Forbes: Could One Of These Companies Be P&G’s Next Billion-Dollar Brand?
Leigh Radford has spent 29 years at Procter & Gamble, the consumer products giant behind big brands like Tide, Pampers and Crest. Now, as vice president and general manager of P&G Ventures, an internal, early-stage startup studio, she’s on the lookout for the company’s next billion-dollar business.
That search, at least this week, has taken Radford and her team from Cincinnati to CES in Las Vegas, where P&G Ventures will hear from four selected startups that will pitch their ideas live during the second Innovation Challenge on Wednesday. Up for grabs is a $10,000 prize and a chance to partner with P&G Ventures as it looks for footholds in categories like women’s health, chronic conditions, enhanced sleep, non-toxic home, aging at home, male wellness and personal performance.
It’s great exposure for all parties, Radford said – both entrepreneurs looking to further their ideas, and P&G Ventures as well. Ventures, which got its start in 2015, has developed four new brands, two featured at the P&G LifeLab exhibit at CES this year: Opte, a handheld beauty device; and Zevo, a nature-inspired suite of products that kill bugs without harsh chemicals, now sold at Home Depot and Target.
And there’s more in the pipeline.