Up & Comers

Launching a food or beverage brand takes more than a good idea. Emerging makers often face financial and logistical hurdles when trying to get their products in front of customers.

Foxtrot had built a platform for discovering new brands, bringing together products from local and independent makers across its stores and online shop. In 2022, the company launched its second annual Up & Comers awards, a program designed to help emerging food and beverage entrepreneurs reach a wider audience.

In collaboration with Foxtrot’s Brand and Merchandising teams, I led the product design and managed the digital experience that brought the program to life, from submissions and public voting to the announcement of winners.

The 2022 program focused on female food entrepreneurs, partnering with Cherry Bombe, a platform celebrating women in food, to bring together a panel of women leaders as judges.

Open to entrepreneurs across the country, the competition offered emerging brands the chance to be featured in Foxtrot stores, receive funding, and gain exposure. Two awards were reserved for female and femme-identifying makers, reinforcing the program’s commitment to supporting greater representation in the food industry.

The digital experience brought together Foxtrot’s quirky, neighborhood feel with Cherry Bombe’s energetic community. Bold colors, playful illustrations, and product imagery gave the program its own personality while putting the makers and judges front and center.

The site also needed to make the competition easy to understand. Clear navigation and straightforward information helped visitors explore the judges, awards, schedule, and submission details, with subtle interactions adding a little character along the way.

The program unfolded across several phases, from initial submissions and internal judging to public voting and the announcement of winners. Each stage brought its own information, deadlines, and next steps.

I designed and coordinated the digital experience across these phases, working closely with cross-functional teams to keep each stage on track. The site evolved alongside the competition, keeping information current and giving participants and voters a clear sense of what was happening and what to do next.

We wanted visitors to stay involved as the competition progressed. Each phase highlighted the next opportunity to take part, whether that meant submitting a product, learning about the finalists, or casting a vote.

We also offered email updates so visitors could keep up with important announcements and milestones. This helped maintain interest throughout the program while giving Foxtrot a way to stay connected with its audience.

With a tight timeline and limited resources, building a custom submission and voting system wasn’t practical. Instead, I researched and selected a third-party platform that could support the program’s needs while integrating with the website.

The solution needed to be easy for makers to use, flexible enough to match the visual experience, and capable of handling submissions and votes at scale. This allowed us to launch on time while keeping data and program management manageable for the team.

The 2022 program received over 1,000 submissions. A panel of expert judges and public voting helped select six winning brands from a group of 30 finalists.

The winners earned a place on Foxtrot’s shelves, contributing to a growing collection of more than 100 women-owned brands and over 450 products.

The program also led to a year-round vendor submission system, giving makers a way to pitch their products to Foxtrot beyond the competition. What began as an annual awards program became another way for the company to discover new brands and support independent makers.