founders apply to the Enthuse Foundation Pitch Competition. However, only five are invited to pitch their business to a panel of judges. For those founders who are not selected, it can be devastating. However, one of the unique aspects of the Enthuse Foundation Pitch Competition is every company that applies can receive personalized feedback on their deck. And who knows what happens after the feedback is implemented. Just ask Drew. Apply to the 6th Annual Enthuse Foundation Pitch Competition.
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