ReGen Brands Recap #96

Kyle Krull & Anthony Corsaro

Expo West Recap: Regen Wins, Emerging Trends, & Essential Insights

On this episode, Kyle and Anthony share their key takeaways from Expo West. They talk about regenerative certification presence, new product highlights, and new information on increasing consumer awareness and demand for regenerative products. We break down the activation of the “I ❤️ REGEN” campaign and celebrate the success in building community. Plus, we offer some key insights and stats you can’t get anywhere else.


Regen Well Represented, ROC™ Leadership, & Regenified™ Consumer Research

Regenerative brands had an undeniable presence at Expo West this year. Booths and banners were clearly marked with regenerative claims and panel events on Climate Day and throughout the week highlighted the work of regenerative leaders. In total, over 70 exhibitors (2% of the total 3,200 which included brands and many other business categories) were brands supporting regenerative agriculture.

Regenerative Organic Certified® led the show in terms of regenerative certifications. Their logo was front and center at many brand booths and even showed up as a prominent highlight for many ingredient suppliers. Regenified™also demonstrated leadership by sharing key insights from their recent consumer research report. Kristine Root shared that 20% of the US market has values that support regenerative products and while these consumers span demographics, the commonality is that they all want to be educated on what regenerative is and how it impacts human and planetary health. Kristine also highlighted the 32 percentage point gap between regenerative awareness and understanding, confirming the need for collaboration on simplified and common messaging. 


BIG Wins For Regenerative Brands

Regenerative brands secured significant wins at Expo West this year. Recoup earned first place at the Pitch Slam and Wild Orchard came in second. This marks the second year in a row that regenerative brands claimed the top two spots. 

“Regenerative brands taking the top two spots in the Pitch Slam for the second year in a row is a testament to the strength of these companies and how the movement is resonating beyond just the regen bubble.” – Anthony


Another huge win came from GoodSAM, which closed a $9 million Series A funding round—the largest known Series A raise for a regenerative brand. The investment came primarily from venture capital firms in Latin America, where GoodSAM sources most of its ingredients from smallholder farmers. The raise is also a big win for female-founded and led companies, which still receive a disproportionately small share of venture funding. While GoodSAM found the right partners in Latin America, it raises an important question: how can we get more American investors to see the value and potential in regenerative brands?



This year 11 brands supporting regenerative agriculture and 5 products with regenerative claims took home NEXTY awards. Read the list of winners and categories below: 


I ❤️ REGEN

Kyle and Anthony were proud of the I ❤️ REGEN campaign and the energy it brought to Expo West, serving as a unifying force for the regenerative community. I ❤️ REGEN buttons and stickers were highly sought-after, as they gave people a way to express their enthusiasm for regenerative agriculture in a way that wasn’t tied to a single brand or certification. Anthony, sporting a custom heart-patterned jumpsuit, became a walking conversation starter, further amplifying the campaign’s reach and impact. Beyond its visual presence, the initiative fulfilled a real need for harmonious energy in the regenerative space, fostering excitement and connection throughout the show. The momentum carried into Friday morning, when ReGen Brands Coalition hosted the first-ever in-person gathering, bringing together Coalition members, leading service providers, and other regenerative brands for a breakfast meetup. The event provided a meaningful opportunity to strengthen relationships, celebrate shared wins, and continue building momentum for the regenerative movement.

“The I ❤️ REGEN campaign allowed for people to express their enthusiasm for the regenerative movement that wasn't tied to a specific brand or certification and that was unifying.” – Kyle

What brands and products did Anthony and Kyle ❤️? Both gave big hearts to Alec’s new culture cup single-serve ice cream with probiotics, Wild Orchard’s ready-to-drink matcha (made with Alexandre Family Farm’s A2 milk), and Diaspora Co.’s chai masala. Anthony enjoyed Stoked Oats samples and both can never get enough of Big Picture Foods’ banana peppers. 


Non-Regen Trends & Insights


Other trends that stood out to Anthony and Kyle included the use of natural sweeteners (like dates and honey), caffeine, and protein. However, overall innovation at the show felt flat or down. Instead of bold, category-defining launches, companies appear to be focusing on refining existing products—whether by removing seed oils, optimizing ingredient lists, or making supply chain improvements. With capital harder to access, brands appear to be making more calculated, incremental moves rather than taking big risks on entirely new concepts.

Anthony and Kyle also note that looking ahead, the intersection of lab testing, biological wearables, AI, and nutrient density tracking could have profound implications for the regenerative movement. As biohacking and longevity trends gain traction, AI-powered health recommendations could push consumers toward more nutrient-dense, regenerative foods. The question is whether these advancements will simply optimize choices for those already prioritizing health, or whether they will help convert new consumers to healthier, more regenerative diets. Bioavailability—how well nutrients are absorbed—may become a key factor, shaping demand for foods that deliver not just high nutrient content, but also optimal absorption. Whether this drives widespread adoption of regenerative products or remains a niche optimization tool will be something to watch in the coming years.

“Is all of this just optimization of the existing healthy eating crowd where the demands of the people already doing good are just going to increase and we're just optimizing the amount of healthy food that's already being eaten? Or are we going to have a net increase in the amount of healthy food being eaten?” – Anthony



This ReGen Recap was written by Katey Finnegan

You can check out the full episode with Kyle and Anthony HERE

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