# Founder Feature: Val Emanuel of Rif Care

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2025-01-03
- Length: 34m
- Episode: 108
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-01-03-founder-feature-val-emanuel-of-rif-care
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/30a60baa

## Summary

Val Emanuel, co-founder of Rif Care, discusses building a sustainable feminine care brand using hemp fiber, detailing her journey from a talent agency career to securing manufacturing partners overseas. She explains how the company achieved early retail success with Erewhon through direct networking and highlights the critical importance of email capture workflows for DTC growth. Emanuel also shares candid experiences regarding bias in VC fundraising, advocating for grants and accelerators like Techstars and Jumpstart Foundry as viable alternatives for capital and support.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Val Emanuel and Rif Care
2. Val's Career Path and GOOP Experience
3. Product Ideation and Manufacturing Challenges
4. Funding the First Order and Kickstarter
5. Retail Strategy and Erewhon Launch
6. DTC Marketing, Email Capture, and Social Media
7. Navigating VC Bias and Grant Funding
8. 2025 Goals and Team Growth

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Rif Care (product)
- Erewhon (company)
- GOOP (company)
- Techstars (company)
- Jumpstart Foundry (company)
- Kickstarter (company)
- Unfi (company)
- Kimberly Clark (company)
- Procter and Gamble (company)
- TikTok (company)
- Amazon (company)
- Pinterest (company)
- Midday Squares (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Briogeo Hair Care: Nancy Twine (2020)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-12-04-briogeo-hair-care-nancy-twine-2020) (How I Built This)
- [Brooklinen: Vicki and Rich Fulop](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-20-brooklinen-vicki-and-rich-fulop) (How I Built This)
- [Parachute Home: Ariel Kaye](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-02-05-parachute-home-ariel-kaye) (How I Built This)
- [Aden + Anais: Raegan Moya-Jones](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-07-17-aden-anais-raegan-moya-jones) (How I Built This)
- [Minted: Mariam Naficy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-04-minted-mariam-naficy) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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