Dear Citrus Diaries

Tour manager by day, Desert Dust slinger by night, founder Rick Marino brings his rock n roll mentality to the shelf with Desert Dust's date-based seasoning blends. Inspired by the desert that Rick calls home and has loved for decades, Desert Dust uses dates from Coachella Valley to craft flavorful, healthy, desert-powered spice blends and taco seasonings. Rick noticed a lack of California culinar...

Beituti, meaning homey in Arabic, embodies the warmth and joy of gathering with family and friends around a shared table. Founded by a Lebanese-American family with roots in Beirut, Beituti brings the vibrant flavors of Lebanon to kitchens across the U.S., blending tradition with convenience. The journey began when Rawia and her family moved to the U.S. and discovered a gap in grocery aisles—there...

Christina Dorr Drake is the CEO and co-founder of Willa's Organic Oat Milk, which is leading meaningful change—nutritiously, deliciously, and for the good of the planet. A seasoned marketing strategist, Christina left her career to join forces with her sister Elena and husband Russell, inspired by their grandmother Willa's original oat milk recipe, crafted with real, whole-food ingredients. Willa’...

The idea for Bougie Gougies blossomed from cherished memories of my dear family friend Suzanne. Before she moved to the United States after WW2, she lived an exciting life, studying and modeling, in Paris. Besides instilling in me a curiosity about the world, travel, and culture, she was the one who first introduced me to gougères—the French cheese puff pastries that elevate any gathering. Over th...

Veronica Panzardi is on a mission to help busy people make eating healthier easier, without compromising on taste or convenience. As an investment banker, she found herself juggling work, life, and the constant struggle of trying to make better food choices—while still enjoying the pleasures of the meals we love. It was at her bank, when she would work late and order takeout to the office, that sh...

Abbie Leeson, Co-Founder & Head of Innovation In 1990, Abbie and her husband Bruce co-founded The Ginger People with a mission to make the benefits of ginger more accessible to everyone. Fast Forward to today, and their family-owned company is a major player in the global ginger market. As the head of innovation, Abbie has led The Ginger People to new heights by expanding their product offerin...

With over 15 years of experience in the global consumer goods industry, Karim Khalil has developed a keen talent for innovation and leadership. In 2020, he relocated from Lebanon to the United States and launched Yaza in 2023—the first brand to introduce authentic labneh to the U.S. market. Yaza not only pioneered the first flavored labneh but also aims to showcase traditional Mediterranean flavor...

Chef Keesha O'Galdez is a Bronx-based culinary entrepreneur and the founder of Live Loud Foods. A former contestant on Food Network’s 'Chopped,' Keesha is passionate about creating bold, globally inspired flavors that promote health and well-being. Through her work, she seeks to inspire others by showing what's possible through dedication and creativity. Live Loud Foods is a women-owned gourmet sn...

Julia Perez is the Chief Marketing Officer at OWYN (Only What You Need), the premium plant-based nutrition brand behind the #1 plant-based protein shake in the U.S. With a decade of experience in high-growth, healthier-for-you food and beverage startups, her passion for fitness and wellness have come to fruition with OWYN, where she’s helped fuel omnichannel expansion and continued to bridge the g...

SKU is a trailblazing consumer product accelerator based in Austin, TX. SKU provides an ecosystem that creates lasting change in CPG by providing all the resources founders need to accelerate the growth of their brands.  SKU’s world-class program is driven by a community of the nation’s top CPG leaders, successful founders and industry experts. Their intensive programs offer best-in-class educatio...

A McKinsey consultant turned into a cheesemaker, Ilay is out to make labneh a thing as the co-founder and CEO of BEZI. She began her career as a financial services consultant at McKinsey and was sponsored by the firm to pursue her MBA at Columbia Business School in New York. During her time at Columbia, Ilay fell in love with the city, built her community through dinner parties at her home, known...

Semira Nikou   is the co-founder and CEO of Better Sour, a new sour candy startup celebrating global, heritage rich flavors with a commitment to healthier, low-sugar ingredients. Better Sour's flavors are inspired by the tart fruits the co-founders grew up eating as the daughters of Iranian immigrants raised in Hawai'i. Semira was previously a practicing attorney, most recently as a senior associa...

