Entrepreneur-in-Residence (CPG)

Fieldbook Studio, an Alloy Partners venture studio located in Bentonville, Arkansas, is focused on creating advantaged companies across the retail value chain. Muckender is a premium cleaning towel brand built for construction, home improvement, and DIY professionals. 

Launched in November 2025, the company reached $200,000 in revenue and 6,000 orders in its first five months through a direct-to-consumer channel powered by three endemic content creators in the home improvement and DIY space. With 100,000 units in inventory, a new SKU launching imminently, and early wholesale traction in the Southeast, Muckender is now looking for an operator to take the brand from proven DTC success into scalable regional retail and beyond.

Fieldbook Studio is seeking an Entrepreneur in Residence who will lead Muckender through its wholesale retail expansion, operational buildout, and fundraising. This role is intended to transition into a founding CEO role at the time of incorporation and spinout.

This is an opportunity to step into a brand with real traction, a proven product, and an established creator engine and scale it into a category-defining company inside the Bentonville retail ecosystem with the full support of the Alloy Partners venture studio model.

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What You'll Do:

Lead Wholesale Retail Expansion

• Own the wholesale sales motion end to end: generate leads, manage the pipeline, and close purchase orders with regional retail chains
• Build and execute a Southeast-first retail strategy, targeting chains of 10 to 250 stores where sell-through proof can be established before scaling nationally
• Develop and manage retailer relationships with accounts including Ace Hardware, Love’s Travel Stops, and similar regional chains
• Leverage Muckender’s established creator network as a strategic sales tool in retail proposals — including structuring and presenting creator media packages (estimated value $80K–$120K) as part of opening order conversations
• Understand and navigate the full post-PO process, including warehousing, labeling, PDQ and display requirements, and in-store sell-through support
• Represent Muckender at trade shows, industry events, and in-person retailer meetings

Own Day-to-Day Operations

• Inherit and optimize the existing operational infrastructure, including co-manufacturer relationships, inventory management, and fulfillment workflows
• Assess and evolve the current email and retention marketing setup, currently managed externally, and determine the right long-term model
• Build scalable systems and processes as wholesale volume grows and operational complexity increases
• Identify and implement improvements to 3PL strategy, cost structure, and logistics as the business scales

Drive Fundraising and Company Formation

• Lead the $2M–$2.5M raise in active partnership with co-founder Josh, including investor conversations, pitch deck iteration, and narrative development
• Participate actively in investor meetings and own key elements of the fundraising process
• Work toward full spinout and CEO transition as fundraising milestones are achieved

Collaborate with Co-Founder on Brand and Creator Strategy

This role works in close partnership with an existing Co-founder to ensure DTC and wholesale channels are aligned and mutually reinforcing. The creator relationships are a core commercial asset. The EIR is expected to understand how to deploy them strategically, not manage them directly.

• Coordinate on new SKU launches and product line expansion as the brand grows
• Ensure wholesale launch windows are sequenced with creator content to maximize retail sell-through

Requirements

Non-Negotiables

• Deep experience in CPG brand building or independent retail, including hands-on exposure to wholesale sales, post-PO logistics, and physical product considerations such as packaging, labeling, displays, and in-store presentation
• Demonstrated ownership of revenue and commercial outcomes, including driving new product distribution, opening new retail accounts, or building early wholesale go-to-market motions – ideally in resource-constrained or early-stage environments
• Ability to build and evaluate contribution margin models, structure wholesale pricing tiers, and make independent commercial decisions that protect brand margin
• Fluency in creator and influencer marketing as a sales tool, not just a brand awareness vehicle – comfort presenting creator media packages as deal points in retail buyer conversations
• Proven ability to operate in close partnership with a co-founder, comfortable with defined lane ownership, high trust, and a collaborative decision-making model
• Hands-on operator mentality: This is a lean environment, and the right person is comfortable owning everything themselves before a team is in place

Strongly Preferred

• Founder or senior operator experience in CPG or independent retail, particularly candidates who have taken a brand from concept through getting on shelf
• High credibility within the retail or emerging brand community and strong relationship-building instincts, particularly in home improvement, automotive, or adjacent hard goods categories
• Familiarity with 3PL operations, EDI compliance, UPC requirements, and product regulations
• Comfort traveling to trade shows, industry events, and retailer meetings across a multi-regional retail landscape
• Understanding of scalable business dynamics and experience building companies capable of reaching significant revenue scale
• Fundraising experience is a plus – co-founder will provide meaningful support, but active participation in investor conversations is expected from day one

Retail Sequencing Conviction

Candidates who lead with mass retail as an immediate entry point are not the right fit. The right candidate understands how to build regional velocity and sell-through proof before pursuing national chains – and can articulate why that sequencing creates a stronger long-term position.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation. Note that this will be a 1099 position until the concept is launched and incorporated, which could take several months. At that time, the role will transition into a W2 position with founder shares issued. 
• A collaborative, entrepreneurial environment with a proven venture studio playbook
• A highly validated concept and business model hypothesis developed by our team 
• The support of the venture studio and platform services, our goal is to surround the startup with world-class expertise in every discipline required to build a market-leading company

About Fieldbook: 

Fieldbook Studio conceptualizes, launches, and grows innovative startups in the Retail Value Chain sector. Our team works with entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate partners to identify and develop new business opportunities and provide support and resources to help startups succeed. Fieldbook Studio leverages the experience and expertise of the High Alpha Innovation team and partners to offer a wide range of services, including business strategy development, product design and development, marketing and branding, fundraising, and mentorship. 

About Alloy Partners: 

Alloy Partners (formerly High Alpha Innovation) is a venture builder with a radical thesis: we can build advantaged companies in partnership with corporations and entrepreneurs to unlock transformation and address society’s biggest challenges through startup creation.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Alloy Partners is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity at our company. We do not just accept diverse backgrounds, we celebrate them. Our company, the work we do, and our partners benefit from the value of a diverse team. No team member's value lies alone in their diversity, and because we value diversity so highly, we reiterate that all hiring and employment decisions are made on merit, performance, competence, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.