By Kaysia M Earley
(Photo credit: Kaysia M. Earley, Esq. and Rap Snacks Media)
The “Official Snack Brand of Hip Hop” Rap Snacks, and one of the fastest-growing Consumer Packaged Goods (“CPG”) brands in the industry of food and beverage, hosted their 2nd annual 3-day Disrupt Summit from January 9 – 11, 2024 at the W Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The “Disrupt Summit 2024: Where CPG Meets Culture,” brought together a community of CPG retailers, minority CEOs and executives in person to drive a broader strategic discussion around challenges and issues minorities face in the industry and equipped attendees with essential tools for staying competitive in today’s rapidly changing market.
Rap Snacks was founded by visionary and CEO James Lindsay, affectionally called the “Willie Wonka of Potato Chips”. Lindsay, shared his founder’s story and what it takes to challenge the status quo, ignite change and revolutionize industries. Lindsay also discussed Rap Snacks’ plan to diversify the product line to include a variety of products to include drinks, noodles, gummies, cotton candy and more. Rap Snacks’ organic growth and popularity was not solely from the company’s decision to add the faces of famous hip hop artists on bags of chips, but also from the unique and diverse chip flavors.
The Disrupt Summit served as a pivotal platform for entertainment agencies, corporate brands, distributors, retailers, suppliers, investors, and industry professionals including Rejuvenation, a plant-based energy drinks company, Dosso Beauty, a hair products company, and Sienna Sauce, a wing sauce created by 19-year-old Tyla Simone Crayton, who previously appeared on Shark Tank.
The first day of the Disrupt Summit included networking sessions and seminars of empowering success stories as well as insightful strategies and game-changing best practices that help CPG brands become disruptors in their respective lanes. Derrick Hayes, Founder and CEO of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks, shared his unique journey to success, the details and excitement around the expansion of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks throughout South Florida, and the forward-thinking mindset that is necessary to become a true disruptor in your field.
The Disrupt Summit also featured the The BossUp: Empowering the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs – hosted by famed rapper, Wise Intelligent (Poor Righteous Teachers), who is also the President/CEO of the Rap Snacks Boss Up Foundation, and entrepreneurship program that trains young men and women in under-resourced communities to take responsibility for and control of their own futures and provides support to emerging entrepreneurial talent.
The Disrupt Summit also included a segment entitled- Money Moves 2024: Business Trends and Your Investment Playbook: Featuring Financial Revolutionary, Wall Street Trapper. This session featured his testimony from being incarcerated to becoming a disruptor in the stock market. Wall Street Trapper educated attendees on some of his disruptive strategies to dominate in the industry and even how to leverage your investments as savings accounts.
The last day of the Disrupt Summit 2024 continued with more game-changing sessions that featured voices who are at the forefront of industry shifts and shaping the CPG landscape, featuring Rap Snacks limited partner, rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, investor, businessman, Percy “Master P” Miller. Master P shared how he became affiliated with the Rap Snacks brand, the state and future of the CPG industry, and how CPG companies can thrive and achieve success and prominence in an evolving marketplace. Master P’s products extend beyond Rap Snacks to include a line of “Uncle P” food products to offer consumers a Black-owned alternative to brands that use Black names and imagery, but don’t often give back to Black communities. Master P explained how he always assumed brands like Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben’s were Black owned. It wasn’t until recently, when some brands began to be phased out for perpetuating harmful racial stereotypes, that he learned about their problematic histories – and decided to do something about it.
The Rap Snacks Founder’s Ball closed out Disrupt 2024. Celebrating excellence as well as the birthday of Rap Snacks Founder, James Lindsay, the event brought together the who’s who of the CPG industry and celebrity friends, including Rick Ross, Meek Mill, Wallo, Master P, Derrick Hayes, Pinky Cole and a host of others. James Lindsay also received a special proclamation from the City of Fort Lauderdale, presented by Vice Mayor of Miami Gardens Reggie Leon. Lindsay promised next year’s Summit will be open to investors in the CPG industry and the public.
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