Meet Our 2026 Pitch Slam Judges

Our Naturally Chicago community is blessed with a wealth of talent, expertise and expertise. This is reflected in the panel of five judges who will determine the winners among the six finalists in our 2026 Naturally Rising Pitch Event, which will take place — along with our Innovation Forum — on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 27 at Venue SIX10 in Chicago’s South Side.

The judges underscore the range of interests that make up Naturally Chicago. Rising-star founders. Established CPG companies. Retailers. Brokers. Venture capital.

Meet our distinguished judges:

JOE FULCO, PRESIDENT, FRUITFUL YIELD HEALTH FOOD STORES

Joe is a highly accomplished and vision-driven leader with extensive experience in retail operations excellence.

IVAN GUTIERREZ, CEO, TIERRA NEGRA SALSAS

The first-place winner of our 2025 Pitch Slam, Ivan is founder of Tierra Negra, a premium Mexican salsa brand rooted in three generations of family-owned restaurants in Chicago.

LUBA SAFRAN, VENTURE CAPITAL LEAD, MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL

In her role with Mondelez, a leading producer of snack foods and candy, Luba focuses on identifying and investing in innovative snack brands to drive growth and strategic alignment with the company's objectives.

JEFFREY SANFILIPPO, CEO, JOHN B. SANFILIPPO & SON

Jeffrey is the fourth generation to lead John B. Sanfilippo & Son, which markets a wide variety of nuts under multiple brands, including Fisher Nuts. He has spent his entire career of nearly 35 years with the company, the past 19 as CEO.

NOELLE WAGNER, DIRECTOR OF MARKET READY SERVICES, PRESENCE

Noelle has been a difference maker for Presence — a pioneering natural products broker — since 2018. At the top of her LinkedIn profile, she says, “Is your brand ready to go to market? I can help!”