The Startup CPG Podcast

Startup CPG
  • 4.9 (637)
  • 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. 19h ago

    #254 - Buyer Spotlight: Hannah Koch, Supplements Buyer, Kimberton Whole Foods

    Startup CPG's Daniel Scharff sits down with Hannah Koch, Category Manager for Supplements at Kimberton Whole Foods, one of the most beloved independent natural retailers in the country. Based in Pennsylvania, Kimberton Whole Foods has built a reputation for thoughtful merchandising, strong community relationships, and a deeply mission-driven approach to retail. Hannah's path to retail is anything but traditional. After starting as an art teacher, she joined Kimberton Whole Foods in 2008 and worked her way through multiple roles before finding her passion in purchasing. With a background in herbalism and a deep love for natural products, she now oversees the supplement category, helping shape the assortment for eight stores across southeastern Pennsylvania. Daniel and Hannah dive into how Kimberton approaches product selection, what makes emerging brands stand out, and why customer behavior is changing faster than ever. They discuss how social media is influencing supplement trends, why packaging matters more than most founders realize, and what retailers are looking for when deciding which products deserve shelf space. Listen in as they cover: · What makes Kimberton Whole Foods different from other retailers · How Hannah evaluates new brands and products · Why packaging is often the first thing that gets a buyer's attention · How customer demand is increasingly driving product innovation · The growing role of Fair and other platforms in product discovery · Why supplement formats are shifting from pills to powders, beverages, and gels · What founders should know before pitching a retailer · How Kimberton supports staff education and customer guidance · Why authenticity and mission matter when building a natural products brand · How Startup CPG founder meetings at Expo West helped uncover promising emerging brands Whether you're preparing to pitch retailers, launching a supplement brand, or trying to better understand what buyers are looking for, this episode offers valuable insight into one of natural retail's most respected organizations. Episode Links: Kimberton Whole Foods Website: https://www.kimbertonwholefoods.com Kimberton Whole Foods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimbertonwholefoods Hannah Koch on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-koch-4a06047a/  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 Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

    36 min

  2. 1d ago

    R&D Radio: Jamie Valenti-Jordan — Commercialization, Pilot Runs, and Scaling Food Products the Right Way

    In this episode of R&D Radio, hosted by food scientist Adam Yee, Adam sits down with Jamie Valenti-Jordan, founder of Catapult Commercialization Services, to discuss the realities of commercializing and scaling food products. Jamie has helped more than 400 brands commercialize thousands of products and has become one of the most trusted voices in the Startup CPG community when it comes to manufacturing, scale-up, and operational strategy. Jamie shares the lessons he's learned from years of helping founders navigate the transition from kitchen-scale recipes to commercially viable products. From pilot runs and food safety to ingredient decisions and manufacturing partnerships, he explains why commercialization is rarely a straight line and how founders can avoid some of the most common and costly mistakes. Adam and Jamie also discuss natural flavors, water activity, pH, pilot-scale production, and the importance of understanding the incentives of every stakeholder involved in bringing a product to market. The conversation concludes with a discussion on founder psychology and what separates successful brands from those that struggle to scale.  Listen in as they cover: • Why commercialization is an iterative process rather than a linear one • The importance of water activity and pH in food safety • Why founders should not skip pilot-scale production • The risks of jumping directly from bench-top production to a co-manufacturer • How natural flavors fit into modern product development • Understanding stakeholder incentives across the supply chain • Jamie's favorite commercialization hack for running pilot trials • The characteristics shared by the most successful founders • Why consumer feedback matters more than internal opinions • Emerging food industry trends including AI, GLP-1s, and ultra-processed foods Episode Links: Catapult Commercialization Services - https://www.linkedin.com/in/fvmh97c/ 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 Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super FantasticsDon'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. Ready for honest product feedback? Join Startup CPG's Founders & Formulators event on July 12 and connect directly with leading food scientists and product developers. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/startup-cpg-founders-formulators-july-2026-tickets-1989688128754

    30 min

  3. 3d ago

    Founder + Funder: Emily Groden of Evergreen and Brian Bernstein of Rich Products Ventures — Fundraising, Founder-Investor Fit, and Building the Next Big Breakfast Brand

