About this Talk
OPENING GENERAL SESSION
- Welcome Remarks by Steve Petranik, Editor, Hawaii Business Magazine
- Presenting Sponsor Remarks by Catherine Ngo, Chair, Central Pacific Financial Corp
- Keynote Speech by Denise Woodard, Founder & CEO, Partake Foods
About Denise Woodard
Denise is the Founder and CEO of Partake Foods, a natural food company that was inspired by her daughter’s experience with food allergies. Launched in 2017, Partake’s first product — delicious, better for you, allergy-friendly cookies — can now be found in more than 14,000 retailers including Target, Kroger, and Whole Foods Market. Partake's offerings have since expanded to include graham crackers, vanilla wafers and pancake & waffle mixes.
Denise is the first Black woman to raise more than $1 Million publicly for a CPG food startup. To date, the company has raised over $25M from investors including HER, Rihanna, CircleUp Growth Partners, FF2032 and Marcy Venture Partners. Partake was named #151 on the Inc 5000 list in 2023.