The Startup CPG Podcast

Startup CPG
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The top CPG podcast in the world, highlighting stories from founders, buyer spotlights, highly practical industry insights - all to give you a better chance at success.

  1. vor 5 Std.

    #259 - Mini-Episode: Legal Considerations for Co-Branding Agreements with Foster Garvey

    In this mini episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Hillary Hughes from Foster Garvey - a full-service legal firm supporting CPG brands across business formation, capital raising, IP protection, and regulatory compliance - to break down the legal fundamentals of co-branding agreements. Brand collaborations are everywhere right now, from Doritos Locos Tacos to Oreo-flavored Coke Zero, but the legal groundwork behind them is where brands most often get caught off guard. Hillary brings years of experience helping CPG companies structure these deals from both sides of the table, walking through exactly what needs to be spelled out before two brands put their names on the same product. Daniel and Hillary dig into the difference between true co-branding and simple licensing, how smaller brands can use collaborations to access a larger brand's customer base without the acquisition spend, and why the "divorce" clauses matter just as much as the excitement of the launch. Listen in as they discuss: What co-branding actually means, with real examples: Doritos Locos Tacos, Intel Inside, and the Oreo/Coca-Cola collaborationWhy smaller brands often benefit most from co-branding with a larger, established partnerCross-category co-branding opportunities beyond food, including travel and hospitality partnershipsThe difference between a true co-branding partnership and a simple licensing dealKey legal components every agreement needs: product scope, new IP ownership, term length, and economicsStructuring the deal: fixed fee vs. per-unit royalty vs. revenue share, and how to justify the numbersWhy termination and "divorce" clauses matter as much as the launch, covering recalls, scandal, bankruptcy, or acquisitionSupply chain and quality commitments: what happens if a co-branding partner can't fulfill their side of the dealMarketing approval rights and why both brands should have some obligation to actually promote the collaborationWhen to bring in a lawyer, and what founders can safely handle on their own first Episode Links: Hillary Hughes - Foster Garvey Email: hillary.hughes@foster.comFoster Garvey CPG Practice Website: foster.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillaryhhughes/ Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com. Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to "Transcript" at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's LinkedInQuestions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

  2. vor 3 Tagen

    Founder Fundraising Journey: Frozen One, Alan Chen & Conner Mennig

    In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Alan Chen and Conner Mennig, co-founders of Frozen One - a protein ice cream brand built to prove that "better for you" doesn't have to mean sacrificing taste. Frozen One delivers 40 grams of protein and under 400 calories per pint, a fraction of what a traditional pint of ice cream contains, and has grown into one of the fastest-rising frozen brands in the country. Alan and Conner met at UW Madison in 2020 and reconnected in Austin while both stuck in unfulfilling sales jobs. A single gym conversation in January 2025 about the lack of good high-protein options turned into a Ninja Creami machine that same night - and a trademark filed two days later. Together they run a scrappy, relationship-driven operation: Conner focused on operations and finance, Alan on product and marketing, both present at every investor and buyer meeting. Hannah and the co-founders dig into the three fundraising milestones that took Frozen One from a Ninja Creami in an apartment to over 2,300 doors nationwide, including Target, Wegmans, and Central Market. Listen in as they discuss: How a single gym complaint in January 2025 turned into a trademark filing two days laterLanding a $250K first check on a SAFE from a local Austin investor Conner met at a house partyThe scramble to close an oversubscribed $2M round after Target asked for 1,500 doors in three monthsSplitting founder responsibilities: Alan on product and ice cream R&D, Conner on operations and financeLanding Central Market by cold-calling the buyer - and how that velocity data fueled investor conversationsBuilding the team: a creative director roommate, a "head of ice cream," an ad-ops hire, and a new COO from Van LeeuwenWhy the current $5.5M round with Brand Foundry is primarily focused on closing the team and bandwidth gapTurning investor "no's" into direct, honest feedback conversations instead of walking away quietlyWhat surprised them most about CPG: just how genuinely difficult and slow retail execution is, even after landing the deal Episode Links: Alan Chen – Co-Founder, Frozen One Email: alan@frozen-one.com (domain inferred from Conner's confirmed email - please verify)Conner Mennig – Co-Founder, Frozen One Email: connor@frozen-one.comFrozen One Instagram: @frozenoneproteinWebsite: frozen-one.comDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com. Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to "Transcript" at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Hannah's LinkedInQuestions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