    In this episode of Founder + Funder, hosted by Hannah Dittman, Hannah sits down with Emily Groden, Founder and CEO of Evergreen, and Brian Bernstein, Principal at Rich Products Ventures, for a conversation about fundraising, founder-investor relationships, and what it takes to build an emerging food brand into a category leader. Emily founded Evergreen after struggling to find frozen breakfast products she felt good about feeding her daughter. What started as homemade waffles made in her own kitchen grew into a nationally distributed brand now found on more than 9,000 retail shelves across the country. Along the way, she transitioned from a career in corporate law into entrepreneurship, learning every part of the CPG industry from the ground up. Brian leads investments at Rich Products Ventures, the venture arm of Rich Products, a global food manufacturer and strategic investor focused on supporting the next generation of food and beverage brands. Together, Emily and Brian share both sides of the fundraising table, discussing how their relationship developed, what made Evergreen stand out as an investment opportunity, and how founders should think about choosing the right partners as they grow. The conversation covers everything from product differentiation and retail expansion to fundraising strategy, diligence processes, founder resilience, and the importance of building relationships long before capital is needed. Listen in as they cover: · How Emily built Evergreen from homemade waffles into a brand carried in more than 9,000 stores nationwide · Why founders should start building investor relationships long before they begin fundraising · What Rich Products Ventures looks for when evaluating emerging food brands · The importance of product differentiation and solving a real consumer problem · Why investors often invest in founders as much as they invest in products · How strategic investors can support brands beyond capital · The fundraising process from both the founder and investor perspective · Why founders should not take fundraising rejections personally · How Evergreen is expanding beyond mini waffles into pancakes, protein products, and a larger breakfast platform · What makes a strong founder-investor relationship after the investment closes Whether you're preparing to raise capital, evaluating investors, or building your first consumer brand, this episode offers practical insights from both sides of the table. Episode Links: Evergreen Website: https://eatevergreen.com Emily Groden on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-cole-groden/ Rich Products Ventures: https://www.richproductsventures.com Brian Bernstein on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-bernstein/ 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 @startupcpg · Questions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.com · Episode music by Super Fantastics

    48 min

  4. 4d ago

    Founder Feature: The First Better-For-You Nutrition Company for Older Adults with Jess Haghani of Lucille

    In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Jess Haghani, founder of Lucille — the first better-for-you nutrition company specifically designed for older adults, named after her 92-year-old grandmother. Lucille is reimagining what senior nutrition looks like from the ground up: better ingredients, better taste, better packaging, and a brand that finally gives older adults the dignity, care, and innovation they deserve. Jess started her career in senior housing before attending Harvard Business School, where she partnered with nutritionists at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health to completely reformulate nutrition shakes from scratch. The result? A product with zero ingredient overlap with legacy brands — except water and salt — and dramatically better macros, micros, taste, and texture. Together, Caitlin and Jess dig into what it really took to blow up a category that hasn't meaningfully innovated since the 1970s, why taste was always the leading indicator for success, and how Jess centered older adult influencers as the main event rather than the exception. They also get into the realities of launching DTC first, what retail looks like next year, and what it's like raising capital as a newly launched brand with a deeply personal mission. Listen in as they cover: The personal moment that sparked Lucille — and what Jess saw on the hospital shelf that changed everythingWhy the Harvard Chan School nutritionists told her to throw out the legacy products entirely and start from scratchHow Lucille's formula compares: higher protein, higher fiber, higher calories, less sodium, less sugar — and zero shared core ingredients with existing productsWhy taste and texture were always the leading indicators — and how reformulating for better ingredients naturally improved bothThe strategy behind centering older adult influencers as the main event, not the exceptionHow the hero campaign video of grandmother Lucille became something bigger than a brand assetThe Wise Awards series and Lucille's vision for celebrating and preserving the stories of older adultsDTC first: what's working on Amazon and direct-to-consumer ahead of retailThe retail strategy for next year — and why placement next to legacy products creates a powerful consumer choice momentWhat fundraising really looks like as a newly launched brand — and what it took to close their round Episode Links: 🌿 Lucille Website: https://lucillehealth.com  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucillehealth  🔗 Jess Haghani on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-haghani-40917bba 🔗Lucille on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lucillehealth/ 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 Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

