The Startup CPG Podcast

Startup CPG
  • 4.9 (638)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

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. 1d ago

    Why Investor Ryan Ball Wants You to Pivot Fast and Fundraise Smart

    In this Investor Spotlight, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Ryan Ball, founder of Sperian Ventures, to unpack the data, mindset, and founder qualities he looks for before writing a check into an early-stage CPG brand. Ryan's path into investing started almost by accident, coordinating a group investment while getting his MBA at the McCombs School of Business. That first deal evolved into Sperian Ventures, an angel network that pools capital into individual deals. Ryan brings a founder's perspective to every evaluation - he's started a spice company of his own and now runs a freight logistics company that gives him a front-row seat to the operational realities CPG brands face day to day. Hannah and Ryan dig into the metrics and data Ryan needs to see before considering an investment, why he sees pivots as a good sign rather than a red flag, the founder qualities that consistently stand out in a pitch, and what founders across different CPG subcategories should expect when it comes to fundraising. Listen in as they discuss: Why Ryan almost always requires sales velocity data - especially pre-, during-, and post-promo - before considering an investmentWhy Ryan sees pivots as a positive signal rather than a red flagThe revenue range and business maturity Sperian typically looks for in a CPG brandHow Ryan's own founder and logistics experience shapes his diligence conversationsThe founder qualities that get Ryan excited, from listening skills to staying level-headed under pressureWhat "give the investor no reason to say no" means in practice when preparing to raiseWhy LTV and category-specific limitations (like kids products founders age out of) matter to investorsThe consumer trend Ryan is most drawn to right now: simple, clean-label products with few ingredientsWhat a special purpose vehicle (SPV) is and how Ryan's angel network structures individual dealsHow to get in touch with Sperian Ventures if you're raising or interested in joining the investor network Episode Links: Ryan Ball LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-ball7Sperian Ventures LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sperian-ventures/about/Sperian Ventures Website: sperianventures.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 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-dittman-011b844bQuestions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

  2. 2d ago

    How Quincy Is Reinventing the Dirty Martini, One Perfect Jar at a Time

    Host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Halli Sigel, co-founder of Quincy, to talk about how a jar of olive brine turned into a category-defining mixers and garnishes brand. Quincy's mission is simple - build brand love for the other half of the glass by redefining mixers and garnishes for the modern consumer. Before Quincy, Halli spent nearly a decade inside high-growth, venture-backed startups like Casper and Chief, working at the intersection of operations and member experience - she was employee number seven at Chief. That mix of scaling businesses and building community stuck with her, and it planted the seed for what would eventually become Quincy. The idea itself came from her own fridge - after making a batch of dirty martinis for friends, she realized the brine ran out long before the olives did, and no one was making a jar built specifically for people who actually drink martinis. The conversation covers Quincy's origin story and the "why" behind the name, how the brand built three distinct revenue channels across retail, on-premise, and food service, what actually goes into a jar of Quincy, and how the brand has positioned itself to grow alongside both the alcohol and non-alcoholic markets. Halli also shares what's next for Quincy's single-SKU strategy and what she learned from her first Summer Fancy Food Show as an exhibiting brand. Listen in as they discuss: Why Quincy chose Spanish queen olives over the trendy CastelvetranoThe real story behind the name Quincy - and the actual person it's named afterHow a "beertini" collab with a Brooklyn brewery became Quincy's first co-branded productBuilding three separate revenue channels: retail, food service, and on-premise bar accountsWhy Quincy views the sober-curious and NA movement as a tailwind, not a threatWhat's actually inside a Quincy jar - the ratio of brine to olives, and why it's flipped from a typical olive jarHow buyer feedback at larger retailers is shaping Quincy's expansion plansLessons from exhibiting at Summer Fancy Food for the first timeHow Halli and co-founder Shelby Sims reconnected in 2023 after a false start in 2020Halli's go-to at-home recipe, featuring a dill-infused gin Episode Links: Halli Sigel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/halli-sigel-1b436395/Quincy Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/drinkquincy/ Website: https://drinkquincy.com/ Instagram: @drinkquincy   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 CPGSlack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Caitlin's LinkedInQuestions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

