Angel Investor Katie Dunn: Warm Intros, Thesis Fit, and Financial Models That Get Investors to Say Yes
Mon Dec 22 2025
Most food founders think fundraising means perfecting your pitch deck. Angel investor Katie Dunn says you’re starting in the wrong place.
In our conversation, Katie breaks down the three fundamentals that actually get investors to meet with you, and say yes: understanding investor thesis (and why it saves you from wasting time), leveraging warm introductions instead of cold pitching, and building a financial model that shows exactly how you’ll reach profitability.
We cover the investment basics every founder needs to know—what a safe note actually is, why angels want equity, and whether regional brands can get funded (spoiler: yes, but with different deal structures). Katie also shares her strong recommendation on why your first hire should be finance, not marketing, and how to make it ridiculously easy for investors to want to help you.
If you’re considering fundraising or just want to understand how investment actually works in food CPG, this episode gives you the straight talk you need.
Connect with Katie:
Website: katiedunn.com
Advisory Board: The Masthead Strategy
LinkedIn: Katie Dunn
Instagram: @iamkatiedunn
TikTok: @iamkatiedunn
Join The Good Food CFO Community:
Follow us on Instagram: @thegoodfoodcfo
Watch on YouTube: @thegoodfoodcfo
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com/subscribe
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Most food founders think fundraising means perfecting your pitch deck. Angel investor Katie Dunn says you’re starting in the wrong place. In our conversation, Katie breaks down the three fundamentals that actually get investors to meet with you, and say yes: understanding investor thesis (and why it saves you from wasting time), leveraging warm introductions instead of cold pitching, and building a financial model that shows exactly how you’ll reach profitability. We cover the investment basics every founder needs to know—what a safe note actually is, why angels want equity, and whether regional brands can get funded (spoiler: yes, but with different deal structures). Katie also shares her strong recommendation on why your first hire should be finance, not marketing, and how to make it ridiculously easy for investors to want to help you. If you’re considering fundraising or just want to understand how investment actually works in food CPG, this episode gives you the straight talk you need. Connect with Katie: Website: katiedunn.com Advisory Board: The Masthead Strategy LinkedIn: Katie Dunn Instagram: @iamkatiedunn TikTok: @iamkatiedunn Join The Good Food CFO Community: Follow us on Instagram: @thegoodfoodcfo Watch on YouTube: @thegoodfoodcfo This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com/subscribe