Gooder

This week on the Gooder Podcast I had the pleasure of talking with Ayeshah Abuelhiga, The CEO and founding partner of Mason Dixie Foods, the fastest-growing frozen baked goods company in the US. Ayeshah has thrown out the rule book, to excel in a male-dominated industry. Through sheer grit and tenacity, Ayeshah is pursuing her vision of flipping the comfort food industry on its head. In this episo...

In this episode I had the privilege of chatting with Karuna Rawal, Chief Marketing Officer for Nature’s Fynd, a food tech startup where she’s commercializing a new-to-the-world, sustainable alternative protein that can help feed the world. We discuss the incredible origin story of Nature’s Fynd, how the food tech industry has widened the funnel of food accessibility, as well as the importance of m...

Meet the Tesla of the natural foods industry, the queen of vegan cheese, epicurean activist, and mentor of entrepreneurial rock stars . In this episode I had the privilege of chatting with Miyoko Shinner, Founder and CEO of Miyoko’s Creamery, the leading organic plant dairy creamery that’s reinventing the dairy industry. She’s on a mission to empower aspiring and established food and beverage entr...

In this episode I had the privilege of chatting with RaeJean Wilson, Director of HR/Communications of GloryBee - a supplier of natural and organic ingredients to manufacturers, bakeries and consumers for decades. We discuss the how the naturals industry has changed (and stayed the same) since the company’s founding in the 1970’s as well as how the brand has evolved from a simple expression of love...

Finding an investment partner, at any time, is no easy task. It’s not unlike soccer or football. The greater the number of shots on goal, the more likely to score a goal. But for young entrepreneurial brands, many entering business ownership for the first time, a capital raise can be a complicated and grueling task that can make or break a business owner's dreams. In this episode, I had the privil...

In this episode I had the privilege of chatting with Denise Woodard, CEO and Founder of Partake Foods: a brand of allergy-friendly snacks inspired by her daughter’s experience with food allergies. Denise takes us on a journey of discovery as she tells us the story of tackling her daughters’ dietary restrictions while meeting her sweet tooth “demands”. With a little tough love from her daughter’s c...

In this episode, I had the privilege of interviewing Thereasa Black, CEO and Founder of Amore Congelato, a start-up gelato brand taking a different approach to treats, community and the definition of success. Thereasa takes us on a journey of being a professionally driven single mom finding a way to develop a dessert that her daughter fell in love with, while Tereasa was deployed overseas, to crea...

In this episode of Gooder I had the privilege of interviewing Natalie Shmulik, CEO of The Hatchery, a food incubator just outside downtown Chicago. The Hatchery is a powerful initiative that brings a community of innovators along the entrepreneurial path and launches the dreams of owning and running a business to communities that have not traditionally had this access. We learn about the resources...

In today’s episode I had the privilege of interviewing Kim Gibson Clark, CEO of Coconut Bliss, a fearless woman and a great leader. Kim takes us on the journey of growing up in a farming family and how those principles translate to her leadership style and apply to the direction she is taking her brand towards. In this episode we learn: The genesis of Coconut Bliss - and learn more about Luna & La...

Imagine. You’ve recently lost your job and your infant (going on toddler) has a medical emergency that uncovers and undiagnosed condition. You child has a life-threatening allergy to several of the top known allergens. You have been relying on donations from the food services to bridge the unemployment gap. Most of the products you have access to at the food bank are filled with allergens you cann...

Brigette Wolf is the Global Head of SnackFutures, Mondelēz International’s innovation and venture hub. She is a solutions-oriented, forward-thinking disruptor in the snacking space committed to reorienting the way food and beverage brands talk about snacking by making it a more holistic and wellness-oriented experience. She is on - a - mission. Brigette and I discuss how she successfully led the d...

In today’s episode, we are joined by a highly accomplished retail executive with a proven track record in growing large scale businesses profitably and creating new business opportunities within brands, sharp business acumen with a keen ability to assess business conditions and manage towards opportunity with a relentless focus on the customer, Denielle Finkelstein, President and Co-Founder of TOP...