  3. 5d ago

    #261 - What Makes Brands Investable at Founders & Funders? with Hannah Dittman

    In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff turns the mic around on one of his own co-hosts. Hannah Dittman, former investor and host of Startup CPG's Saturday investing episodes, spends a huge amount of her time talking with founders and VCs and reviewing applications for Startup CPG's Founders and Funders events. Daniel puts her on the other side of the interview to answer one of the most common questions the community asks: what actually makes a brand investable? Hannah walks through her path from Benefit Cosmetics to private equity consulting at Parthenon Group, investing at Main Post Partners, and global brand management at Morphe before landing at Startup CPG. Daniel and Hannah then dig into what Founders and Funders and Roadshow events actually are, what goes into the application and one-pager investors receive, and the specific mistakes that keep brands from getting meetings even after they're accepted. Listen in as they discuss: Hannah's path from Cal and Benefit Cosmetics through private equity, VC investing, and brand management before Startup CPGWhat Founders and Funders and Roadshow are, and how the two event formats differWhy treating fundraising like a partnership evaluation, not a job interview, changes the entire dynamicWhat "investable" actually means to a VC: category, TAM, exit potential, and tractionWhether pre-revenue brands should even bother applying to investor eventsWhat the Founders and Funders application actually asks for, and why the one-minute pitch video mattersWhy skipping the pitch video is one of the fastest ways to get rejectedWhat makes an application stand out, and why "differentiated" means more than just the productHow investors read a brand's fundraising history, for better or worseInside the one-pager: the traction data point that matters most, and the formatting mistakes that bury itWhy competitive benchmarking and retailer quotes carry more weight than raw numbers aloneHow the investing landscape has shifted over the last decade, from pure growth to profitability and omnichannel successWhy "challenger brands in overlooked categories" are gaining more investor interest than everHannah's closing wish for founders: fundraising is relationship building, and investors are lucky to be part of your business too Episode Links: Hannah Dittman - Operations & Finance Host, Startup CPG LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-dittman-011b844b/Startup CPG Investor Database: https://startupcpg.com/top-investor-database 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

  4. Aug 8

    Springdale Ventures' Dan Graham on Financial Forecasting and Investor Communications

    In this Investor Spotlight episode, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Dan Graham, Co-Founder of Springdale Ventures, a firm writing seed-to-Series-A checks into fast-moving consumer brands. Dan breaks down exactly what Springdale looks for between early traction and institutional readiness - and why founders who lead with data, not narrative, win the room. Dan's path to venture was anything but linear. After studying computer science and philosophy at UT Austin and starting law school, he co-founded a printing company in 2006 that grew for over a decade before selling to VistaPrint in 2018 for $280 million. That exit funded his family office, Notley, and years of direct consumer investing before he partnered with Genevieve Gilbert to launch Springdale Ventures,. Hannah and Dan dig into Springdale's investment thesis and check size,how diligence splits between hard metrics and founder assessment, and the most common fundraising mistakes he sees at both early and later stages. They also unpack how forecasts are actually used in diligence and post-close, what "traction" really means in an intro email, and Dan's hard-won perspective on the emotional toll of founding a company. Listen in as they discuss: The transition from a personal family office to launching a focused venture fundSpringdale's thesis: seed-to-Series-A, better-for-you and repeat-purchase consumer productsHow Goodles exemplifies bringing disruption to an "old sleepy category"The split between quantifiable diligence (margin, velocity, CAC) and founder assessmentWhy Springdale sees 250 deals a quarter and how warm intros cut through the noiseWhat makes First Day's Alice a "quintessential" founder in Dan's portfolioThe narrative-vs-traction mismatch that trips up early-stage foundersWhy over-forecasting is a big pitfall for later-stage founders raising institutional moneyHow investors actually use (and pressure-test) a founder's financial model before and after closeDan's advice for founders with zero finance background, including using AI as a thought partnerWhat "traction" means in concrete terms when reaching out to an investor cold Episode Links: Dan Graham - Co-Founder, Springdale Ventures LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/maharg Email: dan@springdaleventures.com Company LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/springdale-ventures Website: www.springdaleventures.com Instagram: @springdaleventures  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.com Episode music by Super Fantastics

