ContenderCast with Justin Honaman

Only 69% of Americans brush twice per day. A clear indicator that brushing is a chore, rather than a joy. And yet, a healthy mouth promotes a health life. At Chilly, they are on a mission to make brushing something we look forward to. They have re-imagined toothpaste – in fact, spicing it up! Founder and CEO Rainer Agles joins Justin to discuss this hot new brand!

Like many kids, mainstream snacks and cereals were a memorable part of Krishna Kaliannan's childhood. There's nothing he loved more than chocolate puffs for breakfast or a delicious sandwich cookie dunked in a glass of cold milk. Unfortunately, when he turned 17, he was diagnosed with T1 diabetes and had to give up many of his favorite snacks since they are typically loaded with sugar and empty ca...

Deliciously different, with a refreshing approach to building a brand. Made the "Old fashioned way," reaching consumers in an entirely new way. CAVU works with brands like Beyond Meat, Bai, Vital Proteins, Jennifer Garner's Once Upon a Farm, ONE bars, Oat-ly, Skinny Dipped, and Bulletproof. Chief Brand Architect Stevie Clements joins Justin to discuss how CAVU helps consumer brands accelerate grow...

Innoviom is a global innovative food and beverage platform that builds on new trends and takes them to scale. Innoviom uncovers new emerging trends for food and beverages bringing value-added healthy propositions to consumers. Imagine a world full of delicious healthy beverage and snacks that make us feel better. Ahmed ElAzizi, CEO, joins Justin to discuss this innovative new food and beverage pla...

flavrs provides foodies with the first shoppable-video platform that merges premium food content and commerce. The platform connects high-quality food videos to shopping, starting with groceries, through an industry-first Instacart integration. flavrs gives users access to premium recipe tutorials with a commerce-driven component allowing foodies to discover and replicate the meals they watch at h...

Elevated single serve wine! Each bottle contains 6.3 ounces of premium wine, packaged in an elegant and easy-to-open glass bottle.   Perfect for every moment when you want to enjoy one great glass of wine. Founder and CEO Dana Spaulding joins Justin to discuss this fast-growing wine brand!

Uniquely tied to the exciting world of professional sports car racing and garnering wins from racing around a track at 180 miles per hour at the highest levels of professional competition takes extreme focus, attention, and a drive for perfection. To professional race car driver and team owner, Kevin Buckler so does winemaking. Following the legendary success of his professional race team The Race...

Meet Rana and Khalid. Their baba, Jamal, humbly brought an authentic flavor of his home Jerusalem to America in the late 1970's. His creamy and bold hummus was created in the kitchen of his restaurant, The Mediterranean Cruise Café in Minnesota in 1979 when Middle Eastern food was practically non-existent. It quickly became their most requested dish and remains so four decades later! In 2018, they...

Gobble prepares farm fresh 15-minute gourmet meal kits with 3-step instructions delivered to your door. The weekly dinner service offers busy professionals the convenience associated with takeout along with the health and satisfaction of a fresh homemade meal! Founder and CEO Ooshma Garg joins Justin to discuss launching, growing, selling and evolving this dynamic food brand!

Fast Penny Spirits is a distillery in Seattle, Washington focusing on creating high-quality amaro using organic and wild-crafted ingredients under the Amaricano brand. A mostly Seattle native, Jamie Hunt is known for launching innovative digital products and experiences for global companies as well as seeking out delicious food and cocktails at home and on the road. In creating Fast Penny Spirits,...

Coffee without the pretentiousness. Coffee without all the extra packaging. Coffee without the bland, the beige, the boring. Say hello to coffee without the crap. Say hello to Chamberlain Coffee. CEO Chris Gallant joins Justin to discuss this growing coffee brand!

Jack & Friends® believes in inclusivity—especially when it comes to food. That's why they're on a mission to make snacks you can feel good about eating, regardless of your lifestyle or diet. Their plant-based jerky is carefully crafted to ensure as many people as possible not only can consume their product, but also enjoy it. Who said you have to choose between function and flavor? Not them! Found...

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Endangered Species Chocolate has been crafting premium chocolate for three decades. ESC is passionate about redeeming typical business practices into "doing good better" that leaves a positive and lasting ripple in their wake. They love the truly delicious product they create, and are on a mission to seed joy through abundant giving. By donating 10% of net p...

