Whole Foods Market: Beyond The Board

Whole Foods Market
  • 4.4 (27)
  • Food
  • Updated Biweekly

Beyond the Board is a podcast storytelling series that spotlights different guests – from founders of major brands to up-and-coming suppliers as well as community leaders and policy makers – all working to nourish people and the planet. New episodes are released regularly, featuring conversations about innovation, perseverance and meaningful impact on food and agriculture. The podcast features a rotating cast of hosts from Whole Foods Market's leadership team, including CEO Jason Buechel and Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer Sonya Gafsi Oblisk.

  1. Sep 24

    Beyond the Board – MiLa Soup Dumplings

    Simu Liu – actor and chief content officer at MiLa Soup Dumplings – and co-founder Jen Liao join Whole Foods Market CEO Jason Buechel for a special live episode. We cover: How Simu got involved and the story of his parents eating an entire shipment of nearly 100 dumplings How MiLa went from Ziploc bags on doorsteps to 1.7 million dumplings per day without losing the restaurant quality Why the top 5 Chinese food SKUs in grocery stores haven't changed in 25 years and how MiLa is changing that Best advice from Jen and Simu, whether you're starting something new or feeling stuck Trend Spotlight: Freezer Fine Dining Find MiLa Dumplings in the frozen aisle at Whole Foods Market and enjoy for National Dumpling Day on September 26. Enjoyed this episode? Follow Beyond the Board for conversations with the founders, innovators, and thought leaders shaping how we eat – and the stories behind the brands you love. At a Glance: 4:30 – Making a frozen dumpling that tastes like it came from a restaurant 7:15 – Simu's parents eat an entire shipment of nearly 100 dumplings claiming better than Din Tai Fung 17:30 – The top 5 Chinese food SKUs haven't changed in 25 years 23:00 – Best advice from Jen and Simu 27:30 – Simu's dream: a MiLa Super Bowl commercial 30:00 – Jen's dad gives feedback on her Dan Dan Noodle recipe to make it even better 31:20 – Why the brand is called MiLa: sweet and spicy, carve your own space 32:15 – Lightning round: favorite MiLa product, Marvel vs. Barbie, and more

  2. Aug 20

    Beyond the Board – FOND Regenerative Bone Broth

    Alysa Seeland, founder and CEO of FOND Regenerative, joins Whole Foods Market CEO Jason Buechel for a special episode filmed at Expo West. We cover: How a health crisis at 23 and a bone broth diet led to selling out at a farmer's market on day one Fun ways to work nutrient-dense bone broth into everyday cooking (yes, even hot chocolate) The tallow trend and why Alysa wanted to launch it since 2019 (originally wanting to call it "flavored meat butter" ha!) FOND's regenerative sourcing journey – from 17 farmers to 581 Trend Spotlight: Tallow Takeover Enjoyed this episode? Follow Beyond the Board for conversations with the founders, innovators, and thought leaders shaping the future of food – and the stories behind the brands you love. Find FOND Regenerative bone broth and tallow on shelves at Whole Foods Market. At a Glance: 2:30 – A health crisis at 23 and the bone broth diet that changed everything 5:00 – Selling out at the farmer's market on day one 9:00 – From 17 regenerative farmers to 581 with Whole Foods 14:00 – What "regenerative verified" actually means – and why it matters 21:00 – The journey to getting on Whole Foods shelves (and hearing "no" first) 25:00 – Surviving a warehouse fire and choosing to self-fund growth 40:00 – Fun ways to use bone broth, tallow, and duck fat at home

  3. Jul 30

    Beyond the Board – Fishwife Tinned Seafood

    Becca Millstein, co-founder and CEO of Fishwife, joins Whole Foods Market CMMO Sonya Gafsi Oblisk on how she disrupted the tin fish aisle. We cover: How tapas bars in Spain and a pandemic-era light bulb moment led to the fastest-growing premium tinned fish brand in America The story behind the name "Fishwife" and the iconic illustrated packaging Sardine girl summer, Kitchen Couture, and how Fishwife breathed new life into the category Enjoyed this episode? Follow Beyond the Board for conversations with the founders, innovators, and thought leaders shaping the future of food – and the stories behind the brands you love. At a Glance: 0:08 – What is Fishwife? 1:30 – From tapas bars in Spain to a pandemic light bulb moment 9:40 – The name "Fishwife" and reclaiming brash 11:10 – Building the brand with illustrator Danny Miller 14:30 – Sardine girl summer and the tin fish trend cycle 18:50 – Sourcing standards: building a supply chain with Whole Foods 27:00 – Innovation, collabs, and doing two brand partnerships a month 33:00 – The Whole Foods x Fishwife tote bags – designed in 24 hours 39:50 – Lightning Round

