Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)

Learning from the successes and mistakes of others can help us all to go from strength to strength. Spencer Lynn is the North East Regional Manager of KOS, a health and wellness brand on a mission to improve everyday nutrition and make the world a healthier place. During this conversation, Spencer shares his journey to working in nutrition, how the ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates, inspired th...

Here at Evolve CPG, we’re all about evolution. It’s time for us to practice what we preach and announce what’s next in our pipeline. In order for us to evolve in a way that works for you, we need your help. In this short episode, we fill you in on what’s new in the Evolve CPG community and how you can get involved! Although change can be unsettling, it’s necessary (and a far cry better than irrele...

Could the for-profit, for-purpose model be the most sustainable business model for making an impact? Today we are joined by Richa Gupta, Founder of Good Food For Good to share her entrepreneurial journey. She fills us in on her buy-one-feed-one business model and what inspired it, and shares her feelings on the non-profit model. We learn about her transition from fashion to food and what informed...

While activism and change-making can require us to exercise emotional intelligence and perform certain balancing acts, there is also a power in standing up and unequivocally stating what you believe in. Miyoko Schinner is a champion of putting the truth in plain sight and allowing the cards to fall as they may, and today she sits down to talk about her inspiring journey through impact entrepreneur...

As public interest in sustainability grows, there are more and more consumers looking for ways to eat the foods they enjoy with less impact on the world around them. This means that today’s CPG brands are forced to innovate when it comes to both flavor and sustainability to meet the increasing demand for affordable, climate-friendly, and perhaps most importantly, delicious products. Today, we are...

Entrepreneurs are able to build their businesses because of the passion that fuels them, which also gives them purpose, helps them focus, and develops their resiliency. Jordan Buckner is joining us today to help us unlock the power of passion and purpose. He is the Founder of Foodbevy, a community platform aimed at helping founders in food and beverage grow from startup to scale. We discuss the di...

There is much to consider when launching a product in the retail space. Joining us today to discuss the tribulations he faced through the process of launching (and subsequently closing) Wander Nut Butters, is The Think Tank’s president, Jared Kligerman. Jared’s mission with The Think Tank is to aid small businesses in standing out from the crowd and engaging customers. In this episode, we find out...

Much has been said in the last few decades about salt and its effects on our health. And more recently, some of the claims around its dangers have come into question and been clarified. Here on the show today is Darryl Bosshardt of Redmond, a company dedicated to making clean and natural salt more available to everyone. Our conversation centers on some of the misconceptions of the past and present...

Changing your behavior is no easy feat, especially when it comes to food. And for Bobbi Giudicelli, it took several dramatic health setbacks (both for herself and two close family members) to take action and truly re-examine how her relationship with food was affecting her quality of life. This led her to co-found Read The Ingredients, a company that produces some of the cleanest, healthiest, vega...

During his junior year in college, Parker Olson embarked on the first of a series of nutritional experiments that would change the course of his life in ways he could never have imagined. After becoming aware of the incredible properties of functional mushrooms during one of these experiments, Parker became the youngest board member of the Puget Sound Mycological Society and subsequently founded F...

We are bringing back another of our most listened episodes from 2022. This time, we’re speaking with Jake Karls, cofounder and rainmaker at Mid-Day Squares, about their game-changing, show-everything style brand marketing and how he and his co-founders (his sister, Leslie, and brother-in-law, Nick) are committed to staying independent and true to themselves for the long haul. Key Points of the Epi...

What has become known as conventional agriculture is part of the reason for the state of grave environmental degradation we find ourselves living in, which is having negative impacts on our health. Although regenerative farming may be a new term, it’s actually an ancient practice based on the way nature intended us to consume food. Through Wild Orchard Regenerative Teas, Michael Don Ham is doing h...

Ever wondered about Gage Mitchell's journey into his current work and the early days of Modern Species? Today Gage gives listeners a short but sweet introduction to the career pivot he made about 15 years ago, what brought about this change, and the principles that he built into the foundations of his agency. Gage also talks about his prioritization of impact, indispensability, and avoiding the wo...