Food as medicine is not an out-of-the-box idea now. But back in 2011, it was not conventional thinking. After watching a friend struggle with food-related illness and attending the journey of wellness self-discovery, Christy went on a mission to change the diets of us all. The goal: refocus people away from diets fill with processed foods and bring back health empowerment through food choice . As...

Those of us outside the walls of Frito-Lay have not necessarily considered the brand aligned with natural foods, environmental stewardship, or considered a small business advocate. But little did we all know, that this mammoth tanker of an organization has been quietly growing a passionate army of stewards ready to take on some of businesses biggest issues including healthy food innovation, food i...

Ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages is a category where consumers are continually demanding more from the brands they bring into their homes and lives — especially Gen Z. Features, benefits, and ingredients are table stakes, and as the natural products industry continues to become increasingly competitive, Brand has become more important. How a brand operates in relation to employees, environmental foo...

American’s obsession with health and wellness and grown exponentially over the last few years. And gone are the days of “hippy” organics. The influence of food culture shows and celebrities and San Francisco's technology industry has collided into a multi-billion-dollar world of better-for-you food and ingredient alternatives. As this part of the food industry grows and consumers continue to push...

In our current culture, alcoholic beverages have traditionally been the center of all celebrations. It’s how we wind down our day, relax and give ourselves a moment to rest. That is until now. Generation Z and Millennials are bucking those habits and finding better and healthier ways to relax. Part of it is self-awareness, the ability to recognize when alcohol is a crutch - rather than a treat, an...

Running a family-owned business, no matter how big, is task enough alone. But guiding a family-owned business through cultural change for a better future can be a bit tricky. Keeping recipes and ingredients legitimate can be tough when you know that they're not always the best for your community’s health. So, how do you care for your culture and community while running a profitable business? In th...

How can big CPGs capture the magic of smaller brands? Small to mid-size brands have a roll-up-your-sleeves, wear multiple hats, and run with a gut instinct ethic. They're scrappy, willing to fail, and passionate about their goals. There used to be a time when these small brands shed blood, sweat and tears and then felt bad when they needed to take on the operation superpowers of a multinational. I...

We humans, especially in the naturals space, have desires to live strong clean, and healthy lives. My guest Jane is no different - however, her journey into the better-for-you space took a route many of ours don’t. A child born with food allergies added fuel to her entrepreneurial ways and inspired her to use her natural leadership ways to help move the free-from movement mainstream. In this episo...

Passion brand, founder brand, entrepreneurial brand, family brand. Yep - we love them. And we love working with and in them. And when comes a time for a brand to grow up to fulfill its mission - everyone wants to be part of it. But passion brands aren’t for everyone. While the brand owners have a strong vision of the future, sometimes the path isn’t clear, and their super-mission-driven-power gets...

The resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement has caused businesses and people to again rethink their relationship with brands, businesses and retailers. As brands continue to grapple with the realization that systemic racism is a set of blinders and the uncertainty about how to make the operational, innovation and leadership changes that need to be made, consumers are pushing. If you are bran...

No one ever said starting a business was easy. Frequent rejection, industry learnings and long crazy hours. But for those of us that have started one - you know why we do it. We BELIEVE in the idea. Sparked from a need in the community to a beloved recipe from mom - food and beverage brands have seen an explosion in innovation that all started with a simple idea. But somehow women seem to struggle...

It’s safe to say that the food, beverage and wellness industry has seen some explosive growth in innovation in the last 10-ish years. Naturals Industry passion for health, food tech, and big data have become a powerful combination of tools that have created some of the most amazing products that not only help people feel better but live longer too. But while we are also solving some unexpected con...

The world of food and beverage is filled with darling passion brands. They’re fun, nimble and innovative. It’s no wonder that so many people want to work for them. Sometimes the expertise, working in a Big Brand, can cloud the objectivity of an incoming employee and overly-excite the leadership of these smaller brands. So, just how can you best avoid a bad fit and create powerful transitions? In t...