  3. vor 4 Tagen

    Founder Feature: Bar Bruhis of Boostcous

    In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Bar Bruhis, founder of Boostcous - the world's first better-for-you couscous, built to fill a gap in a grocery aisle that hasn't seen a single innovation while pasta brands like Banza and Goodles have completely reinvented their category. Boostcous delivers 18 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber per serving using just three ingredients - chickpeas, lentils, and peas - with zero fillers or xanthan gum. Bar was born in Israel, grew up eating couscous, and spent two years and over 100 kitchen batches formulating a version that actually tastes good. He comes from a DTC and SaaS background, launching direct-to-consumer first to prove product-market fit before ever approaching a retailer - hitting 10,000 Shopify orders in six months. Caitlin and Bar dig into his immigrant mentality and why he built such a strong network early, the genius post-purchase survey question that got him a call with a Costco buyer, and why he's now in Lieber's Locavore and pitching Whole Foods and Walmart after his first trade show at Summer Fancy Food. Listen in as they discuss: Why the couscous aisle has seen zero innovation while pasta has been completely reinvented by brands like Banza and GoodlesHow a licensing deal with an Italian protein-couscous manufacturer collapsed overnight because of Trump-era tariffsBetting a small, capped amount of personal capital with a U.S. co-man just to test product-market fitHitting 10,000 Shopify orders in six months and why starting DTC-first was non-negotiableBar's immigrant mentality, early mentorship from Noah Kagan, and building an entire events business (D2Ski) just to deepen his CPG networkThe one post-purchase survey question that turned into a Costco buyer call within three daysGoing from zero in-person sampling to landing on shelf at Lieber's Locavore through Startup CPG's Denver grocery runKey lessons from Boostcous's first major trade show at Summer Fancy Food, including new conversations with Whole Foods and WalmartWhy gluten-free shoppers and parents of toddlers have become two of Boostcous's strongest customer demographics Episode Links: Bar Bruhis – Founder, Boostcous LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbruhis/Website: boostcous.comInstagram: instagram.com/boostcous Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com. Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to "Transcript" at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Caitlin's LinkedInQuestions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics Head to eatmezcla.com and use code STARTUPCPG for 20% off your first order.Promo code expires on September 30th 2026.

  4. 21. Juli

    #258 - How Dossier Disrupted the Fragrance Industry

    In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Sergio Tache, co-founder of Dossier, the fragrance brand that grew from hand-filling bottles in a Brooklyn basement in 2019 to $150 million in sales — including the #1 perfume spot at Walmart and #3 at Target — culminating in a recent successful sale of the business. Though Daniel and Sergio go back to their business school days playing rugby together, this is the first time the full Dossier story gets told in public. Sergio breaks down the "aha moment" that started it all: realizing that a $52 bottle of luxury perfume costs roughly a dollar to produce, and that there was a massive opportunity to deliver the same quality — same French perfumers, same ingredients — at a fraction of the price. From there, Dossier built a DTC engine around fragrance "impressions" (legally distinct from counterfeits), a no-questions-asked return policy, and one of the most disciplined approaches to packaging economics in the category. Daniel and Sergio also get into the brutal realities of scaling into wholesale — the cash flow shock of net-30/60/75 terms, a $33 bank balance four days before payroll, and a packaging redesign that took far longer than anyone expected — plus what's next as Dossier pushes its original fragrance line toward a $60 million goal by 2027. Listen in as they discuss: The math behind Dossier's founding insight: luxury perfume margins and why a $52 bottle can cost about a dollar to makeHow "impressions" work legally — and why Dossier leaned into quality instead of just chasing the lowest priceBuilding trust for fragrance e-commerce with a no-questions-asked return policy that kept returns under 5%Why using one bottle, pump, and cap design across all SKUs helped both branding and unit economicsThe CAC-as-rent mindset and why average order value matters as much as margin in DTCHow an unsolicited email nearly got deleted before it turned into Dossier's Walmart partnershipThe steep learning curve of moving from DTC to wholesale — brokers, 3PL specialization, and demand planningThe packaging crisis: why a "brand box" built for DTC completely failed on retail shelvesSurviving a cash crunch with $33 in the bank four days before payroll — and what separates a good supplier from a great oneWhy fragrance is one of grocery's fastest-growing categories, driven by mass-tier accessibility rather than premiumization Episode Links: Sergio Tache – Co-Founder, Dossier: LinkedInDossier Website: dossier.co  Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com. Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to "Transcript" at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's LinkedInQuestions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

  5. 20. Juli

    Non-GMO, Organic, or Gluten-Free? How to Decide Which Certifications Are Worth It

