The bar for consumer investment has never been higher and neither has the cost of getting it wrong. In a market defined by persistent macro pressure, evolving trade policy, and shifting consumer spending, middle-market sponsors are demanding more from their theses upfront and working harder to protect value once deployed. This panel will explore what separates the consumer businesses worth backing from those that only look compelling on paper and what stress-testing assumptions around brand strength, pricing power, supply chain resilience, and customer loyalty looks like before and after close. Panelists will discuss how the full deal team is aligned around value protection as much as value creation, and what it takes to carry a consumer platform confidently from entry to exit.