Emerging Brands Podcast

Disrupting a category requires a relentless commitment to innovation and a deep understanding of your audience. For over 30 years, Munchkin Inc. has done exactly that, growing into a global baby lifestyle powerhouse with over 350 patents, 250 design awards, and products sold in more than 50 countries. Leading the charge for their expansion into key growth categories is Kristin Pagano, General Mana...

Sarela Herrada, Co-Founder and CEO of SIMPLi, is leading a broader movement to bring nutrient-dense, purpose-led pantry staples into everyday kitchens without compromising on quality or values. Founded in 2020 alongside her husband and co-founder Matt Cohen, SIMPLi was born during the pandemic from a shared belief that better food, grown with care and integrity, should be easier to access. The bra...

Jason Wright, Founder and CEO of WILDE Protein Snacks, has completely redefined what protein snacking can be by building an entirely new category from scratch. Driven by a mission to rethink food after growing up around carb-heavy cooking and family diabetes, Jason spent nearly a decade in trial and error to create a crunchy, flavor-packed snack made from real chicken breast. Today, WILDE Protein...

The fundraising landscape for consumer brands has completely shifted, moving away from hyper-growth milestones and focusing heavily on sustainable scale, margin efficiency, and true omni-channel traction. This episode was recorded live during NY Tech Week, bringing together the leading investment voices who are actively shaping the next generation of consumer and early-stage capital. I sat down wi...

Taylor Blue, Founder and CEO of Little Latke, has introduced an entirely new category to the crowded snack aisle by taking inspiration from a beloved family recipe. Inspired by the coveted, golden crispy edges of a traditional family latke, Taylor created the world's first shelf-stable potato crisp. By combining real shredded potatoes and a subtle hint of onion with modern clean-label standards, i...

The clean beauty category is fiercely competitive, but Elina Wang, Founder and CEO of ESW Beauty, has navigated the noise by creating a brand that bridges food-derived ingredients with clinical performance. Inspired by her personal healing journey, Elina launched the brand with a signature sensorial touch, scaling it into the #1 natural mask brand in the United States. Today, their clean formulati...

Gyve Safavi, Co-Founder and CEO of SURI, is tackling an industry-wide waste problem head-on with a mission to transform oral care for both people and the planet. SURI creates beautifully designed, elevated everyday essentials that shift the focus from cheap disposability to long-term sustainability. Their award-winning electric toothbrush features a sleek, durable aluminum body and recyclable plan...

For decades, the English muffin category has been dominated by mass-produced, uniform options that lack character and texture. Cameron Meekins, Co-Founder and CEO of Stone & Skillet, set out to change that by proving this breakfast staple deserves the exact same care, craft, and premium ingredients as high-end artisan bread. What started as a passion project in a small Boston apartment kitchen has...

The functional food space is booming, but many protein options on the shelf still rely on artificial ingredients, heavy sugars, or outdated branding. Liz Lane, Founder and CEO of Scoops, is changing that by unlocking an overlooked, high-performance ingredient: peanuts. Scoops uses a proprietary peanut protein isolate exclusive to the brand to deliver an impressive 27g of protein, 5g of fiber, and...

Some of the most common health challenges are the ones people are least likely to talk about, but Carli Roth is on a mission to change that. As Co-Founder and Head of Community at Norms, Carli is bringing empathy, clinical credibility, and real-life relatability to a category that has traditionally been defined by clinical coldness and social stigma: hemorrhoids and "unmentionables." With a powerf...

High-growth CPG brands often hit a wall when their sales velocity outpaces their financial infrastructure. Elena Minton, Fractional CFO at SFT Consulting, operates precisely at this high-stakes intersection of finance and operations. With over 20 years of experience, including more than a decade dedicated to natural food and beverage brands, Elena helps founder-led, venture-backed startups scale s...

It is rare to find a food brand founded by a climate scientist, but Maddie Hamann is using her scientific background to completely change how we think about a kitchen staple. As Co-Founder and Director of Marketing at PACHA Bread, Maddie transitioned from a career in Earth Science (holding a PhD from the prestigious Scripps Institution of Oceanography) to marketing because she wanted to make a dir...