    32 min

  5. 5d ago

    We're launching Founders & Formulators - Here's Why

    Host Daniel Scharff sits down with R&D Radio host and food scientist Adam Yee for a special mini episode previewing Startup CPG's first-ever Founders & Formulators event—happening July 12th in Chicago at the Palmer House Hilton, the day before the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) annual convention. With a room full of formulators already heading to Chicago for IFT, Startup CPG is seizing the moment to bring them together with emerging brands for a speed-dating style matchmaking event. Whether you're still developing your product, struggling with a specific quality issue, or just want expert eyes on what you've built—this event is for you. Adam brings his perspective from both sides of the table—as a food scientist, independent formulator, and former brand founder—to break down how to make the most of five minutes with a formulator, what questions to ask, and how to find the right partner before you even walk in the room. Listen in as they discuss: Why Founders & Formulators exists—and why there's nothing else like it in the industryHow formulators think about evaluating a product: vibes, questions, and tastingWhat brands should bring to the event and how to get the most out of every conversationHow to use the Startup CPG Product Developer Directory to research and vet formulators ahead of timeThe difference between hourly vs. project-based engagements—and why deliverables matter more than anythingWhy personality and passion are just as important as technical skill when choosing a formulatorWhat makes a great formulator-founder relationship—and how to avoid the most common pitfallEpisode Links:🎟️ Register for Founders & Formulators (July 12, Chicago): https://bit.ly/4w0A75M 🔬 Startup CPG Product Developer Directory: https://startupcpg.com/product-developer-directory ⁠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 Linkedin Visit host Adam's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

    23 min

  6. Jun 16

    #253 - Private Label Arrangements: What CPG Brands Should Know Before Signing the Deal | Hillary Hughes, Foster Garvey

    In this mini episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Hillary Hughes — CPG legal legend and leader of the Consumer Brands Industry Group at Foster Garvey — to break down everything emerging brands need to know before entering a private label arrangement. Private label can be a powerful revenue stream and a fast path to scale, but it comes with real tradeoffs: margin compression, cannibalization risk, operational complexity, and contracts that can leave you exposed if they're not structured right. Hillary has seen it all — and she's here to help brands get it right from the start. Daniel and Hillary walk through the full arc of a private label relationship: what it is, who it's for, how the contracts work, and what happens when things go wrong. From the co-manufacturer obligations that brands often forget to address, to how to negotiate pricing flexibility when commodity costs spike, to what termination rights you actually need to protect yourself — this episode covers the legal and commercial realities that too many brands learn the hard way. Listen in as they cover: What private label actually means — and the spectrum from pure white label to custom innovationWhy operational scale matters before you say yes to a retailer's private label askThe cannibalization question: when private label helps your category and when it hurts your brandHow to use channel, geography, pack size, and flavor to protect your branded product's differentiationWhy your co-manufacturer agreement must be revisited before you sign anything with a retailerThe ingredient inspection and notification window that prevents finger-pointing when something goes wrongPricing flexibility: force majeure-style provisions for commodity cost spikes, tariffs, and supply shocksVolume commitments, forecasting tolerances, and how to protect yourself from over-promisingWhy verbal promises from buyers mean nothing — and what needs to be in writingTermination rights: SKU discontinuation, formulation changes, and preserving your flexibility to exit Episode Links: Foster Garvey PC: http://www.foster.com Hillary Hughes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillaryhhughes/ Foster Garvey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foster-garvey-pc/ ⁠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 Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

    24 min

  7. Jun 13

    Investor Spotlight: Consumer Psychology, Channel Strategy, and What Actually Makes Brands Win — David Bell, Idea Farm Ventures