    In this episode of R&D Radio, hosted by food scientist Adam Yee, Adam sits down with Esther Levy, founder of Evolve Food Consultants, to unpack the real decision-making process behind third-party certifications — organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, kosher, and beyond. Esther holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and an MBA, brings over 15 years of experience in manufacturing, regulatory compliance, food labeling, and food safety, and spent a decade specializing in organic juice before founding her own consulting firm. Esther and Adam get into why "getting certified organic" sounds simple but rarely is — breaking down the three forces that make or break a certification decision: ingredient supply, cost, and manufacturer availability. From an organic potato chip project that turned out to be nearly impossible to source, to the difference between making a substantiated claim versus paying for the trademarked logo, this episode maps out exactly what founders are getting into before they commit. Listen in as they cover: Why organic is often "doable" in theory but category-dependent in practice — and what determines whether it's a launch-day decision or a year-two goalThe real cost gap between organic and conventional ingredients, from pricing to minimum order quantitiesWhy an "organic potato chip" is one of the hardest products in food to actually source and produceThe difference between making a substantiated claim (like "non-GMO") and paying for a certification logo like the Non-GMO Project butterflyHow Esther uses hard data and real supplier quotes — not theoretical debate — to help founders make fast, informed certification decisionsWhy even simple three-ingredient products are often the most complex to certify and manufacture at scaleThe evolving nature of formulation and branding, and why almost no retail brand launched exactly as it exists todayCurrent food trends Esther is watching: upcycled and novel fibers, prebiotic claim substantiation, and rising demand for ingredient transparencyWhy unsubstantiated claims — even from small brands — can trigger costly legal exposure, using the Poppi prebiotic lawsuit as a cautionary exampleWhy staying organized with documentation isn't just a nice-to-have — it's what protects a brand when a claim gets challenged Episode Links: Esther Levy – Founder, Evolve Food Consultants: LinkedInWebsite: evolvefoodconsultants.comEmail: esther@evolvefoodconsultants.com Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com. Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to "Transcript" at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Adam's LinkedInQuestions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

  6. 17. Juli

    The Case for Frozen Muffins: How Unrefined Foods Is Bringing Whole Grain Nutrition to the Freezer Aisle

    In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Melissa Bermudez, founder of Unrefined Foods — frozen muffins made with 100% stone-milled whole grains and real fruits and vegetables. Melissa's path to founder started far from the kitchen: investment banking at JP Morgan, a hedge fund, business school, and stints at Walden Local Meat and a Big Ag financing firm, before landing at her kitchen counter with three kids under three (including twins) and a KitchenAid full of shredded zucchini. What began as batch-freezing muffins to survive school lunch mornings turned into a mission-driven brand tackling one of the most overlooked corners of the food system: wheat. While gluten-free has dominated the conversation for years, Melissa is betting on fresh-milled, stone-ground wheat — and the direct farmer relationships needed to source organic and regenerative grain in a market where only 2% of U.S. wheat production is certified organic. Caitlin and Melissa dig into why fresh-milled flour tastes nothing like store-bought whole wheat, the operational tradeoffs of a two-day shelf life muffin, why the freezer aisle might be the real frontier for changing how families eat, and the viral added-sugar demo that turned heads (and briefly a customer's stomach). Listen in as they discuss: Why fresh-milled wheat flour is a completely different product from anything on grocery shelves — and the coffee bean analogy that explains whyMelissa's path from Big Ag financing to founder, and what working directly with farmers taught her about the realities of the commodity systemWhy only 2% of U.S. wheat is organic, and how Unrefined Foods is building direct farmer relationships to change thatThe chaotic kitchen-counter origin story: three kids under three, an overflow of neighbor zucchini, and a muffin recipe that became a businessWhy Unrefined Foods chose frozen over fresh — and how a 2-day shelf life shaped the entire product formatThe case for the freezer aisle as an underrated tool for delivering high-quality, less-processed food to time-strapped parentsHow Unrefined Foods is using bakery-adjacent placement (like near pie crusts and waffles) to become a "category expander" in the frozen sectionThe maple syrup demo video that showed shoppers exactly how much added sugar is hiding in a typical bakery muffinWhy Melissa deliberately keeps her muffins less sweet — and lets parents decide whether to doctor them up Episode Links: Melissa Bermudez – Founder, Unrefined Foods: LinkedInWebsite: unrefinedfoods.comInstagram: instagram.com/unrefinedfoodsco Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com. Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to "Transcript" at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Caitlin's LinkedInQuestions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

  7. 14. Juli

    #257 Co-Man Due Diligence 101 with Riot Energy and Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