A truly great snack is hard to find, but Laura Shafferman has cracked the code with a combination that is exactly what the brand name implies. As the Founder of Legally Addictive Foods, Laura has turned a unique recipe of crackers, salted toffee, chocolate, and sea salt into an insanely delicious cookie sensation. Based in Western North Carolina, this woman-owned brand has grown from a creative ki...

Gourmet gifting received a massive upgrade when Rachel Solomon Fascitelli set out to solve a major logistical puzzle: how to ship a fully arranged, picture-perfect charcuterie board across the country. As Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Boarderie, Rachel has helped build the fastest-growing edible gifting company in America, pioneering a brand-new category in the gourmet food market since its launch in 2...

Long before they ever bottled a drop of wine, Erica Small and Nikki Huganir built a rosé-first movement. What started in 2013 as a lifestyle brand fueled by humor, design, and a shared love for pink wine has evolved into a massive consumer favorite. Today, Yes Way Rosé is a category leader, ranking as the fourth best-selling rosé overall in the US with more than 13 million bottles sold. Leveraging...

Most people use toilet paper several times a day without a second thought, but the environmental cost of traditional tree-based paper is staggering. Deeva Green (Co-Founder and Head of Sustainability) and Lee Reitelman (Co-Founder and CEO) are the duo behind PlantPaper, a brand that spent three years in research and development to create a silky, soft, and strong alternative that leaves no trace....

The landscape of local commerce is being revitalized through the world's largest online wholesale marketplace. Jennifer Burke, Chief Revenue Officer at Faire, has been a driving force behind the platform's mission to connect independent brands with the retailers that help them grow. Since joining in 2019, Jen has scaled Faire's North American Revenue organization from its early stages, building a...

The candy aisle is getting a much-needed jolt of tart, globally inspired flavor. Bella Hughes, Co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Better Sour, is the entrepreneurial force behind the award-winning gummies that are shaking up the snack world. Born and raised in Hawai'i, Bella and her lifelong best friend founded Better Sour to celebrate the diverse, tart flavors they grew up with and encounter...

The way we interact with our homes is changing, and Suze Dowling is at the forefront of that shift. As the Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Pattern Brands, Suze is building a modern "house of brands" designed to help people enjoy daily life at home. One of the stars of this family is GIR (Get It Right), a brand that has revolutionized the kitchen tool category with its high performance, plati...

When Ashley Cameron's son was diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease, baking cookies became more than just a kitchen activity; it became a vital source of comfort and connection during a difficult recovery. Those family moments and recipes eventually grew into Love&Cookies, which has quickly become one of the fastest-growing names in the frozen cookie dough category. Ashley leads the brand with a deep co...

Navigating the financial demands of a national retail launch is one of the most significant hurdles for any emerging brand. Sam Stutzman and Jackie Bae of Lunr Capital are helping founders solve this puzzle through commitment based, non-dilutive inventory financing. By providing the capital needed to fund production ahead of retail demand, Lunr allows brands to manage cash flow and scale without g...

Investor and certified integrative health coach Alaina Sparks is a systems thinker working at the intersection of health, capital, and everyday life. After a distinguished 15 year career at Deloitte, where she led global financial relationships, designed innovation strategies, and built the firm's fintech practice, Alaina recognized a critical imbalance: capital powerfully shapes opportunity, yet...

Building on a deep family history of farming in Punjab, India, co-founder Pooja Chopra is redefining what it means to lead a clean beauty brand. Alongside her mother and co-founder Jessica, Pooja launched Mudita Earth to combine farm grown ingredients with modern cosmetic science. While currently pursuing her MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Pooja is scaling the brand acr...

Having grown up on a sixth generation pork farm, Cassie Maschhoff spent a decade building a career in tech strategy and marketing at Google and Waze before returning to her family roots. Alongside her sister Chelsey, a Culinary Institute of America graduate and professional chef, she co-founded Lottie's Meats. Together, they are elevating pork in a clean and creative way, transforming a traditiona...

When one of Yough!'s co-founders was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and told he would have to give up pizza, he knew there had to be a better way. This challenge led him to the viral two-ingredient dough trend, which sparked the creation of a brand that rethinks frozen favorites through the power of Greek yogurt. Together, co-founders Michael Rolland and Jason Miller have built a better-for-you...