Podcasts by The Food Startups Podcast

Ep 176: Mental Health Roundtable with Jeremy Smith, Mark Samuel&Hugh Thomas from 2019-12-24T16:00

A discussion on mental health with our guests:

• Jeremy Smith - CEO of Launchpad
• Mark Samuel - Founder & CEO of iWON Organics
• Hugh Thomas - Co-founder & CEO of Ugly ...
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Ep 175: Position Your Business and Investor Relationship For Success from 2019-12-13T17:00

Tom Spier is the Founder and Managing Partner of Boulder Food Group(BFG), a venture capital firm that seeks partnerships with early stage food and beverage consumer product companies. Tom previo...

Ep 174 - Going from 0-1300 stores in Eight Months from 2019-11-24T19:03:44

Jessica Levison is the Founder and CEO of Pekaboo Ice Cream. In her search to get veggies into her three toddlers, this lawyer turned Ice Cream Confectionist started infusing vegetables in ice c...

Ep 173 - How Collaboration Can Catapult a Brand's Success from 2019-06-26T05:28:56

Francisco Pavan is the Co-Founder of Kumana, a company that makes Avocado Sauces inspired by Venezuelan cuisine. 

After traveling the world and experiencing different cultures through foo...

Ep 172 - Turning a Home Remedy to a Successful Beverage Brand from 2019-06-17T04:41:53

Kenneth Park is the founder and CEO of Detoxwater, an Aloe Vera water brand that started as a home remedy that his mom used for digestive problems and other illnesses. Ken eventually introduced ...

Ep 171 - Importance of Shelf Strategy, Perseverance and Vision - Matt Cohen of KidFresh from 2019-05-16T03:55:59

Mark Cohen is the founder and CEO of Kidfresh, a food brand that was inspired by Matt's goal to provide a line of better-for-you and tasty kids meals to-go made with the same quality ingredients...

Ep 170 - How to Make Your Product an Amazon Best Seller and More, with Katie Jesionowski from 2019-04-29T06:24:41

Katie Katie Jesionowski is Co-Founder of MySuperFoods, a company that makes superfoods for kids. With three product lines distributed nationally via natural food channels, traditional grocery, f...

Ep 169 - The technique of self distribution and building strong relationships with buyers - Sadie from Bread Srsly from 2018-11-05T17:00

Sadie Scheffer is the founder and CEO of Bread Srsly, a wholesale sourdough bread company that wants to reunite gluten-free eaters with their beloved sourdough bread.

All of th...

Ep 168 - How fanaticism and a solid channel mix strategy can help you thrive in the beverage industry - Matt from Wandering Bear Coffee from 2018-10-02T16:00

Matt Bachmann is the co-founder of Wandering Bear Coffee, a company that produces and distributes cold brew beverages. The company started back in 2013 and is now sold in over 750 retailers, inc...

Ep 167 - Learn about regenerative agriculture and how it can reverse climate change - Annie from Kiss The Ground from 2018-09-03T16:00

Annie is an activist, writer, scientist, and marketing manager dedicated to environmental issues related to food, water, and agriculture. She works with consumers, suppliers, and purc...

EP166 - How the passion for spirits combined with strategic execution made this cocktail vinegars brand a hit from 2018-08-02T20:42:47

Don Morton is a bartender, WSET trained wine nerd, cocktail geek, fermentation enthusiast, and an eager host...

Ep165 - Launch a record breaking kickstarter campaign and a solid marketing strategy - John “Sonic” Ban and Mark Yu of Grass Fed Coffee from 2018-07-20T15:55:07

John “Sonic” Ban has worn many hats, is a serial entrepreneur and shares valuable lessons from his experience, in this episode. Also known as DJ Sonic, due to 10+ years in a hip hop r...

Ep164- Build a Community Before a Food Brand - Hema of Crafty Counter from 2018-03-28T13:03:18

Hema Reddy is the Founder & CEO of Crafty Counter, an innovative packaged food products company, and their first product line is available in the market today, an...

Ep163- Why Amazon-Whole Foods is unlikely to work (for Whole Foods) from 2017-11-20T20:33:55

There is no denying the inventory and logistics benefits of Whole Foods being purchased by Amazon. Any spreadsheet or report can show that.

But what is often overlooked in the history of ...