  5. Aug 7

    Founder Feature: Sheena Hamby of Mac Squares

    In this founder feature, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Sheena Hamby, founder of Mac Squares, baked mac and cheese frozen into squares, made with real aged cheddar cheese straight from the block, fresh milk, eggs, and spices, with zero cheese powder. Needing a fast comfort food that wasn't messy, Sheena created Mac Squares in a hospital kitchen while her daughter Nova was going through chemotherapy. Nurses and doctors started stopping by asking what she was cooking. Her family ate them, her kids ate them, cold or hot, and customers are now hiding the salmon SKU in their own deep freezers. Caitlin and Sheena dig into how frozen food is really just time travel, preserving the product at the exact moment it was made, Sheena's journey from hospital kitchen to her first retailer at Swamp Rabbit Cafe (which came from a Startup CPG event), her experience at the Fancy Food Show in New York, and the literal street sign that changed everything for her at a Startup CPG grocery run in Denver. Listen in as they discuss: How the idea for Mac Squares came from needing something fast and mess-free during her daughter's chemo treatmentCooking from scratch in a hospital kitchen after learning her daughter was allergic to dairyThe moment her daughter's oncologist tried Mac Squares during a Super Bowl watch and asked for the whole trayThe real ingredients behind Mac Squares: block cheddar, fresh milk and eggs, and less than 1% sodiumBuilding out five SKUs, including truffle, spinach, miso, salmon, and a dairy-free version made with oat milkHow the D2C pre-order model, shipping twice a month, allows Sheena to control logistics and productionDiscovering Startup CPG through a chance conversation, and applying to the Denver grocery run on a whimThe emotional Denver show: grieving her father, a street sign that felt like a sign, and pushing through anywayLanding Swamp Rabbit Cafe as her first grocery store accountWhy she reframes frozen food as "time travel," preserving a dish at the exact moment it was made Episode Links: Sheena Hamby - Founder, Mac Squares LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/sheenahambyWebsite: https://www.smacsquares.com/Instagram: @macsquares 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

  6. Aug 4

    #260 - Packaging Changes as you Grow with Evie's Snacks and Belmark

    In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Eve Ackerley, founder of Evie's Snacks, and Cody Ponsler from Belmark, one of the most recommended packaging partners in the Startup CPG community, to talk through how packaging evolves as a brand grows. Evie's Snacks makes direct-from-farm pecan snacks with only a third of the sugar of leading brands, sourced from Eve's family farms in South Texas. Eve started at farmer's markets with a simple craft bag and hand-applied black and white stickers before eventually moving to a fully custom printed pouch with Belmark. Along the way, she landed a DSD deal into 50 stores in the Northeast that forced a faster packaging upgrade than she expected, and got a piece of buyer feedback ("I thought this was laundry detergent") that reshaped how she thinks about packaging as a selling tool. Daniel, Eve, and Cody dig into the operational and strategic decisions behind pouch design: window versus no window, matte versus gloss, sizing, and why 50% of the brands Cody works with change their packaging art between their first and second production runs. Listen in as they discuss: Why Evie's Snacks only needs a third of the sugar of other brands (hint: it starts with fresh, high-quality pecans)The evolution from craft bags with hand-applied stickers to a fully custom printed pouchThe "three seconds and two questions" packaging rule Eve learned from a mentor in the potato chip industryUnderstanding the pecan category: where it's merchandised and why there's no dominant national player yetWhy Eve chose photography over a clear window, and the shelf-life tradeoff behind that decisionHow a sudden DSD deal into 50 Northeast stores forced Evie's Snacks to upgrade its packaging faster than plannedThe buyer feedback that stuck with Eve: "I thought this was laundry detergent"Why Cody recommends founders put unfinished packaging in front of real buyers before finalizing itThe overwhelming number of packaging choices founders face, and how Cody narrows them down to fit the brand storyWhy 50% of the brands Cody works with change their packaging art between their first and second production runsHow distributor shelf-life requirements (often 75% remaining) directly shape packaging decisionsEvie's Snacks' next chapter: nationwide at Sprouts and exploring new pack sizes Episode Links: Eve Ackerley - Founder, Evie's Snacks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eve-ackerley-97200a2b/Website: eviessnacks.comInstagram/TikTok: @eviessnacksCody Ponsler - Belmark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-ponsler-3852545b/Belmark has helped hundreds of small- to medium-sized CPG brands like yours solve packaging challenges - and they want to help you too. You can meet directly with one of their packaging experts and talk through whatever you're tackling. https://www.belmark.com/startup-cpg/ 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