    In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Hannah Dittman sits down with David Bell, co-founder of Idea Farm Ventures and one of the most academically grounded voices in consumer. David has spent decades studying what actually drives success in consumer brands and retail — from analyzing Nielsen and IRI barcode scanner data as a PhD student at Stanford GSB, to building Wharton's first digital marketing and e-commerce courses, to advising and backing standout brands like Warby Parker, Bonobos, Harry's, Cotopaxi, Jet, and Diapers.com in their earliest days. Through Idea Farm Ventures, David and co-founder Jem have built a consumer-only fund anchored around three formats: the digital native vertical brand, the location-centric experiential brand, and the authentic wholesale-led brand. Their thesis is that wherever a brand starts, it can ultimately encompass all three. In this conversation, David brings that same analytical rigor to some of the most important questions founders face — why certain brands win, how channels shape outcomes, and what the best consumer companies consistently get right. Hannah and David dig into consumer psychology, the evolving retail and distribution landscape, and the common threads behind standout brands. David shares case-by-case insights from decades spent analyzing the companies and founders that shaped modern consumer — from the Touchland Sephora channel strategy to Graza's compliance-driving packaging to the binary choice framework that can unlock real lift for emerging brands. Listen in as they discuss: David's path from Stanford PhD to Wharton professor to early investor in Warby Parker, Bonobos, and beyondThe three investment formats behind Idea Farm Ventures and how the best brands ultimately span all of themWhat David anchors on at the early stage: founder tenacity, genuine white space, and economic disciplineWhy the most successful brands win on distribution — and how finding a channel with binary choice can be a massive advantageThe functional, emotional, and symbolic framework for evaluating whether a product can truly break throughAttention to detail as a competitive moat — and what Graza, Touchland, and Brightland all have in commonWhy narrative creation and cultural relevance matter more than ad spend for building lasting brandsThe D2C to Amazon to offline retail playbook and how to think about inflection points between fundraisesA Slack community question answered: how long is the typical timeline between a first and second fundraise?Why founders should reverse-engineer their fundraise — starting with strategy and people before asking how much Episode Links:  David Bell — Co-Founder, Idea Farm Ventures  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-bell-086820/  Idea Farm Ventures LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/idea-farm-ventures/  Website: http://www.ideafarmventures.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 Hannah's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

    46 min

  8. Jun 12

    Founder Feature: Bone Broth Tomato Sauce and a New Twist on a Family Recipe- Liana Krasnow, Noodo

    In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Liana Krasnow, founder of Noodo — a tomato sauce made with grass fed bone broth that's redefining what a premium Italian sauce can be. Growing up watching her grandparents harvest tomatoes from their Connecticut garden and make traditional sauce every summer, Liana took that family recipe, removed the wine, added bone broth, and created something entirely new in a saturated category. Liana spent years in pharmaceutical advertising before making the leap to founder life — and she brought that operational rigor with her. From tasting 80 sauces during R&D in her family's commercial kitchen, to navigating label bubbling issues from 205-degree fill temperatures, to landing four retail accounts from a last-minute corner booth at Expo West, Noodo's early story is full of founder lessons worth hearing. Caitlin and Liana dig into the white space hiding in plain sight on the pasta sauce shelf, why Liana walked away from a DTC strategy after 89% of surveyed consumers said they buy sauce on their grocery run, and the unique dual-aisle placement strategy some retailers are already pitching for Noodo. Listen in as they discuss: Why Liana replaced wine with grass fed bone broth — and how her grandmother's Sunday sauce was the real inspirationTasting 80 sauces during R&D in a family restaurant commercial kitchen and why keeping it in-house matteredThe smooth vs. chunky positioning strategy and why "chunky" has been surprisingly off-putting to consumersThe tomato-shaped window on Noodo's label — and the label bubbling challenge that came with itWhy 89% of surveyed consumers said they buy sauce in store, and how that dictated Noodo's entire go-to-marketGetting double facings suggested by retailers — and why positioning next to bone broth has outperformed expectationsLanding four accounts from a last-minute corner booth at Expo West with a team of threeThe hidden costs of retail and why working with a go-to-market strategist was a game changer Episode Links: Liana Krasnow – Founder, Noodo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lianakrasnow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatnoodo Website: eatnudo.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 Caitlin's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

    27 min
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4.9
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637 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
    456
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Startup CPG
  • Show Website
    The Startup CPG Podcast

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