Ep162- On Building True Fans, Mentors and E-commerce Dominance - Madeline of nutpods from 2017-09-21T18:04:09

In just a few years, nutpods is on fire. A dairy-free coffee creamer, they have passed Coffee Mate on Amazon.com for # of reviews. Talk about "review capital"!

She entered the food space ...

Ep161- Logistics Strategy with Andrew of Zipline PART 2 from 2017-09-14T18:39:52

Ep160- Logistics Strategy Part 1 from 2017-09-07T17:37:26

Andrew Lynch is co-founder and president of the Zipline Logistics, an award-winning North American 3PL that specializes exclusively in the transportation of retail consumer goods and food...

Ep159- Cauliflower as a Bread Replacement? - Jeanne of Outer Aisle from 2017-08-31T14:06:24

Jeanne David has created a company by taking a long-used veggie as a replacement for pizza crust and bread.

By cutting out refined carbs, one can transform health. We talk about the anti-...

Ep158- A Pragmatic, Visionary Capitalist - Michael of Green Chef from 2017-08-24T16:37:10

Mindset, packaging, food labeling, logistics, innovation, systems thinking, sustainability, traceability, and big e-commerce in the delivery space. This episode has it all.

I don't say th...

Ep157- Seaweed, Category Leading, and 25 Years in the Game - Steve of GimMe Health from 2017-08-17T16:35:12

Steve Broad is on his second startup in the food space.

He previously had Co-Founded and was CEO of Annie Chun’s Inc. with his wife, Annie Chun. They started at the Farmer’s Market in 199...

Ep156- Personal Strength, Community, and Homegrown Veggies - Sam of Vinder from 2017-08-10T15:08:10

Sam Lillie is the founder/CEO of Vinder, a peer-to-peer marketplace for homegrown produce that connects home gardeners who hate seeing their excess veggies go to waste, with fellow community mem...

Ep155- How to Last in the Natural Foods Space - Joshua of Living Intentions from 2017-08-03T17:10:29

"I had a lot of experiences where I truly manifested my reality. And those experiences continue."

Joshua Mchugh has been at this for 13 years. Not many startups make it to the decade mark...

Ep154- Food Biz Success in 3 Steps from 2017-07-27T13:08:33

Hi all!

In today's brief episode, I evaluate the success of the past 50 guests on the show and synthesize it into 3 steps.

Ep153- Investing in the 1% - Jordan of AccelFoods from 2017-07-20T13:08:50

"Back the jockey, not the horse."

At early revenue stages, the founder is crucial when deciding whether or not to invest.

Out of every 100 or so food startups Accel Foods invests i...

Ep152- How to Run a Premium, Global Brand - Reza of Icelandic Glacial from 2017-07-13T13:40:17

Reza Mirza has an exciting job: CEO of Icelandic Glacial. A premium brand, they control the sole commercial rights to bottle and sell water from the legendary Ölfus Spring.

In 21 countrie...

Ep151- #1 on Amazon + Road Trip Retail Strategy - Alex of Bizzy Coffee from 2017-07-06T15:18:18

When I asked Alex how they came up with the idea for an energy shot. It was simple: Our customers told us.

Before the interview, I thought: "Why would anyone start a cold-brew coffee comp...

Ep150- Raising Money + Lessons from 1000 Founders - Steven of CircleUp from 2017-06-29T13:57:31

For Steven, it's all about patterns. He has spoken to over 1,000 founders and has developed a sense for which startups are going to flourish.

He focuses on sourcing and evaluating premier...

Ep149- Health, Wealth + Coconuts - Alex of Genius from 2017-06-22T12:37:12

Most Americans are sick. Alex Bayer saw it first hand, dealing insurance policies for AFLAC in southern California.

Born and raised in Palos Verdes, he has followed an extremely healthy a...

Ep148- The Blockchain and Food - Emma of AgriDigital from 2017-06-15T16:04:09

Imagine if, in 1996, you knew that the internet was going to be the next big thing. In hindsight, it seems obvious, but it wasn't at the time.

Now we are on the brink of a new technology ...

Ep147- More on Brokers, Costco, and the Evolving Food Space - Jeremy of LaunchPad from 2017-06-08T16:29:59

Jeremy Smith is back. If you haven't heard the first interview, listen here.

There is trouble in the food broker space. The mar...

