Step 2 · Natural Chain Expansion
Most brokers can get you into stores if the product is good. We use 12 years of distributor data to identify stores where the shopper already wants what you’re selling. When the fit is right, promotions drive real trial — not just a spike. And three years later you’re still on that shelf, not disco’d after your first reset.
Why AI Changes Everything
In 2026, the functions that used to require bodies — form assembly, distributor reporting, void monitoring, promo tracking, indie store presentations — are either fully automatable or AI-assistable. We built The iLevel Group around that reality from day one.
“The 60-person brokerage was built for a world where data was expensive, forms were analog, and coordination required bodies. That world ended. The forms, templates, and checklists in the iLevel archive are not artifacts of a dead business — they are the training data and template corpus for an AI-first operation.”
— iLevel Group internal thesis, March 2026
What Clients Are Saying
Brand founders and industry leaders who’ve worked with David and the iLevel team.
“Without hesitation, I give David Abrahams at iLevel Brands my highest recommendation. Since 2018, I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with David and his team, and I’ve consistently witnessed an unmatched drive, professionalism, and ability to deliver results. Whether you’re a $1M startup or a $50M established brand, David has the experience, strategic insight, and industry connections to identify and execute high-value opportunities that generate real revenue — for both sides of the partnership.”
DDAVID LEDDFORDSVP Sales, Florenz
“We worked with iLevel Brands as we initially expanded Undercover across the grocery channel. I found David to be extremely knowledgeable and incredibly helpful with his advice and insight into the industry. He was able to guide us with pricing, promotions, distribution and the best strategy to land new retail accounts and grow existing accounts. David truly understands the industry, is technologically savvy, knows what pitfalls to avoid and is capable of adding huge value to a growing CPG business.”
DDIANA LEVYCEO, Undercover Snacks
“FILLO’S worked with David Abrahams and iLevel Brands for 4 years, when we were an early stage business. We had just started to pursue national distribution with UNFI and KeHE. David’s knowledge of the natural and conventional grocery channels was important to our brand. He helped us prioritize the right retail accounts in addition to optimizing our point of sale marketing programs to gain velocity, and ultimately repeat purchase.”
DDANIEL CABALLEROCEO, Fillos
“I have known David for almost 2 decades and continue to be impressed by his dedication to build ‘good’ business across all aspects of the Natural Products Industry. From building and launching new brands, to managing an A List team of national Sales & Marketing experts to giving back through ongoing mentorship and investment support, David is ‘THE MAN’ to know and he’s first on my list always!”
EERIC SCHNELLFounder, Beyond Brands
“I have known David Abrahams for four years now, and he has been a true friend and ally, helping navigate Folk Revival through our start-up phase. Not only has he helped to secure valuable wins, but he has been generous about sharing knowledge and contacts, and provided helpful, and at times, challenging advice. His breadth of industry experience and knowledge of how to get things done, is second to none. My brand would not be where it is today without David’s hands-on involvement.”
DDAVID CANTORCEO, Folk Revival
“As a Sales Director in CPG I’ve worked with David at iLevel Brands over the last 7+ years and commend him and his team on their ability to connect the dots between complex sales asks and the delivery of results. Working with David is much like enjoying a fine symphony orchestra. He is a smooth and skilled conductor who takes time in teaching each one on his sales team how to crescendo at the right moment.”
JJACQUELIN SCHNEIDERVP Sales, Wedderspoon
How We Sequence Your Launch
The question we answer before any buyer meeting: which doors give your brand the highest probability of surviving its first reset?
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01 — Intelligence audit. We ingest your brand’s distributor history, velocity data, and buyer communications — then map it against our 200+ brand dataset to identify the specific retailer attributes that predict success at your stage.
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02 — Door map + cut-risk scoring. Every target retailer scored for velocity probability, cut risk, and shopper fit. You see which accounts are worth fighting for — and which ones look good on a sell sheet but quietly kill emerging brands.
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03 — GTM playbook. Exact sequence of doors, in the exact order, with the exact story for each buyer meeting. No wasted trade spend. No premature pushes into accounts your velocity can’t defend.
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04 — Execution + monitoring. We deploy and we watch. AI-assisted monitoring tracks sell-through at the door level, flags distribution gaps, and surfaces reorder signals before your next buyer meeting.
Book a 30-minute strategy call. We’ll show you what the data says about your category — before you spend a dollar on the wrong door.
The question isn’t whether relationships matter. It’s whether yours are backed by data.
How We Work
Natural CPG brands win when the strategy is specific. We don’t bring generic category decks to buyer meetings. We bring your data — mapped against 12 years of what actually drove velocity at retailers like theirs.
Pillar 01
The right doors
Data-identified retailers where brands at your stage actually build velocity and repeat — not where they look good in a pitch deck. Our model identifies the accounts where your brand has the highest probability of surviving its first reset. We know which banners have 60% cut rates for emerging brands in your category before you walk into the meeting.
Pillar 02
The right sequence
Phase 1: prove velocity in regional natural chains where the economics work and the shopper fits. Phase 2: expand into Whole Foods and Sprouts only once the data shows the brand can survive the cost of national distribution. This is the sequence that avoids scaling into bankruptcy — and the one most brokers never tell you about because their incentives run the other direction.
Pillar 03
The right story
Buyer-ready pitch built from real performance data — not category averages, not benchmarks. We’ve mapped 12 years of pitch communications and buyer outcomes to know exactly which language and data points turn a no into a yes at each retailer. Your deck isn’t assembled the night before. It’s built from what actually closes.