The Startup CPG Podcast

Meet Jennifer Yepez-Blundell, the new Startup CPG podcast host. Jennifer has an eternal curiosity for brands who are building better-for-you products and think outside the box, literally. She will showcase the diversity of thought behind some of today's youngest brands and highlight resources that  help emerging brands level up each day. 

Lauren Joyner is the CEO and Founder of LOCA Foods. LOCA's first product is a plant-based nacho sauce for the 21st century, made from potatoes. Lauren has really done her research to understand what it is about food that we enjoy - what purpose does it serve, in what context is it shared, how does it make us feel? This is such an important mindset for disrupting a broken food system. Understanding...

Startup CPG is a community of passionate people who love to build products that make our bodies happy, and our world healthy. In less than a year our community has grown to over 1200 active and engaged memebers. We have bigger and better projects in the pipeline to support small CPG brands -  the best is yet to come. 

John Schiaroli loves using his years of experience in operations to support young brands as they are being molded. He builds operational frameworks for growth, helping young brands create scalable, precise and effective backbones to make sure the business works. John's experience ranges from years at multinational brands like Coke and Pepsi, to more recently leading supply chain operations for bra...

How do you bring a traditional product to market while maintaining the integrity of family tradition?  Meet Mariam Elghani, founder of Garlic Goodness, Garlic Dips and Snacks. Produced in California with farm-fresh ingredients, Garlic Goodness bring bold yet approachable flavors to homes in California. Garlic Goodness is based off a family recipe that has traveled from the Lavant to Sacramento. On...

Are you thinking about selling your products online, direct to consumer? Not sure if you should start selling on Amazon, on your own website, or somewhere else? Unclear if e-commerce can be profitable for your business? E-commerce and growth marketing experts Rachel Barge and Kate Lin discuss strategies for reaching your customers directly on episode 10. Rachel Barge is the founder of Leap Grow, a...

Improving something should be inherently innovative, but within the food and beverage world, what really fuels the "better for you" space? As a young company, what support exists to help you stick to your vision and values? In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, we interview Chloe Sorvino, a staff writer at Forbes. Chloe covers all things CPG, from Billionaires to Under 30 entrepreneurs. Unde...

What really makes a product stand out to investors and customers? Gregorio Santiago has spent his career getting to know the ins and outs of what makes a great product succeed, and why some of the most innovative products never make it to market. Formerly the head of Acceleration and Discovery at Distill Ventures and a serial entrepreneur himself, Gregorio shares some tactical stories and tips wit...

What is a Co-Man, Co-Manufacturer, or Co-Packer? If you’re a budding CPG business, should you consider partering with one to save overhead? Turns out, they can be super helpful in securing deals within your supply chain, but there’s a few things you should know before approaching a contract manufacturer. In this week’s episode of the Startup CPG podcast, we sit down with Matt Suggs, the founder of...

Today's episode is a conversation with Clara Paye, Founder of UNiTE Food. UNiTE packs globally inspired flavors and wholesome, gluten-free ingredients and superfoods into nourishing, high-protein snacks. Clara is technically a one-woman show but she's clearly building something so much bigger than herself, and on this episode we talk about the inspiration and process of shaking up a pretty basic n...

Partnerships come in many forms and, with a little creativity, can present themselves in pretty unique ways! In this episode, we sit down with Caroline Cotto, the COO of Renewal Mill, to discuss the power of partnerships, keeping an open mind, and building a circular economy for food.

Oatly founder Bjorn Oste is launching a new functional beverage, Good Idea Drinks. Bjorn and I discuss what he learned about building an authentic brand at Oatly, and how that is shaping strategy for Good Idea. 

This episode features Zach En'wezoh, the Co-Founder and Head of Product for Bissy Energy. They're creating social equity for small holder farmers in Nigeria through the use of caffeinated Kolanut products. Zach shares their origin story, how they built their supply chain, and how they're building a brand on a foundation of care and transparency within the supply chain. 

Everyone is asking... what does a sales broker do, anyway? Are they worth incorporating into your business model, and if so, when? Jake Huber from The Better Food Group breaks it down for us on why you should work with one, and how to have a successful partnership.  

A brief introduction to the Startup CPG Podcast, from your host, Amanda Rodriguez, and Daniel Scharff, founder of the Startup CPG Network.