Ep146- How to Join and Thrive at a Food Startup - Amanda Sains of B'more Organic from 2017-06-01T18:39:25

In the last episode, we spoke with the founder of B'More Organic. This week we interview their secret weapon, Amanda Sains.

Amanda was in the corporate world and wanted a change. She star...

Ep145- Resourcefulness, Skyr, + Taking a Bite out of Disease - Andrew of Skyr from 2017-05-25T16:40:32

"Necessity creates opportunities in my life."

Andrew Buerger was in his 40's and stuck in a declining industry. He had to find something new.

While mountain climbing in Iceland, tr...

Ep144- A Lesson on Biz Dev and Consumer Behavior - Andy of Basket Savings from 2017-05-18T16:27:01

In the space Andy Ellwood plays in, every few years you need to be prepared to start over.

On his dynamic career "path", Andy has become a high-performer in business development with a tr...

Ep143- Finding the White Space - Mikey's from 2017-05-11T16:28:12

He started Mikey's Muffins as a side hustle to pay the rent. As of today, his products are in more than 4500 retailers nationwide.

Michael Tierney began working in professional kitchens a...

Ep142- Raw Sugar, Strategy, + Serendipity - Robbie of Just Panela from 2017-05-04T15:37:24

He thought he was going to be a diplomat. While gaining international experience in Medellin, Colombia, he fell into a circle of entrepreneurs.

And everything changed. Robbie Thomas teame...

Ep141- How to Reinvent Yourself, Build Startups - Tobias of Square Roots from 2017-04-27T16:20:28

Tobias Peggs understands how to pivot; how to evolve. He has primarily operated in venture-backed tech startup environments (twice as CEO w/exits to Walmart and Adobe).

He has led compani...

Ep140- Mushrooms, Customer Rituals, and Lifestyle - Tero of Four Sigmatic from 2017-04-20T16:46:43

Tero Isokauppila, the founder of Four Sigmatic, is on a mission to make medicinal mushrooms, some of the world’s most researched superfoods, more accessible to everyone.

Born in Finland t...

Ep139- Costco, Chobani, and Becoming Iconic - Jeremy of LaunchPad from 2017-04-13T15:01:26

Jeremy Smith is fed up with the food brokerage industry. There are a shortage of great food brokers. And grocery buyers have noticed. That's why he is back in the game.

He previously sold...

Ep138- Inside the Buyer's Brain - Alli Ball from 2017-04-06T19:14:25

I thought I knew a decent amount about how to connect with buyers. I was wrong.

Alli Ball has all the secrets I wanted to know. She has successfully opened several retail locations, inclu...

Ep137- Chicory, Prebiotic Health Benefits, and B2B Sales - David of Blue Prarie from 2017-03-30T16:10:37

When David Woodburn was asked to be the CEO of Blue Prarie, he didn't know what chicory was. Now, he is leading the charge developing prebiotic, chicory-based ingredients that help maintain a he...

Ep136- Building a Popsicle Empire - Daniel of Good Pop from 2017-03-23T14:13:54

He founded GoodPop on a ramen noodle budget in 2009 and hasn’t accepted investments since. College student at the time, Daniel couldn’t find an all-natural popsicle, snow cone or frozen treat to...

Ep135- International Man of Food Development - Tim Forrest from 2017-03-16T17:18:08

Cookies in Saudi Arabia, pomegranates in Croatia, bananas in Ecuador, Olive oil in Georgia. Tim has done it all.

In the food business since 1988, he helps companies add thousands of retai...

Ep134- Insights from an Austin Food Legend - Scott of Rhythm Superfoods / Stubb's BBQ from 2017-03-09T13:58:50

Scott Jensen is Co-Founder and CEO of Rhythm Superfoods, a manufacturer of organic plant-based superfoods snacks. I am snacking on their delicous broccoli bites as we speak!

He is the for...

Ep133- Food Systems, Startup Investing, and Creating Alpha - Victor of S2G Ventures from 2017-03-02T19:59:16

Everything changed on his visit to the Central Market in Valencia, Spain: Victor Friedberg realized that food is a system.

He returned to the U.S. and dove head first into learning about ...

