Forktales

Alisha Taff is a California farmer, beekeeper and entrepreneur who founded Rockfront Ranch and Just Jujubes. An Asian American woman working in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Alisha took an unconventional path into agriculture, transforming a cattle and horse training operation into a diversified, regenerative farm and growing consumer brand. Rockfront Ranch is a regenerative farm in Cal...

Tricia Greyshock is President and CEO of the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA), where she leads efforts to strengthen the frozen and refrigerated food industries. She is focused on industry collaboration, consumer engagement, emerging brand development and preparing the next generation of food industry leaders. The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association is a...

Jenn Palmer is the founder and CEO of JPalmer Collective, bringing 20 years of experience in the financing industry. She specializes in helping growing consumer brands access capital and has developed a particular focus on food, beverage, health and wellness companies and women-led businesses.  JPalmer Collective is an asset-based lending company that provides flexible financing to growing busines...

Amit Pandhi is a longtime food industry executive and brand builder with experience leading both emerging and established consumer brands. His career has included leadership roles at Popchips, Velocity Snack Brands and other food companies, with a particular focus on turnarounds, growth and building organizations capable of scaling. Amit now leads Westminster Cracker Company, a heritage brand with...

Paul Hemingway is Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Litehouse Foods, where he also leads innovation. A 25-year CPG veteran, his career has included roles with major companies including The J.M. Smucker Company and Coca-Cola before joining Litehouse about five years ago. Litehouse Foods is a 100% employee-owned food company with roots stretching back more than 60 years to a restaura...

Jim Herr is Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and R&D at Herr’s, where he helps lead the consumer-facing side of the family business. A third-generation family member, he brings a deep connection to the company’s history while helping guide its continued growth, innovation and consumer engagement. Founded by Jim’s grandparents in 1946, Herr’s has grown from a small Pennsylvania potato...

Amir Yazdi is the founder and managing partner of Bastian Capital, an investment firm focused on identifying, acquiring and growing restaurant and hospitality businesses. A former film producer, Amir transitioned into the restaurant industry more than two decades ago and has built a career scaling multi-unit operations, investing in emerging concepts and helping restaurant brands grow sustainably....

Pete Olander is the founder of Happie, a plant medicine beverage company focused on cannabis-infused and functional mushroom drinks. Before launching Happie, he worked in private banking at J.P. Morgan and later in the nutrition and consumer packaged goods space, experiences that helped shape his entrepreneurial mindset and understanding of beverage formulation, distribution and scaling a brand. H...

Jenny Mehlman is Senior Marketing Director at Dairy Farmers of America, where she leads branded cheese and butter businesses. With a background in brand stewardship and innovation, she focuses on making legacy food categories relevant through consumer insight, storytelling and everyday moments that drive connection. Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) is a farmer-owned cooperative representing more tha...

Mike DiBeneditto is CEO of Golden Waffles, a nearly 90-year-old foodservice brand known for its fresh-baked waffle program. With a background in broadline distribution and leadership roles shaped by industry acquisitions, he brings an operator-first mindset grounded in clarity, partnership and disciplined execution. Golden Waffles, founded in 1937, provides an all-inclusive waffle program to opera...

Madelyn Alfano is CEO and owner of Maria’s Italian Kitchen and a lifelong hospitality leader. Raised in her family’s grocery and restaurant business, she brings decades of hands-on experience, people-first leadership and a deep belief in food, culture and community. Founded in Los Angeles in 1972, Maria’s Italian Kitchen is a family-rooted, Southern Italian restaurant brand known for classic comfo...

Chuck Meehan is Chief Creative Officer of Pavone Group and a veteran creative leader with decades of experience shaping iconic, culture-driving campaigns. A four-time Super Bowl creative, Chuck has worked with global brands and top-tier talent to create work that breaks through noise and pressure. Chuck has led creative teams at major agencies and worked on campaigns for brands including General M...

]EPISODE 105: Joey Jurgielewicz – Director of Client Service at Tasty Duck and leader in sustainable duck farming EPISODE 106: Tom Moffitt – Founder and CEO of Culture Fresh Foods and pioneer in plant-based dairy innovation EPISODE 107: Edward Medina – President of Ramona’s Food Group and transformative leader in authentic Mexican cuisine EPISODE 108: Sameer Malhotra – CEO of Café Spice and champi...