    In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Laura Jakobsen, founder of Riot Energy, and Daniella Carelli, Special Counsel at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, for a deep dive into co-manufacturer due diligence — finding the right partner, evaluating them properly, and getting a solid contract in place before things go wrong. Riot Energy has scaled from an early-stage beverage brand into nationwide distribution across Whole Foods, Costco, and convenience, all while pushing co-packers to produce a next-gen energy drink with no artificial sweeteners, no added sugar, and real ingredients. Laura brings the brand-side battle scars; Daniella brings nearly a decade of legal experience representing both brands and co-manufacturers, giving the conversation a rare view from both sides of the negotiating table. Together they unpack what actually separates a good co-man relationship from a costly one — not just price per unit, but reporting transparency, yield loss tracking, IP protection, and the kind of contract flexibility that only shows up when you ask the right questions upfront. Listen in as they discuss: Why the "partnership approach" matters more than price when evaluating a co-manufacturerThe three reporting buckets every brand needs from day one: attainment, inventory, and shipping/receivingA real contract clause example — flavor-swap flexibility when ingredients don't show up on timeHow to protect trade secrets when a co-packer has full visibility into your recipe, including working with flavor houses to fragment the formulaWhat to actually look for during a facility walkthrough, from hairnets to batch cards to QA cultureWhy founders should build their own baseline co-man agreement instead of just redlining the co-packer's templateThe case for flexible payment terms over the lowest per-unit price — and how that impacts cash flowWhy yield loss tracking is one of the most overlooked (and costly) blind spots for early-stage brandsWhen a PO-to-PO relationship is fine — and when it's time to invest in a formal long-form contractHow to test whether a potential co-man will actually be a partner, not just a vendor, before you sign anything Episode Links: Laura Jakobsen – Founder, Riot Energy: LinkedInRiot Energy Website: https://riot.energy/ Daniella Carelli – Special Counsel, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP: LinkedInKelley Drye & Warren LLP – Consumer Packaged Goods Practice: https://www.kelleydrye.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goodsDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com. Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to "Transcript" at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's LinkedInQuestions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

  8. 11. Juli

    Oddball's Path From Idea to Funding a Nationwide Target Launch

    In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Sophia Cheng, Founder and CEO of Oddball, for a Founder Fundraising Journey conversation. Oddball is reimagining snacking for a new generation with jiggly, nostalgic fruit cups made from real fruit juices and purees — no artificial flavors or colors — inspired by the fruit-based snacks Sophia grew up with in Singapore. The brand is currently sold exclusively at Target and Target.com, with a nationwide expansion and new SKU launching just four months after its initial rollout. Sophia's path to founder was anything but conventional: from management consulting to Bridgewater Associates under Ray Dalio, to a strategy director role at Estée Lauder, where she watched indie beauty brands reshape an entire industry before eventually building Oddball on the side — testing benchtop formulations at farmers markets and pitch competitions before ever raising a dollar. Hannah and Sophia get candid about what it actually takes to fundraise as a first-time, minority woman founder in CPG: the mental shift from "convincing" to "aligning," why the hardest round is always the first, and how to build investor relationships that function more like real friendships than transactions. Listen in as they discuss: How a corporate career at Bridgewater and Estée Lauder shaped Sophia's point of view on brand-building and category trendsThe origin of Oddball: catching up to her own junk-food habits and reimagining a nostalgic fruit snack without artificial ingredientsValidating the idea before raising a dollar — bringing a benchtop product to Sprouts and pitch competitions firstWhy CPG fundraising is fundamentally different from tech, and why 2023's shifting investor landscape made a first raise even harderThe mindset shift from "convincing people to believe in you" to "finding the people who already do"Understanding investor incentives as a structured game — and why cap table strategy depends on your own founder styleHow many investors typically participate in a raise (a direct answer to a Startup CPG Slack community question)Building investor relationships rooted in transparency and respect, including Sophia's rapport with lead VC Springdale VenturesEmbracing fear as a compass — and treating fundraising rejection as fuel rather than a source of bitternessWhat's next for Oddball: nationwide Target expansion, a new flavor launch, and the goal of becoming "the Willy Wonka of fruit" Episode Links: Sophia Cheng – Founder & CEO, Oddball: LinkedInOddball: Available at Target and Target.comContact: Sophia@oddballworld Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com. Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to "Transcript" at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Hannah's LinkedInQuestions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

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The top CPG podcast in the world, highlighting stories from founders, buyer spotlights, highly practical industry insights - all to give you a better chance at success.

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