Ep132- Building an Amazonian Enterprise - Dan from Runa from 2017-02-24T11:18:08

Dan MacCombie is the co-founder and former Co-CEO of Runa, an Amazonian social enterprise and beverage company supporting indigenous farmers sustainably growing guayusa tea in the rainforest. Listen

Ep131- The Future of Chips - Brand Evolution - Christian of Cabo Chips from 2017-02-16T20:05:36

It all started 12 years ago in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Today, it is a nationwide brand based out of Southern California.

Christian Bunte started Cabo Chips in college and has been doing i...

Ep130- Nutrition Tips + The Best Baby Food Money Can Buy - Cassandra of Once Upon a Farm from 2017-02-09T18:23:47

Doing research for this interview, I quickly realized that this is no ordinary baby food. It utilizes start of the art technology. And adults love it too!

Cassandra Curtis is a nutrition ...

Ep129- Bogotá to Eugene, Solo to Co-Founder, Crafting Beer - Doug of Alesong from 2017-02-02T21:43:06

Douglas Coombs decided it was time for a change.

He left a tech startup in a South American city of 9 million people and moved to a small college town in Oregon to start a brewery. Why an...

Ep128- Organic Chicken with a Farmer Focus - Jefferson of SVO from 2017-01-26T17:19:17

Once you have the chance to eat organic chicken, it is difficult to return to the conventional. I say this from experience.

Jefferson Heatwole and Shenandoah Valley Organics (SVO) are try...

Ep127- Growth, Awareness, Inc. 500 - Courtney of SmartyPants Vitamins from 2017-01-19T22:24:01

It started off as an Amazon.com side business. Now it is one of the fastest growing companies in the United States.

But Courtney Gould had to evolve as a person and leader in order to mak...

Ep126- Advice from a Franchise Extraordinaire - Greg Sausaman of Topper's Creamery from 2017-01-12T19:02:06

“And I asked him: Why are you doing this? Your grandchildren won't have to work..” -Greg to his co-founder Wade who owns more than 50 Papa John's pizza franchises.

Greg Sausaman ...

Ep125- Money, Pressure, and Passion - The Art of Authenticity from 2016-12-29T13:44:09

Turning the tables to end the year, this time I am the interviewee.

Laura Coe, of The Art of Authenticity, and I talk about Money, Pressure, and Passion.

Copying the show notes fro...

Ep124- How to Make 2017 Better from 2016-12-22T13:52:51

Dear listeners,

You know me from my podcast. I've spoken to over 100 experts and I always try to get advice. As...

Ep123- Indoor Growing, Coworking, and Coliving - Eric of ROOT from 2016-12-15T13:56:25

Eric De Feo grew up in New York, the son of Italian immigrants. As a child, he learned about design, building, and community.

He also learned that living in a big house means a lot of wor...

Ep122- Local Empowerment + Alternative Sales Channels - Kim of Cureate from 2016-12-08T15:54:29

You don't HAVE to follow the cookie-cutter retail sales model. An entrepreneur can feel powerless when they are 100% dependent on one or two large grocery buyers for the success of their food st...

Ep121- Perfect Fuel, Perfect Mentors, Perfect Acquisition - Nicolas Warren from 2016-12-01T20:48:06

"I attribute my success to my numerous beloved mentors and getting up early in the morning to play and work harder."

Nicolas Warren is relied upon for action, leadership, strateg...

Ep120- Pro Tips from the All-Stars of Food from 2016-11-24T15:42:12

Happy thanksgiving to all! In this episode we pay thanks to and learn from the all-stars of food. Learnings from five of the most innovative and successful entrepreneurs in the game:

Tim ...

Ep119- How to Change the World via Food with Tim West from 2016-11-17T15:08:57

Recognized as one of Zagat’s 30 under 30 in 2013, Tim West is a Slow Food chef turned Social Entrepreneur. He is a Culinary Institute of America (CIA) graduate and grandson of Arch West, the inv...

Ep118- Do You Need a Food Broker? Andrew of YINYANG NATURALS from 2016-11-10T21:34:32

He is the founder of Yin Yang Naturals, a food brokerage focused on the natural retail channel.

Andrew Chae worked in his family’s food manufacturing business since his teenage years. In ...

Ep117- $$$ for American Food Startups - Adam of Kiva from 2016-11-03T21:26:10

Featuring cameos from Keely Gerhold of Tinyfield Roofhop Farms and Corey Wood of Elixir Ko...