  4. Jul 9

    Beyond the Board - Jay Shetty of Juni Tea

    Jay Shetty – bestselling author, award-winning host of the On Purpose podcast, and co-founder of Juni adaptogenic sparkling tea – joins host Jason Buechel, Whole Foods Market CEO, for a special live episode. Jay shares the unlikely path from stocking grocery shelves in London to living as a monk for three years – and why he believes the cure for burnout isn't slowing down, it's reconnecting with purpose. From a practical framework for staying grounded to the childhood memory of sharing tea with his mom that inspired Juni, this conversation unpacks what it means to build a brand rooted in presence and connection. Enjoyed this episode? Follow Beyond the Board for conversations with the founders, innovators, and thought leaders shaping the future of food – and the stories behind the brands you love. At a Glance: 1:20 – From grocery store shelves to monk life 5:09 – Three years as a monk: what Jay learned about the mind-body connection 8:00 – Ancient wisdom meets modern science 18:00 – The role of purpose at work (and the Yale study that proves it) 24:00 – TIME: A four-part framework for well-being 30:33 – How food became central to Jay's wellness journey 33:00 – The origin story of Juni: a mother-son tea tradition 35:41 – Building a brand with his wife (and being her guinea pig) 40:50 – Why Whole Foods Market was always the dream 45:51 – Lightning Round

  5. Jun 11

    Beyond The Board with Momofuku

    Whole Foods Market CEO Jason Buechel sits with, David Chang, chef and founder of Momofuku Goods, who shares his hacks to making home cooking easy. We also discuss: Despite being a successful chef, David's kids remain his toughest critics. David's personal journey becoming a home chef in the pandemic helping to influence Momofuku Goods. David's life as a young chef in New York. Did you enjoy listening to this episode? Don't forget to like and subscribe to hear more conversations spotlighting innovation, perseverance, and meaningful impact.

  6. May 28

    Beyond The Board with Wild Wonder

    In this episode of Beyond the Board, host Sonya Gafsi Oblisk sits down with Rosa Li, founder of wildwonder, to explore how her grandmother's healing tonics — rooted in centuries of traditional Chinese herbal wisdom — inspired her to create one of the fastest-growing functional beverage brands in the country. Rosa shares the deeply personal story of growing up in her grandmother's kitchen in Beijing, where simmering herbs and handcrafted remedies were the answer to everything from digestive health to glowing skin, and how that heritage became the foundation for a brand that bridges two worlds: Eastern herbal wisdom and California's vibrant produce stand culture. From launching at the height of COVID to landing on Whole Foods Market shelves and appearing on Shark Tank, Rosa opens up about the grit it took to build wildwonder from the ground up. She shares why she refuses to give up taste for health, how she's putting a modern twist on ancient wisdom with flavors like Raspberry Lychee and Pink Pomelo Limeade, and the emotional moment her dad started volunteering to stock wildwonder on Whole Foods shelves in Indiana, proudly telling store managers it was his daughter's product.

  7. May 14

    Beyond The Board with Bobbie

    In this episode, we're sitting down with Laura Modi, co-founder, CEO, and mother of four, who left a career at Airbnb to revolutionize the infant formula industry with Bobbie. In this deeply personal conversation, Laura shares the late-night pharmacy run that changed everything, why she built a formula that meets European nutritional standards with domestically sourced organic ingredients, and what it means to finally see her "baby" on Whole Foods Market shelves. From navigating the 2022 formula shortage to launching at Whole Foods Market, Laura's story is one of grit, gut instinct, and an unwavering commitment to feeding the next generation better. She opens up about the stigma surrounding formula feeding, pitching investors while pregnant and why motherhood and founding a company aren't all that different.

  8. May 7

    Beyond The Board with Kimono Mom

    In this episode of Beyond the Board, host Sonya Gafsi Oblisk sits down with Kimono Mom founder Moe to explore her remarkable journey, from her early career as a geisha to becoming a global content creator, and how her passion for Japanese home cooking ultimately led to a product on Whole Foods Market shelves. After experiencing postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter, Moe turned to YouTube as a way to share her story and reconnect with her love of cooking. Since then, she has built a community of more than 2 million followers across 190 countries and has traveled throughout the U.S., visiting over 100 Whole Foods Market stores and sharing her Umami sauce. This inspiring conversation on entrepreneurship and motherhood is one you won't want to miss. At a glance: 1:03 – Art of Geisha 3:35 – The start of content creation 5:00 – Beginning of Kimono Mom Umami Sauce 6:09 – Cooking with umami sauce 7:02 – Discovering Whole Foods Market 9:15 – One road trip to 100 WFM stores 12:09 – Redefining success as a mother 13:00 – Lightning Round

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Beyond the Board is a podcast storytelling series that spotlights different guests – from founders of major brands to up-and-coming suppliers as well as community leaders and policy makers – all working to nourish people and the planet. New episodes are released regularly, featuring conversations about innovation, perseverance and meaningful impact on food and agriculture. The podcast features a rotating cast of hosts from Whole Foods Market's leadership team, including CEO Jason Buechel and Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer Sonya Gafsi Oblisk.

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