ContenderCast with Justin Honaman

Hälsa Foods (Halsa means "health" in Swedish) is the manufacturer of oatmilk yogurt. It is one of the first plant-based oatgurt made from whole grain oats and the world's first dairy-free yogurt without a single artificial ingredient. Co-founders Helena Lumme and Mika Manninen join Justin to share details on this fast-growing food brand!

Batteries Plus is the nation's largest and fastest-growing battery, light bulb and smartphone/tablet repair franchise with a nationwide network of stores. With access to more than 60,000 types of batteries, light bulbs and accessories, they have the widest selection of battery and light bulb products available. Batteries Plus offers unmatched service to consumers, businesses and government entitie...

Starr Edwards is the charismatic entrepreneur behind San Diego's Bitchin' Sauce. A foodie at heart, she initially planned on pursuing a career as a personal chef. Then, with a young family to feed, she infused her fun, fresh flavors into a host of Bitchin' Sauces. An immediate hit at the local farmers market, it wasn't long before they made their way to grocery shelves. Today they are in Costco, S...

Wan Kim was first introduced to Smoothie King while studying at Boston University before going on to earn his MBA at the University of California at Irvine. Wan became a huge fan of the concept and opened the first international Smoothie King location in South Korea in 2003. Within six years, Wan had opened 120 stores in South Korea and eventually grew brand awareness to 94 percent on the peninsul...

In a quest to find a healthier alternative to traditional burgers, co-founder, Jason, quickly realized that the grocery aisles were full of imitation meats and veggie burgers but all were either highly processed, frozen, bland or loaded with preservatives. Not to mention they didn't even look appetizing! He was determined to create a better option full of fresh farm-grown veggies and ingredients t...

The first and only spirits line distilled with pure organic cane sugar, that also meets all five official certifications including Vegan, Gluten Free, Non-GMO, Kosher, and USDA Organic – meet Drake's Organic Spirits. For hard alcohol that's not hard on the planet—or your palate, taste the difference organic spirits can make. Founder and CEO Mark Anderson joins Justin to share his incredible story...

The texture of a proper Japanese drinking moment can be a beautiful balance of experiences. Aroma and flavor are a given, but temperature, feel, sight, and sound all play equally important roles in elevating the sip above a mere drink. This is life in high fidelity. Sip slowly. Sip Honkaku. Founder Christopher Pellegrini joins Justin to discuss this growing brand.

The city you call home. The neighborhood where you bought your first apartment. The street corner where you shared a first kiss. Terratorie's maps are designed to honor local community, neighborhood spirit, and pride in all the places we make memories. Founder Torie Partridge joins Justin to discuss this unique, creative and fun growing business!

At Cleanyst, they combine industry experience with a passion for environmental sustainability and innovation.  They developed a revolutionary platform that empowers you to easily mix your favorite cleaning and personal care products at home so you can reduce plastic waste and carbon emissions, save money and enjoy new and exciting options for product personalization. Co-founder Nick Gunia joins Ju...

Meet 4Front. They have combined proven large-scale cultivation and manufacturing leadership with long-standing retail, regulatory and strategic growth capabilities to create a cannabis company built for the long haul. 4Front currently owns, operates or manages cultivation and production facilities and retail facilities across five states with headquarters in Arizona. Their focus is on key markets...

Edible spoons?! Yes. Incredible Eats is on a mission to reinvent the way we eat the food by replacing all plastic utensils with edible options. Founder Dinesh Tadepalli joins Justin to discuss this new fast-growing, game-changing sustainability brand.

The Vegan Knife was formed to help those who suffer from food allergies and enjoy a vegan lifestyle. After struggling with some health challenges and unable to eat gluten, dairy or shellfish any longer, Julie Butcher left her job in the corporate world and spent two years perfecting the recipes so the company could deliver a product that was truly "free from" the Top 8 allergens. All the delicious...

Wilde Brands is a new innovative snack company delivering complete whole food protein snacks made with lean meats, gluten-free grains, seeds and super fruits; all slow-baked to perfection with some Wilde herbs and spices. Wilde Brands could only ever have a wild founder, enter Jason Wright. He fell in love with chips early in his childhood, with a household mantra of "an open bag is an empty bag"....

