From Farm to Fame: Building a Brand (and a Raise) Around a Founder Who’s the Real Deal

The Ugly Company isn’t your typical CPG brand. It was founded by Ben Moore, a third-generation farmer, U.S. Army veteran, and Notre Dame graduate, who came back to California’s Central Valley to solve a problem most people overlook: fruit waste.

Armed with grit, purpose, and a truck, Ben started rescuing fruit and turning it into premium dried snacks. Today, The Ugly Company is in 3,500+ retail doors, including Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Whole Foods—and growing fast.

Ben had already built a killer product and undeniable traction. But what he didn’t have was time—or a team focused on investor storytelling, strategic brand building, or earned media.

The mission:

• Expand retail relationships like Walmart without paid ads
  
  
• Increase visibility and valuation for an upcoming capital raise
  
  
• Tell Ben’s story in ways that build trust, urgency, and momentum

From June through July 2025, Return on Good ran a 300-hour, high-leverage marketing sprint to unlock brand lift, pipeline growth, and investor confidence—without a dollar in paid spend.

• Walmart Activation: No Ads, Just Access
  
  • ‍Engaged SVPs, merchandising ops, and influencer teams
    
  • Secured Locally Grown PR activation (in-store + media-facing, September)
  • Positioned Ugly for category expansion and account growth‍
• Notre Dame Platform: Credibility You Can’t Buy‍
  
  • Featured in Mendoza Business School’s national spotlight (7/17)
    
  • Activated ND’s investor network: Victory Park Capital, DoD, legal, and family office leads
  • Ben was invited to speak at the Defense Innovation Challenge (Nov. 6) before VCs, family offices, and Naval Academy investors‍
• Media Engine: From Podcast Guest to Founder Voice‍
  
  • 6 major podcast bookings/requests: Whole Foods, Produce Industry, Florida Ag Law, and more
  • Focused on founder-led storytelling and evergreen assets for retail + investor use‍
• National Recognition: EY Entrepreneur of the Year Momentum‍
  
  • Ben surfaced as a strong candidate for Ernst & Young EOY
  • Positioned Ugly for long-term media and investor trust

• ‍Strategic Visibility & Pipeline Activation: Generated $185K–$685K+ in earned exposure, deepened ties with Walmart, booked national media, and built credibility that compounds—all without a single ad dollar.‍
• Capital Readiness & Brand Equity: Leveraged Ben’s veteran/farmer/founder story to unlock high-trust investor platforms (Notre Dame, DoD, OMVA), setting the stage for a high-conviction raise.

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We unlocked six figures in strategic exposure, built pipeline with our largest customer, gained earned credibility with ND & E&Y, and seeded future investor and retail growth—all for less than one trade show.”
— Ann & Jay, Return on Good