Brand Alchemist Podcast

Nicole Cardone is the Co-founder and CEO of Fruitful Brands, the umbrella company of SorBabes and Fudgy Pop. SorBabes offers artisanal, flavor-dipped sorbet bars and Fudgy Pop produces rich, dairy-free fudge bars. After working as a financial analyst in the private financial sector, she created disruptive frozen food products focusing on flavor, quality, sustainability, and human and animal welfar...

Daniel Del Coro is the Head of US Business Development at Secret Island Salmon and its parent company Salmones Austral, which specializes in sustainable seafood. With over 15 years of experience in the food business, he has partnered with award-winning chefs and worked in management, sales, branding, and marketing with startups, mid-market sustainable food brands, and nonprofit organizations like...

Stefanie Garcia Turner is the Founder and CEO of TUYYO, a modern line of Hispanic food and beverages made with natural ingredients. With nearly two decades of experience in the natural products industry, she has helped hundreds of brands scale in various roles, including procurement, supplier business development, and sales and distribution management. As an advocate for good food systems, Stefani...

Alison Cayne is the Founder of Haven's Kitchen, which produces globally-inspired fresh-made sauces. After teaching home cooking for over two decades and owning a cooking school and cafe for eight years, she launched a line of fresh sauces in pouches. Alison is the author of the critically-acclaimed book The Haven's Kitchen Cooking School and has contributed to publications such as the New York Pos...

Alison Evans and Chloe Bergson are the Co-founders of Sayso, a premium cocktail company offering tea bag cocktails. After meeting at Harvard Business School and bonding over their shared love of food and drink, Alison and Chloe noticed a lack of homemade cocktail options. They began experimenting with all-natural ingredients in tea bags and created delicious cocktails and mocktails.  In this episo...

Charlie Weisman is the Founder of Staff, which reimagines household items with bold colors, unique materials, and pleasing characters. After being stuck in a tiny New York City apartment during the pandemic, he founded Staff with the mission of bringing joy to the mundane. The disruptive launch of Staff's first product — a plunger with a smiley face — pays homage to Charlie's grandfather, who had...

Saskia Sorrosa is the Founder and CEO of Fresh Bellies, which produces savory snacks focused on combating childhood obesity. By offering vegetables without added sugar and seasoning with Latin-inspired herbs and spices, Fresh Bellies helps shape nutritional preferences early to encourage healthier choices later in life. In 2019, the company debuted on Shark Tank season 10 and launched with GS Entr...

Kaitlin Mogentale is the Founder and CEO of Pulp Pantry, an upcycled food brand transforming fruit and vegetable juice pulp into nutritious, convenient snacks. With a passion for sustainability, she founded Pulp Pantry to reduce food waste and promote a sustainable future. As a Shark Tank veteran, Kaitlin has been recognized as a next-generation leader by CSQ magazine and named Woman of Entreprene...

Adam Brown is the Founder and President of Sircle Media, a social media strategy firm. In his role, he works with CPG, beverage, and spirit brands to help them navigate social media strategies and execution. Adam is also an investor and advisor for several CPG brands including Actual Veggies, RIND Snacks, and Mezcla. With nearly 25 years of experience in digital marketing, he has held various posi...

Briana Warner is the CEO of Atlantic Sea Farms, which creates innovative products from sustainably-farmed sea greens. In 2022, the brand received the Fast Company Brands That Matter award. As CEO, Briana has forged a path for seaweed aquaculture by working with fishermen to grow and create national demand for kelp as a climate change adaptation strategy. She has received various awards, including...

Ashley Albert is the Founder of The Matzo Project, an artisanal cracker company manufacturing traditional Jewish snacks. As the 10th-best female shuffleboard player in the world, she is also the Founder of The Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club, where she has introduced hundreds of thousands of new shuffleboard players to the 100-year-old game. Ashley is a 25-year veteran of the New York City voiceover...

Sarah Wallace is the Founder and CEO of The Good Bean, a female-owned business making tasty and nutritious bean protein snacks. Through the acquisition of Beanitos chips, The Good Bean has become one of the largest bean-based brands in the country. Born and raised in India, Sarah is passionate about the diversity of food, culture, and sustainable agriculture. She is also a Founding Member of (Incl...