Curtis Chin is a writer, filmmaker, activist, and author of the acclaimed memoir Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant. His work reflects on growing up gay and Chinese American in 1980s Detroit while working in his family’s landmark restaurant. Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine, founded by Curtis’s great-grandfather, was a legendary Detroit institution for 65 years. Known for its handmad...

Elliot Nelson is the founder and CEO of McNellie’s Group, a hospitality company that has reshaped the dining scene in Tulsa and beyond. A visionary entrepreneur, Elliot has grown from opening one Irish pub in 2004 to overseeing dozens of restaurants and development projects. McNellie’s Group operates a diverse portfolio of pubs, restaurants, and concepts across Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and beyond. Wi...

Sameer Malhotra is the CEO and co-founder of Café Spice, a nationally distributed brand bringing authentic Indian cuisine to a broad American audience. Raised in a family of restaurateurs, Sameer has grown Café Spice from a single restaurant concept into a $50 million food manufacturing business. Café Spice is a family-owned food company specializing in globally inspired, ready-to-eat meals. Partn...

Edward Medina serves as the president of Ramona’s Food Group. With a background in finance, Edward has played a pivotal role in revitalizing Ramona’s, transforming it into a thriving family-owned business deeply rooted in tradition and committed to innovation. Ramona’s Food Group is a family-owned enterprise renowned for its authentic Mexican cuisine. Established in 1947 by Roman...

Tom Moffitt is a seasoned entrepreneur and pioneer in the plant-based dairy industry. With a background as a food microbiologist, Tom co-founded Commonwealth Dairy, turning it into a national powerhouse, and now leads Culture Fresh Foods, focusing on innovative non-dairy products. Culture Fresh Foods specializes in creating next-generation plant-based dairy products, offering a variety of non-dair...

Joey Jurgielewicz is a fifth-generation duck farmer and the Director of Client Service of Tasty Duck. With deep roots in the Long Island duck farming tradition, Joey brings passion, innovation and hospitality expertise to the family business. Tasty Duck is a vertically integrated duck operation headquartered in Pennsylvania, with a legacy dating back to 1933. The company supplies premium Pekin duc...

EPISODE 104: Sean Zecman – Food distribution leader and innovator EPISODE 103: Kenny Morrison – Founder of VCC Brands and Pioneer in Cannabis-Infused Beverages EPISODE 102: Laurel Orley – CEO of Daily Crunch and Innovator in Better-for-You Snacking EPISODE 101: Judy Joo – Chef, entrepreneur and leading voice in modern Korean cuisine EPISODE 100: Denise Woodard – CPG entrepreneur and advocate for a...

Kenny Morrison is a cannabis industry pioneer and the founder of VCC Brands and CQ Drinks. With a background in documentary filmmaking and early cannabis retail, Kenny has been instrumental in shaping the cannabis-infused beverage category since 2008. VCC Brands, originally Venice Cookie Company, is a legacy cannabis company focused exclusively on beverages since 2020. Its flagship brand, CQ (Cann...

Laurel Orley is the founder and CEO of Daily Crunch Snacks and a mission-driven entrepreneur with a background in advertising. After more than a decade building major brands like Dove at Unilever, she transitioned to launch her own company focused on health, flavor, and impact. Daily Crunch Snacks is a women-owned snack brand offering sprouted, air-dried almonds and other nut blends with bold, inn...

Judy Joo is a classically trained chef, entrepreneur, and television personality whose unconventional journey spans engineering, Wall Street, and the world’s top kitchens. She is an Iron Chef, cookbook author, and dynamic force in the food world, celebrated for modernizing and globalizing Korean cuisine. Judy is the founder of Seoul Bird, a Korean fast-casual fried chicken concept with locations i...

Denise Woodard is the founder and CEO of Partake Foods. She launched the brand after her daughter was diagnosed with multiple food allergies. A former Coca-Cola executive, Denise became the first Black woman to publicly raise over $1 million for a CPG food startup. Partake Foods creates delicious, allergy-friendly snacks that are free from the top nine allergens. With a mission rooted in inclusivi...