As founder Matt Cohen says, "We get it: we all have our favorite foods (we'd eat 'em every day if we could). As parents who believe our families deserve the best, we created a version of kid classics that are as mouth-watering good as they are good for us all. How? By choosing the best ingredients for every recipe. Now that's what you call real mealtime goodness." Matt joins Justin to discuss this...

Stryx was founded on a basic insight: Men seek to look handsome. Stryx began when a pimple nearly ruined a wedding. Every man has an experience from a first date, important meeting, or daily video call where a blemish can distract from their best performance. Somewhere along the way men's faces got neglected. Left uncared for, the male face has become a hot spot for trouble: zits, redness, dark sp...

Mother Nature knows best. That's why she added a peel to fruit -- more vitamins, fiber and antioxidants have been shown to be present in the rind than any other part of the fruit. As nature's original packaging, rinds are prized for their various healthful properties. Keep it real, eat the peel! Founder and CEO Matt Weiss joins Justin to discuss this "a-peeling" brand!

Plant power to the people! Plants survive and thrive by releasing endogenous biochemicals that help them flourish under various circumstances, and many of those plant botanicals can help humans perform at their best, too. That's why Zolt superdrinks are powered by plants (a whole entourage of 'em) and optimized for performance. Each formulation of adaptogens, antioxidants and terpene botanicals is...

When Lin Jiang was a child in China, her mom would make black sesame cereal for her when she got home from school. The smooth, semi-sweet, toasty flavor made it one of her favorite foods. In China, black sesame cereal has been a staple food for hundreds of years because of its flavor and wellness benefits. As an adult, she began working and found herself reaching for unhealthy snacks often through...

A family company born behind a bar, the husband and wife team at Brothers Artisan Oil takes natural seriously. They're best known for their award-winning beard oil, a GQ and Esquire favorite, but their handcrafted line includes a plethora of products for the body and home. And every purchase does good--their "clean products for clean water" initiative has already funded one clean water project ser...

When Diana Levy originally started Undercover Chocolate Co., her goal was to make decadent chocolate covered goodies for events, gifts and holidays. People would tell her how much they loved her chocolates, then take a little bite and try (as best they could) to resist over doing it. Diana loved the chocolates but what she really craved was the satisfaction of just enough, absolutely delicious, pr...

Biotricity is a modern medical technology company focused on delivering innovative, remote biometric monitoring solutions to the medical and consumer markets, including diagnostic and post-diagnostic solutions for chronic conditions and lifestyle improvement. Biotricity's R&D continues to focus on the preventative healthcare market, with a vision of putting health management into the hands of the...

At LEVO, they are passionate about discovering natural paths to wellness. Infusing at home, with fresh ingredients, unlocks a myriad of customizable recipes – from marinades to lip balm – that optimize the benefits of wholesome herbs. Their products empower you to choose each of your ingredients and give you the utmost control in what you consume. The process of herbal infusion has been utilized f...

Returnity believes there is a better way to ship goods. Single-use packaging is wasteful, expensive, and boring at best. Reusable shipping and delivery packaging can be more affordable, green, and exciting than your current single-use packaging, when integrated right. Returnity helps forward-thinking brands and retailers identify and build the closed-loop logistics systems needed for reusable pack...

XRC Labs is an innovation accelerator for the next generation of disruptors in the retail technology and consumer goods sectors. Serial entrepreneur and investment partner Diana Melencio joins Justin to discuss industry trends, how to successfully launch and grow a consumer brand, and the venture capital approach at XRC Labs.

Born and raised in Michigan, Mike McFall began his journey with BIGGBY COFFEE as a minimum-wage barista at the original store in East Lansing in 1996. Over the span of 23 years, with business partner Bob Fish, he has helped create one of the great specialty coffee brands in America. Today Mike is co-CEO with Bob, and BIGGBY has over 250 stores open throughout the Midwest. The company is in high gr...