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AMP Academy · Retail Accelerator

Build the brandretailers buy.

A selective five-week accelerator that prepares emerging consumer brands for national retail — through expert mentorship, proprietary readiness assessments, and direct engagement with the people who decide what gets stocked.

Not a course. Not a mastermind. A retail accelerator built by operators who understand what buyers actually evaluate.

For founders with a product in market — beauty, wellness, food & CPG.

Start my application

Applications open October 7 · Rolling admissions
Priority deadline November 7 · $999 · two scholarships available

AMP Beauty — the next generation of retail brands
AMP Beauty · the next generation of retail brands

AMP Academy isn’t about learning retail. It’s about becoming the kind of brand retailers want to buy.

Built by the team behind AMP Beauty · Supporting 250+ consumer brands · Preparing founders for national retail

Preparing founders for the decision makers at Walmart Macy's Target TJX
250+
Independent brands supported
100K+
Customers served
$17B+
Retail beauty reach*
$50K+
Avg. brand sales / year
15K+
Active subscribers
200+
Brands ARIS-scored

*Retail beauty reach = estimated annual beauty-category sales across AMP’s retail partners (Target, Macy’s & TJX), all channels.

Buyers stopped asking what your product is. They started asking if you're ready.

76%
of consumer-products executives are increasing AI investment — the market is professionalizing fast, and buyers now expect operational readiness and real demand signals, not just a great product. Deloitte · McKinsey, 2024–2025
The AMP Retail Readiness Standard™

What decision makers evaluate before saying yes.

A rigorous acceptance framework — the bar we hold every founder to.
Market Demand
01
Clear consumer problem & differentiation
A value proposition buyers grasp in seconds — and a reason consumers choose you.
02
Validated consumer demand
Reviews, repeat purchase, sell-through, community — evidence, not hope.
Brand Strength
03
Distinct brand positioning
A compelling story, a defined customer, a clear competitive edge.
04
Brand equity & community
Loyalty, creator advocacy, retention — an audience that converts.
Financial Health
05
Healthy unit economics
Gross margin, wholesale pricing, and contribution margin that scale.
06
Retail pricing strategy
Architecture that works across DTC, wholesale, and national retail.
Operational Readiness
07
Scalable operations
Manufacturing, fulfillment, and inventory built for retail growth.
08
Supply chain & compliance
FDA/GMP, QA, traceability, and retailer documentation.
Retail Execution
09
Retail-ready sales assets
Pitch deck, line sheets, merchandising, and sales materials.
10
Retail growth mindset
Coachability, execution discipline, readiness for the long game.
The Retail Readiness Score™ · powered by ARIS

Know exactly what stands between your brand and retail.

Retailers don't buy products. They buy readiness.

ARIS measures your business across the capabilities decision makers weigh most — from demand validation and unit economics to operational readiness and growth potential.

Every founder begins with an ARIS Retail Readiness Assessment. You'll discover:

  • What's holding you back
  • Where decision makers see opportunity
  • Which capabilities to strengthen first
  • How you compare against the Retail Readiness Standard™

Receive a new score at graduation to measure your progress — not just your participation.

90–100 Retail Ready 75–89 Growth Ready 60–74 Foundation
0Your score
Estimate yours in 20 seconds.
Move the sliders — this is a teaser, not the real ARIS assessment (that happens inside the program).
Quick self-estimate
Brand50
Demand50
Operations50
You're at ~50. Let's get you to 90.
Close the gap → Apply
The Signature — Retail Preview Day

Graduate by pitching real decision makers.

The room most founders spend years trying to get into. You leave with real buyer feedback, warm introductions, and a recorded pitch.

Curated founder dossiersDecks in advanceProduct samplesLive Q&AAMP-facilitated follow-ups
The kind of decision makers we open doors to
Walmart Macy's Target TJX
AMP Beauty retail-ready packaging
Five weeks · Tuesdays, 5:00–6:30 PM PT

Real operators. Real deliverables. A named partner in every session.

