“It was within minutes of putting the proposal (project listing) up there that we were already getting responses and inquiries from co-mans.”
-Susanne Brose, Fenomenal, Mama Dita’s commercialization team
Challenge
Fenomenal’s client had been searching for a co-man for 2 years and was losing hope of ever bringing his sauces to market.
A CIA trained chef, Chef John D’Eredita had a portfolio of three incredible and unique sauces however after two years of searching for a co-manufacturer to produce them at scale, he thought it would be impossible. No one was able to replicate his recipes or able to grow with his brand the way he needed. He was close to giving up on ever launching Mama Dita’s.
John’s consulting team at Fenomenal decided to turn to PartnerSlate, knowing that no other platform boasted the number or quality of relationships. At first it was a hard sell to a chef who is so protective of his recipe and intellectual property. Susanne Brose, founder of Fenomenal, knew it would take experiencing the power of the platform for John to trust that they’d be able to do what seemed impossible and find a partner who could earn his trust and meet all his needs.
“That (scaling a chef’s recipe) was the challenge. That is going to take a very special relationship with the right partner. And that’s why we’re doing this on PartnerSlate. This isn’t about just asking a friend of a friend, ‘Hey, do you know anybody?’ No, no, no, no, no. There are specific requirements you have.“
Solution
PartnerSlate’s Marketplace expedited the search process and delivered high quality and interested partners in minutes.
After a call with the PartnerSlate team, Mama Dita’s needs were carefully converted into a project listing and reviewed by Antonella, Lead Brand Matching Advisor, for anonymity and accuracy.
1. Within minutes, compatible co-mans were requesting to chat.
PartnerSlate’s proprietary matching AI alerted the most compatible co-mans in the network of 6,000+, and after years of seeking out co-mans, Chef John was sitting back while connection requests from high quality, startup-friendly companies rolled in. Seeing really was believing.
2.Fourteen co-mans had connected in only one week and a shortlist of four was created.
With such a thorough listing, the co-mans knew exactly what the brand needed and could confidently request to connect knowing they were top candidates. Brose exchanged emails with each lead and narrowed down to a shortlist of four partners for Chef John to have calls with. “We had inquiries from great, great partners and had open and transparent conversations.”
3. Injust threeweeks, Mama Dita’s had a new production partner confirmed.
Three of the four shortlisted partners produced samples from the chef’s recipes and in less than a month from publishing their project, Mama Dita’s had their perfect co-manufacturer. “I call it the Goldilocks…They understand how entrepreneurs work, think, operate, and they give just enough hand-holding… I can’t imagine a more dream scenario for any startup.”
“It’s reliable, legally tight, very serious. They have just taken all the bull**** out of it… There’s no better value in the business.“
Results
Mama Dita’s launched in only 4 months, going to market in Spring of 2025.
“(Production) in four months? Unheard of!” Fenomenal added another successful launch to their portfolio by leveraging their partnership with PartnerSlate. The high-quality and fast results from the Marketplace allowed Mama Dita’s to meet their deadlines and fill their pre-orders, launching the brand with 3 delicious, chef approved SKUs. Mama Dita’s is actively growing their footprint and has a partner who is able to scale with them as they build their customer base.
“It (PartnerSlate) really is a dream for entrepreneurs and a dream for really the industry. It really is disrupting the industry.“
Explore how PartnerSlate can help your team at partnerslate.com.