  7. Aug 3

    R&D RADIO: Natural Flavors and Taste Modulation with Lauren Senne of Imbibe

    In this episode of R&D RADIO, host and food scientist Adam Yee sits down with Lauren Senne, Senior Manager of Applications and Taste Modulation at Imbibe, a drink consultancy in Chicago, to break down the real difference between characterizing flavors and taste modulation. Lauren has spent over a decade at Imbibe and more than 13 years in the flavor industry, and is a certified flavor chemist through the Society of Flavor Chemists, a certification process that takes a minimum of seven years and, realistically, closer to a decade to complete. Adam and Lauren dig into how bitter blockers actually work at the receptor level, why describing something as simple as "cherry" or "vanilla" can mean wildly different things to different clients, and what really happens to a product's mouthfeel and flavor balance when sugar gets pulled from a formula. They also get into why flavor houses guard their formulations as trade secrets and the clean-label trends reshaping the beverage world right now. Listen in as they discuss: What flavor actually is, and the difference between characterizing flavor and taste modulationThe rigorous, decade-long path to becoming a certified flavor chemist through the Society of Flavor ChemistsWhat the certification exam actually tests, including identifying chemicals by smell aloneHow flavorists learn the natural chemical building blocks behind fruit, spice, and other flavor profilesWhy aligning on something as simple as "cherry" or "vanilla" can be surprisingly difficult with clientsUsing reference products and live tastings to get everyone in the room aligned on a flavor directionHow bitter blockers work by binding to bitter receptors so your brain can't perceive the bitterness at allWhy most of Imbibe's taste modulation work is exclusively naturalWhere CPG founders commonly get stuck: stacking too many functional ingredients and creating unexpected off-notesWhat happens to mouthfeel and sweetness curve when sugar is removed and replaced with stevia or monk fruitBeverage trends Lauren is watching: clean label, protein and fiber combinations, and clear protein sodas Episode Links: Lauren Senne - Senior Manager, Applications and Taste Modulation, Imbibe LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-senne-12102558Website: imbibeinc.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 Adam's LinkedInQuestions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

  8. Aug 1

    Founder Fundraising Journey: Victor Guardiola, Bawi

    In this Founder Fundraising Journey episode, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Victor Guardiola, Founder and CEO of Bawi, a sparkling agua fresca brand bringing authentic Hispanic flavors into the modern beverage aisle with a healthier twist. Beyond the product, Victor is equally driven by a mission to increase representation for Latino and minority founders in CPG. Victor's path started with a food and beverage entrepreneurship practicum at UT Austin's McCombs School of Business, where he uncovered the data behind sugar-sweetened beverages' outsized impact on the Hispanic community and realized there was no mass-market, better-for-you Hispanic beverage to fill that gap. From there, he spent months selling on tap at farmer's markets, cold-emailing hundreds of potential investors, and eventually landing his first checks from Austin business figures like Patrick Terry of P. Terry's. Hannah and Victor dig into the brutal reality of raising a first round without a "rich uncle," the tipping-point moment when a notable investor's name unlocked the rest of the round, and how Bawi is now scaling food service and retail density across its two core markets, Texas and California. Listen in as they discuss: Why 80% of initial startup funding comes from friends and family, and what that means for founders without that accessHow a UT Austin entrepreneurship practicum turned into the idea for a mass-market Hispanic beverageSelling agua fresca on tap at farmer's markets, carbonating overnight in a commercial kitchen until 3amLanding the first equity round from Patrick Terry of P. Terry's and Torchy's Tacos founder Mike RypkaThe "golden follow-up": how one notable investor joining the cap table triggered a tipping pointWhy cold-emailing without leading with a pitch dramatically increases response ratesBuilding initial retail density through independents and the natural channel before chasing national programsThe risk of emerging-brand retail programs that can hang small brands out to dryRestructuring go-to-market strategy around food service in Texas and California, and the Cosmic Coffee case studyVictor's mission to provide a healthier alternative to sugar-laden big beverage offerings Slack Q&A: how to structure an elevator pitch and initial outreach email Episode Links: Victor Guardiola - Founder & CEO, Bawi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victorhguardiola/Email: victor@drinkbawi.comInstagram: @vichgWebsite: drinkbawi.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

See All (481)

4.9
out of 5
638 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Startup CPG
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    481
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Startup CPG
  • Show Website
    The Startup CPG Podcast

You Might Also Like