Kevin McCray is the Co-founder and COO of Kevin's Natural Foods, a line of healthy entrées, sauces, and seasoning blends making clean eating taste delicious and align with busy lifestyles. He began as COO of CalChef Foods before forming a partnership with renowned entrepreneur Dan Costa and creating Kevin's Natural Foods. After battling a severe autoimmune disorder, Kevin cured his condition throu...

Steve Thorp is the Co-founder and CEO of Before Self Care Company, which manufactures custom, dentist-approved toothpaste made with clean ingredients and packaged in a 100% recyclable plant-based tube. As a serial entrepreneur, he has founded many influential brands, including Postmark Brewing and Vancouver Urban Winery. Steve's experience in sales and marketing has provided him with a real-world...

Hailey Swartz is the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Actual Veggies, a brand that's redefining the plant-based protein industry with its line of veggie-only burgers. The quarter-pound, chef-created veggie burger patties are made with fresh vegetables, grains, and a signature spice blend. Each burger variety holds a vibrant color indicative of the vegetables used. In this episode… Plant-based and veggie b...

Sheena Russell is the Founder and CEO of Made with Local, a B-Corp Certified snack company. As a social entrepreneur, she creates real food bars and granola mixes with ethically-sourced ingredients to connect people to the planet. Made with Local creates social impact through partnerships with local farmers and food producers. The brand has grown to reach over 3,000 grocery stores across Canada. I...

Jake Karls is the Co-founder and Rainmaker at Mid-Day Squares, which manufactures functional chocolate bars. Over the past four years, Jake and his team have built a fully-automated chocolate factory to sell Mid-Day's products in over 4,500 stores across North America. As Rainmaker, he focuses on achieving growth by building relationships with investors, buyers, and journalists. Jake was named one...

Ayeshah Abuelhiga is the Founder and CEO of Mason Dixie Foods, the first and only clean-label ready-to-bake line of frozen biscuits focused on providing fresh, fast, and affordable Southern comfort food. In 2017, the brand was named a Top 10 Innovator by The Washington Business Journal. Ayeshah was voted a Top Millennial to Watch in 2014 and the Number 1 Food & Beverage Stunner by Industree DC. Wi...

Jenny Bonchak is a national award-winning barista and the Founder of Slingshot Coffee Company — offering cold brew black coffee — and Bright Side Beverage Club, a sparkling water brand. She is also the Founder of Needs & Wants, a beverage company offering superfruit teas with natural antioxidants and prebiotics. With 15 years of experience crafting specialty coffee, Jenny founded Slingshot in 2012...

Katie Wilson is the Co-founder of BelliWelli, the first gluten-free, probiotic-packed, low FODMAP, vegan snack bar for people suffering from gastrointestinal conditions. As someone who suffers from irritable bowel syndrome, Katie founded the company after years of sorting through food labels and consulting with doctors. In founding BelliWelli, she formed a community for those struggling with these...

Serina Hanlon is the Owner of The Pharmacy Lab, a compounding pharmacy specializing in non-sterile compounds. The Pharmacy Lab creates and helps customers personalize medications not commercially available. As a community pharmacy owner for over a decade, Serina is passionate about helping patients find modern medicine while incorporating natural alternatives and lifestyles to promote overall well...

Bob Burke is the Principal of Natural Products Consulting, a consulting firm specializing in bringing natural, organic, and specialty products to market across all channels. The firm has worked with companies such as Annie's, Oregon Chai, Kraft, and many others. He is also the co-author and co-publisher of the Natural Products Field Manual. Bob serves on multiple advisory boards for companies, inc...

Andrea Popova is the Co-founder and CEO of the Consumer Packaged Goods Directory, a hub for emerging consumer brands and the resources to build them. In her role, she builds product-driven solutions to help brands grow. As a chief growth officer, advisor, and investor in CPG brands, Andrea has experience leading cross-functional projects at high-growth startups, including Jet, Walmart, Prose, and...

Amrit Richmond is the Founder of Indie CPG, which supports sustainable indie brands through community, content, and connections. She is also the Founder of Supermercato, where she consults with brands, VCs, and technology companies on CPG insights and market research. Amrit has 15 years of experience in advertising, media, technology, and VC leading marketing, partnerships, co-investor relations,...

Jess Caven is the Co-founder and Principal of Generation CPG, an agency that helps launch the next generation of CPG products in food, beverage, and wellness. In her role, she helps emerging, early-stage, and established CPG brands launch new products and optimize product management operations. Jess has over a decade of operations, supply chain, and brand-building experience with various food and...