Wk 01
Know where you stand.
Position your brand, calculate wholesale margins, and complete your Readiness Score™.
AMP Beauty
Retail Readiness Score™
Wk 02
Tell a story decision makers remember.
Win the shelf — positioning, brand story, and a buyer pitch that lands.
Scaled Founder
Retail Pitch Deck
Wk 03
Create demand before you pitch.
Read demand signals, plan creator marketing, and produce content with AI.
Spate · Soona
90-Day Growth Plan
Wk 04
Build systems that scale.
Model cash flow, plan inventory, and automate the work that scales.
Cyphr · Blanka
Growth Roadmap
Wk 05
Step into the room.
Pitch your company directly to real decision makers. Receive feedback. Graduate.
Walmart · Decision Makers
Retail Preview Day
By Graduation

You don’t leave with notes.
You leave with proof.

✓Retail Readiness Score™
✓Buyer-ready pitch deck
✓Wholesale pricing model
✓90-day growth plan
✓Warm retail introductions
✓Recorded buyer presentation
The Investment

Everything you need to become retail-ready.

  • Retail Readiness Assessment™
  • Retail Preview Day
  • Founder Office Hours
  • Retail AI Playbook
  • Growth Templates
  • Lifetime Founder Community
Investment
$999

Two full scholarships available through Social Venture Studio.

Applications are free — we only invite founders we believe we can help.

Start my application
Selective Admissions

Every application is reviewed by the AMP team.

We look for founders committed to building scalable consumer brands — not simply launching products.

5
Weeks, virtual
Application-only
By review, not first-come
Rolling
Admissions
Start my application

Entrepreneurship creates opportunity that compounds.

Every successful founder creates opportunity beyond their company — jobs, stronger supplier networks, new retail innovation, more resilient communities. AMP Academy exists because entrepreneurship is one of the most effective engines of long-term economic mobility.

Shaped through collaboration with Social Venture Studio

The founders behind AMP Beauty
The founders behind AMP Beauty
Founders, in their words

Building with AMP opened the doors.

“One of the most amazing things that’s happened since we joined AMP is getting onto Target.com. It was a dream for us and we didn’t know how it was possible — but with AMP’s connections, it’s helped us grow.”

Valerie EmanuelCofounder, Rif Care

“When people hear your brand is in a national retailer, it absolutely brings credibility to your brand. It opens doors for you to scale and grow. Partnering with AMP Beauty provided me that opportunity.”

Kim BrownFounder, CocoXO

“We joined AMP because our commitment to reshaping beauty culture with conscious choices is perfectly aligned. Together, we’re celebrating diversity, self-love, and helping everyone feel confident in their natural glow.”

Sade ParhamCofounder, Blue Water Girls
Questions

Before you apply.

Can I apply if I’m pre-revenue?

AMP Academy is built for founders with a product already in market and early traction. If you’re early but selling, apply and tell us your story — we review holistically.

What if I’m already in retail?

Great — many founders join to expand from a first account toward national retail, sharpen unit economics, and prepare for larger decision makers. The program meets you where you are.

How much time is required?

Five weekly live sessions (about 90 minutes each) plus focused work on your deliverables — expect roughly 3–5 hours a week.

Are the sessions recorded?

Yes. Live sessions are recorded so you can revisit them — though the real value is showing up live for feedback and the room.

Who reviews applications?

The AMP team reviews every application. We look for committed founders building scalable consumer brands — not simply launching products.

Will I meet decision makers?

Yes — the program culminates in Retail Preview Day, where founders present to real retail decision makers and begin building relationships.

What happens after graduation?

You leave with your Retail Readiness Score, a decision-maker-ready pitch, warm introductions, and lifetime access to the AMP founder community and alumni network.

Apply

Six months from now, imagine opening an email that begins “We’d love to schedule a buyer meeting.”

Ready to become retail-ready?

We accept a limited cohort each season, reviewed on a rolling basis. Priority deadline November 7. The application takes about five minutes — and it’s free.

AMP Academy
Retail Accelerator — Application
About 5 minutes
Rolling review · Free to apply

Form not loading? Open the application in a new tab →

After you hit submit.

Here’s what to expect next.

STEP 01
We read it
Every application is read and reviewed by the AMP team — carefully, and on a rolling basis.
STEP 02
We may reach out
Some founders we’ll invite to a short, no-pressure conversation so we can get to know the brand better.
STEP 03
You hear back
A clear decision — and if it’s yes, a warm welcome into the cohort with everything you need to prep.
STEP 04
The cohort begins
Your cohort begins — five weeks to the brand retailers buy.

However it goes, we’re grateful you applied. We review every application with care and reach out to the founders we believe we can help most.