At Firebrand Artisan Breads, making exceptional baguettes and brioche (which they do) is secondary to their mission of creating meaningful work for people who are often not given those opportunities. Matt Kreutz, the founder of Firebrand and our guest on today’s show, founded the company with the goal of making a positive impact on his community by hiring homeless and previously incarcerated peopl...

All product markets and areas of business can benefit from a purpose-driven approach, and the pet food space is no different! Joining us for this episode is the Founder and CEO of Bundle x Joy, Jess Berger, and we have a fascinating chat with Jess about her winding career path and her passion for pets. We explore some important ideas around intentionality, the big mission that drives Jess, and som...

Breaking free from the shackles that we give ourselves can be one of the biggest challenges each of us faces, especially when these are shielded from our view. Today we sit down with Matt D'Amour and Linwood Paul from personal growth and development company, Subtle Distinctions, to talk about how they approach helping their clients transcend limiting beliefs, get over the fear of success, and step...

Entrepreneurs need to be creative and forward-thinking to build a successful and sustainable business. Although making money is the main objective of any business, entrepreneurs are focused on much more than profit margins or the bottom line. Today's guest, Jordan Buckner, overcame many challenges while starting and running his own companies and realized that startups need help to succeed in the f...

Throughout a person’s career, they acquire many skills beneficial to entrepreneurism. Recognizing those skills creates fantastic opportunities to pursue your passions and follow your dreams. In this episode, we talk to Lex Evan, the Founder, CEO, and chef of the first conscious and sustainable bakery. Lexington Bakes is a luxury bakeshop creating decadent, handmade desserts using consciously sourc...

There are so many interesting and creative careers out there that slip by unnoticed by many of the population, and sometimes it takes a happy accident or chance encounter to align us with a career path that suits us brilliantly. Kimberly Schaub of PeasOnMoss exemplifies this idea, and her work as a research chef and curious culinary creator is making space for others to follow down a similarly unu...

How do you grow your “brand” as a freelancer? Does the hype around the importance of a healthy work-life balance make sense? This week, we feature an episode of The Joyful Freelancer that our very own Gage Mitchell was on recently to answer these questions. The host of the podcast, Katherine Gustafson, evoked Gage to delve into some of his favorite social media rants, how to engineer your life to...

How can a brand use the power of design to make the world a better place? This episode features our very own Gage Mitchell’s interview on The Creative Shit Show Podcast, where he talks in-depth about designing solutions that make a positive impact on our environment. Gage talks about the power of design, how it can make a meaningful impact, and why it is important to note the responsibilities that...

We spend a lot of time talking about better-for-the-world products, brands, and businesses. But what does that really mean? During our milestone episode, we are reflecting on the types of advice and stories that are shared on the show by guests who are working to do better in different ways. We take a detailed look at what it means for purpose-driven brands to be committed to better for the world....

In recent times, we have seen a rapid rise in technology used to enhance in-store experiences and even incentivize better food choices. Today on the EvolveCPG Podcast, we are joined by Karen Frame, an early innovator of such technology in the natural foods industry. Apart from her experience in accounting, law, real estate, coding, and even education, Karen is also a serial entrepreneur. She start...

The foods that we choose to eat represent our single biggest environmental impact. This is the belief of today’s guest, activist entrepreneur Seth Goldman, who wants to inform and empower consumers to make choices that align with their concerns around climate change and wellbeing. Seth is the co-founder and Chief Change Agent of Eat the Change, a snack company on a mission to create chef-crafted,...

People connect with a story far more than a tool. Joining us in conversation today is Season 3 host of The Startup CPG Podcast, Jessi Freitag, who specializes in helping people to leverage the power of digital systems to promote productivity and success. A multi-passionate coach, podcaster, and CPG expert, Jessi is here to share her story of promoting efficacy in the world of CPG by sharing her fi...