15+ Years of CPG Private Equity Investing | Tyler Mayoras, Manna Tree Partners

On this episode, we’re joined by Tyler Mayoras, Managing Director at Manna Tree Partners.Tyler has spent over 15 years in private equity CPG, partnering with brands like Simple Mills, Health-Ade, New Primal, and Verde Farms. But he’s also been on the operator side, building Cool Beans from scratch, launching into retailers like Sprouts and Wegmans, and learning firsthand how to navigate the frozen aisle, regenerative sourcing, and repeat purchase velocity.Tyler dives into the reality of regenerative, demo strategies, hero SKUs, what he focuses on when working with management teams, how he evaluates potential investment opps, and how the CPG PE landscape has changed over the past decade or so. —---------------Episode Highlights: 📦 Digital demos vs. in-store: what actually works 📊 Unit economics red flags (and how to fix them) 🔥 Why taste is the #1 investment filter 🧠 What makes a founder “coachable” and a brand a real target for Manna Tree 🛒 The problem with early national rollouts (velocity vs distribution) 💥 How one brutal Expo West conversation changed a founder’s trajectory 🐶 Two categories Tyler “missed”—---------------Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro & Background 02:00 – Regenerative Ag: Promise vs. Reality 06:00 – Digital Demo Strategy & Social Nature 11:00 – Velocity vs. Distribution: What Founders Miss 16:00 – COGS, Margins & Pricing Power 18:00 – Hero SKUs and Hyper-Focus 27:00 – Investment Criteria & Team Dynamics 34:00 – Why PE Targets $25M–$75M Brands 39:00 – Trends Tyler Missed & What He’s Watching Now 41:00 – Where to Follow Tyler—---------------Links:Manna Tree (join their newsletter!) – https://www.mannatreepartners.comFollow Tyler on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/tylermayorasFollow Adam on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out KitPrint.Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes.Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.