Laura Markewicz, Founder & CEO: Former advertising executive, entrepreneurship award winner, and second-time founder with 20 years of experience building brands and growing businesses. Lotza is a non-alcoholic sparkling citrus punch (to mix or enjoy solo) that aims to enhance what we enjoy about alcohol and combat its negative effects on our bodies. We've removed all the bad stuff found in oth...

B.T.R. NATION founder Ashley Nickelsen was inspired to create a truly clean snack while serving as the main caretaker for both of her parents as they battled rare forms of cancer. On a mission to create the snacks that were never available to her family, Ashley leveraged her background in food studies and biochemistry to the kitchen, making low-sugar protein bites boosted with plant-based, superfo...

Chef Joe Sasto is an acclaimed chef, cookbook author, culinary innovator, and passionate advocate for the art of Italian cuisine. With a background rooted in Michelin-starred kitchens and the rich traditions of his Italian heritage, Chef Joe Sasto is a celebrity chef not only in the culinary world but within the social media landscape as well. Chef Sasto has a penchant for pushing the boundaries o...

Debbie Mullin is the Founder and CEO of Copper Cow Coffee. Inspired by her Vietnamese-American heritage and brought to life using her experiences at the World Bank improving supply chains to reduce poverty in developing countries, Copper Cow was founded in 2016 out of Debbie’s sister’s garage to support sustainable farming practices in Vietnam, the world’s second-largest coffee exporter after Braz...

I’m so excited to share with you this week’s conversation with Crystal of Bowlcut. She is taking a refreshed look at beloved Asian sauces to ride the wave of the need for lower sodium, plant-based options. We discuss the importance of community and how she’s seen the benefits while growing up in her parent’s restaurant to now while starting Bowlcut. I learned so much from this conversation and it...

Michael Tashman is the Founder and CEO of Churn Foods, the butter brand combining the finest grass-fed European-style butter with the highest quality ingredients. He entered the culinary world starting as a line cook while playing football at The University of Miami, and went on to attend both Japanese and French culinary schools. In 2020, Tashman launched Churn bringing a fresh, innovative take o...

Maura Duggan is the founder and CEO of Fancypants , a delicious crispy cookie brand using high-quality ingredients with an elevated twist. She originally started Fancypants as a decorative cookie company in Massachusetts in 2004, along with creating her own manufacturing facility to ensure quality control and scale the business. Maura evolved the company with her husband and COO Justin Housman int...

Get Golden is founded by home cook and New York City ballerina of over a decade, Jenelle Manzi ( Ballerina Journal⁠ ). After battling injuries and food allergies throughout her career, Jenelle has turned to food to savor, fuel, and heal. In that, she channeled her own experiences and knack for precision to create a snack company where health & indulgence go hand-in-hand—a feeling she likes to...

Happy Monday! I am so excited to welcome on the last guest of season 4, founder of Joydays , Amy Cohn. Joydays was created with one simple mission: to provide low glycemic, better-for-you snacks that are still packed with those classic flavors you know and love. What We Chat About The mission behind why Joydays was created Color cancer awareness & education How women approach business + compet...

Leesa Renae is a commercial photographer specializing in food, beverage, and product, based in the vibrant culinary scene of Portland, Oregon. Leesa thrives on translating the beauty and appeal of natural foods into captivating visual stories. What We Chat About Leesa’s career journey & how she found herself in food Developing creative processes Wellness practices at the intersection of self c...

I’m so excited to welcome Chiara to the podcast! She is such an incredible founder who has accomplished so much in such a short period of time. Chiara Munzi is the co-founders of ChiChi Foods, a first-to-market grain free hot cereal made from chickpeas. As a better-for-you alternative, ChiChi Foods is carving a new path in the breakfast category with a healthier, easy solution. Find ChiChi — IG ch...

I am thrilled to welcome Lauryn, founder of S’NOODS, to the podcast! I’ve admired her leap into being a CPG brand owner for awhile now. It was so great to hear her story and learn more about her brand. Such a great listen <3 Lauryn Bodden is the founder of S’NOODS , the first chef-driven, globally-inspired noodle chip brand on the market. Conceptualized after winning Netflix’s cooking competiti...

I’m so happy to welcome Breanna of Kokada to the podcast this week! She makes one of my favorite snacks and has recently launched their version of dunkaroos which are just spectacular. Breanna’s story is so inspiring and will give you a much needed push forward on your journey. Breanna’s lifelong dream was to play sports at the highest level. Throughout her international travels through sport and...