In the Sauce

On this episode of In the Sauce, Ali and Jess Haghani , CEO of Lucille Health, talk about building for an aging population, earning the trust of older consumers, and what it takes to reinvent a category that has barely changed in decades. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Amy Guittard is the CMO of Guittard Chocolate Company, the oldest continuously family-owned chocolate company in the United States. On this episode of ITS, Ali and Amy talk about keeping a heritage brand nimble, and how chocolate represents the intersection of agriculture, manufacturing, and consumer products. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at ht...

In this episode, we chat with Ben McKean , founder and CEO of Hungryroot, about pivoting from a CPG brand into a massive, AI-driven grocery platform. We explore how reducing consumer decision fatigue and managing owned inventory fueled their success, while Ben shares insider data on real-time household consumption patterns and what it takes for emerging brands to thrive on the platform. See Privac...

Adam Siskin is the Founder of The Platform CPG, a firm helping emerging consumer brands navigate finance, operations, retail growth, and scale. On this episode of ITS, Adam and Ali discuss margin, trade spend, brokers, distributors, manufacturers and investors. Adam shares learnings from supporting more than 50 CPG companies. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy N...

Thi Lam is founder and CCO at Garnish studios, a branding and production agency behind a number of emerging CPG brands across food, beverage, and wellness. On this episode of ITS, Thi and Ali talk content in the age of AI, and what emerging brands should focus on when it comes to creative assets, answering the bigger question: What actually creates brand value now? See Privacy Policy at https://ar...

Jesse Konig is the Co-Founder and CEO of Jesse & Ben's , restaurant-quality frozen fries known for their simple ingredients and made with beef tallow and avocado oil. On this episode of ITS, Jesse tells Ali his story, breaks down why he and his partner Ben went into CPG from brick and mortar, and details about self manufacturing, building on social media, and holding off on full-time hiring un...

Kiki Couchman is the co-founder of Sourmilk , the Greek yogurt designed for gut health with the probiotic levels of supplement. On this episode of ITS, Kiki and Ali talk through probiotics, dairy, building in public, finding your positioning, and how office delivery has become a killer channel for the emerging brand.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Noti...

Alec Jaffe is the Founder and CEO of Alec’s Ice Cream, the A2 dairy brand make ice cream truly better for you. On this episode of ITS, Ali and Alec break down the freezer aisle and talk A2, probiotics, vertical integration and why emerging brands need to pick a priority. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Rachel Mansfield and Kiva Dickinson are co-founders of cadootz! , the kids' snack brand on a mission to bring Organic, nutrient-dense ingredients to delightful kids' snacks. On this episode of ITS, Kiva and Rachel share what they've learned and how they're applying their investor experience to building a new company. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at...

Josh Serlin is Head of Strategy at The Campbell's Company, where he leads strategic planning across one of the most important portfolios in food. On this episode of ITS, Josh breaks down what actually makes a company interesting to the "Big Kids," along with the impact of GLP-1s, the broader secular shifts shaping food and wellness, and how to build a business that holds up regardless. See Privacy...

Hudson Davis-Ross is CEO and Co-Founder of Plant People, the doctor-formulated gummy supplement brand making functional wellness fun and accessible. On this episode of ITS, Hudson tells Ali the Plant People story, all about his18-month turn-around plan, and what 3-legged stools every successful emerging brand need to build. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Califor...

Pierson Krass is the founder and managing partner of Lunar Solar Group , a full-service growth agency and technology studio that has helped scale brands like Olipop, Vita Coco, Carbone, and Chomps.  On this episode of ITS, Ali and Pierson talk direct response principles - once confined to DTC brands - and how Lunar Solar helps brands like Liquid Death apply them across retail, wholesale,...

Alyssa Vescio is the Chief Merchandising Officer at The Fresh Market where she oversees merchandising strategy. Prior to TFM, Alyssa spend close to a decade at Whole Foods Market. On this episode of ITS, Alyssa explains the grocer side of the CPG equation: what their goals are, how to interact with them, what they're looking for from a brand. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cal...

Jesse Merril is the Co-Founder and CEO of Good Culture, the company that made cottage cheese cool again. On this episode of ITS, Jesse tells the GC story, how they literally reinvented the cottage cheese company and why values may not always bring people into a brand, but definitely keep them there. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/...

Sean Conner is the Co-Founder of ForceBrands , the recruiting firm specializing in placing leadership and key operators across food, beverage, beauty, and wellness brands. On this episode of ITS, Sean and Ali talk people - from hiring, to firing, and full-time hires to fractional support. Sean also shares the best advice Ali's heard for early stage founders as they start. See Privacy Policy a...

Keegan Myles is Head of Business Operations at Confido , the end-to-end operations platform built specifically for CPG brands. On this episode of ITS, Keegan and Ali talk about how his experience at Simple Mills, MUSH, and PATHWATER led him to the team at Confido and why sales and operations planning with the right numbers are so critical to a brand's success. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.c...

Cameron Gould-Saltman is a CPG growth leader, angel investor, and former Head of Food & Beverage at TikTok Shop, where he built one of the platform’s fastest-growing verticals by connecting emerging brands, creators, and consumers through social commerce. On this episode of ITS, Cameron explains all things social commerce: How to meet consumers where they are today and where they'll be tomorro...

Lucy Dana is the co-founder and CEO of One Trick Pony , the peanut butter rapidly gaining fame for its bright packaging that sits upside down on the shelf. On this episode of ITS, Ali and Lucy talk peanut butter problem solving, the new rules of social media, and how to build certain, lean and ready for learning. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at...

Tenley Fitzgerald is the VP of Marketing & Brand Strategy at Yes! Apples , a brand bringing marketing, partnerships, and storytelling to family-run orchards in Upstate New York. On this episode of ITS, Tenley and Ali talk brand-thinking, consumer behavior, convincing farmers, retailers and consumers that "apples to apples" is a wild misunderstanding. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pri...

Griffin Spolansky is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mezcla , the protein bar brand known for its bold flavors and distinctive “puff-crispy” texture. On this episode of ITS, Griffin and Ali talk about the bar category, getting partners to bet on your brand, and keeping your business as simple as possible. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/...

Abe Kamarck is the founder and CEO of True Made Foods , the clean-label ketchup and BBQ sauce brand made with real vegetables instead of added sugar. On this episode of ITS, Abe shares his experiences with Ali as True Made Foods has lived through the full arc of modern startup CPG: The go-go growth years, over expansion, broken partnerships, logistics chaos, and the hard work of cutting...

Isabel Washington is the Founder and CEO of Laurel’s Coffee , the fast-growing RTD latte brand made with organic, regenerative A2 dairy. On this episode of ITS, Ali and Isabel talk about balancing conflicting consumer preferences, building for existing rituals, and the first thing you learn as a McKinsey consultant. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at h...

Ilay Karateke is the co-founder and CEO of Bezi , the labneh brand on a mission to make the Middle Eastern spreadable cheese a mainstream category in America. On this episode of ITS, Ilay walks Ali through the primary questions she continually asks herself as she's building Bezi, explains why she is turning down bigger distribution, and why slow and steady is key when you're working...

YC Cheng is the CEO of Hero Bread , the better-for-you bakery brand making low net carb, low sugar, high protein products that actually taste like real bread. On this episode of ITS, YC walks Ali through his experience investing, founding and scaling World Golf Tour, and how he's growing Hero. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by be...

Andrea Hernández is the founder and author of Snaxshot , one of the most influential newsletters in food and beverage. On this episode of ITS, Ali and Andrea talk about where CPG is now, hypebeast grocery, colostrum snacks, suggestions for founders, and what to look out for in 2026. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member...