Blue Circle Foods is an employee-owned sustainable seafood company founded in 2005 by organic industry pioneers. They produce feel good fish for every day eating – from fillets to fun things like salmon sausages and burgers always free from fillers and breadcrumbs. They are passionate about continuous improvement in both aquaculture (fish farming) and wild-caught fishing practices. As a protein pr...

Farmer Focus was founded and is led by Corwin Heatwole, a 6th generation farmer. Corwin was just three years old when his father built his first poultry house; he grew up farming and tending to the flocks. Corwin spent years raising flocks for other companies and saw the toll it took on both his family and the birds. He started Shenandoah Valley Organic (later Farmer Focus) with a question posed t...

As immigrants from India, Ragoth Bala and his co-founder were frustrated that they couldn't find good sources of authentic and healthy Indian food to could consume on a regular basis. Thus, Cumin Club was born. Their expert chefs ensure they are staying true to the origins of each dish by using locally sourced ingredients and authentic cooking methods. They are rooted in representation, with a foc...

Jill Koziol is the co-founder and CEO of Motherly, a wellbeing destination empowering mothers to thrive. An Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Company and a Parity.org Best Company for Women to Advance, Motherly is built for mothers, by mothers. Engaging an audience of 40 million+ readers and viewers a month, Motherly offers on-demand parent education classes, Webby-award winning videos, The Mother...

The Vortic Watch Company is a high-end wristwatch engineering and manufacturing company based in Fort Collins, Colorado. Their inspiration lies in pairing classic watchmaking techniques and traditions with innovative, modern technology. After finding that their metal 3D printed prototypes for a university design project had a uniquely vintage look, they decided to combine the cutting-edge technolo...

Mari Fassett started mixing flavors when she was 12 and whipped up a bowl of peanut butter, syrup and melted butter to dip pretzels in while she watched cartoons. Today, she is proud to celebrate over 25 years making better-for-you, plant-based, gluten-free snack mixes. She believes today's consumer craves snacks that innovate with bold, adventurous flavor while still paying tribute to comfort-foo...

Thomas Ashbourne raises the bar in the world of ready-to-sip craft cocktails. Their rich flavors are curated by iconic partners who know their way around a top shelf cocktail. Every batch is sustainably handcrafted in the U.S. using all-natural, Kosher ingredients. Their work is driven by the love of a wildly good time, so cut ties with your bartender (or offer them a cocktail) and let's cut loose...

Bala Sarda comes with lineage of over 80 years in the tea industry and it is when he worked in his bulk export family business, he noticed the huge gaps in the $90 billion tea market. He started Vahdam Teas in early 2015 to address these problems and make available garden fresh teas to consumers across the world, direct from source, under a home-grown tea brand by leveraging technology. A tea enth...

Every 100 seconds, a baby in America gets a food allergy. However, babies don't have to get food allergies. Evidence-based research, USDA guidelines and leading allergists all agree – introducing small amounts of allergens early and often is the best way to help a child have a greater chance at a future of food freedom. Ready. Set. Food! is the only complete early allergen introduction system that...

As a Los Angeles-based interior designer, author, philanthropist and mom to two boys, Breegan Jane is a dynamic voice in the industry. As host of HGTV's Dream Home, Breegan continues to showcase her vast expertise building and designing homes, as well as on over six Warner Brothers Discovery shows. She originally honed her design skills as a creative director and marketing professional for a leadi...

Many years in the making, Lyre's exquisite range of lovingly crafted non-alcoholic spirits was borne from a quest to make the impossible possible – giving the freedom to drink your drink, your way. Not just provide an alternative to those who don't wish to imbibe alcohol, but ensure everyone can enjoy the mirth and merriment of a soiree or shindig. With Lyre's, it's up to you – replace some of the...

It started with a passion and a pandemic. It led to an understanding and conviction. Blind Tiger is linked back to Erie, Pennsylvania's Room 33 Speakeasy where owner, Rebecca Styn, PhD., brought her passion for the Prohibition era to life. Mirroring the ban on alcohol in the 1920's, the onset of the pandemic in 2020 forced the speakeasy to provide only sans-alcohol drink options to-go. The team to...