Predicting The Turn w/ Dave Knox

Inspired by their own morning routines, Hannah Mendoza and Roger Coppola co-founded Clevr Blends. As pioneers in the better-for-you coffee category, Hannah and Roger have reshaped classic cafe-style drinks like Matcha, Chai, and Coffee lattes, and infused them with adaptogens, functional mushrooms, and better-than-barista ingredients. Along the way, they have been named one of Oprah's Favorite Thi...

Jason Wright set out to create a first-of-its kind nutrient-dense protein chip for nutrition-conscious snackers. As the founder of WILDE, he’s done just that by using chicken breast, egg whites and bone broth in a familiar chip format. I sat down with Jason to learn more about his journey with WILDE, why he chose to manufacture in his own facility in Kentucky, and what is next for the busines...

In the world of business, many acquisitions fail to live up to lofty growth expectations. But with Rao’s, Sovos Brands has created a playbook of what works, growing the brand over 9x since acquiring it in 2017. I sat down with Yuri Hermida, the Chief Growth Officer of Sovos Brands, to discuss the company's journey to building Rao’s into a billion-dollar brand, the importance of maintaining an unwa...

Before the founders of Magic Spoon tackled the cereal aisle, their first startup was a line of protein bars using cricket protein called Exo. While the business was eventually sold, it taught them the importance of product-market fit and the difficulty of building a category from scratch. I sat down with Gabi Lewis, co-founder of Magic Spoon to discuss his journey as a CPG entrepreneur,...

Over the past few years, TRUFF has partnered with brands ranging from Hidden Valley Ranch and Taco Bell to Super Mario Brothers and Warren Lotas.  Despite the diversity of these partnerships, all have a common authenticity that unifies them.  I sat down with co-founder Nick Ajluni to talk about their journey building the brand and why they have made partnerships a central part of their b...

Since launching on the campus of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Mad Rabbit has changed the game in the tattoo aftercare market. They are doing so by bringing change to an industry that is thousands of years old but one that has been largely resistant to innovation until recently. I sat down with Oliver Zak, co-founder of Mad Rabbit, to talk about their journey, community-driven product dev...

Over a decade ago, Charlotte’s Web created the CBD category and despite a roller coaster in the market, they remain the category leader today. As the category leader, they view it as their job to educate the industry and the general public on the benefits of CBD.  In pursuit of this mission, at the end of 2022, Charlotte's Web became the first “Official CBD of Major League Baseball.”  I...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants across the country encountered a situation that they never imagined. But thanks to the CookUnity, chefs were able to turn to a new platform to get their recipes and food onto kitchen tables across the country.  And for many of them, they have found a new source of revenue that allows them to reach more people than they ever thought poss...

If there is one staple of nearly every household with children, it is a pantry with boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese (or maybe Annie’s). But Jen Zeszut and the team at Goodles are out to change that, while making it ok for adults to admit that boxed mac and cheese doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure.  I sat down with Zeszut, the CEO and Co-Founder of Goodles to learn more about the launc...

On Shark Tank, BeatBox secured a $1 million investment from Mark Cuban, one of the largest dollar raises in the history of the show. But in the explosive growth that followed, the brand learned the hard lesson of scaling too fast without having the fundamentals figured out. I sat down with Justin Fenchel, CEO and Co-Founder of BeatBox to talk about these lessons and how some timely pivot...

When Dan Lourenco and Ryan Hughes started GHOST, they wanted to build something with authenticity at its core, not a fake version of fitness. Today, GHOST is one of the fastest growing brands in the industry across a multitude of categories. I sat down with Dan and Ryan to learn about their unique approach to brand building and how GHOST convinced brands like Chips Ahoy to work with them...

Aimee Yang has crafted her entire career around the pursuit of one day being an entrepreneur. Today, the CEO and Founder of BetterBrand has taken those building blocks to redesign traditionally non-nutritious foods that we crave into delicious, guilt-free versions of themselves. I sat down with Yang to discuss the inspiration behind BetterBrand and her launch of ‘The Better Bagel’ in Who...

After two decades as one of the leading innovators in the world of music and entertainment, Jonas Tempel was trying to figure out what was next. An off-handed comment to his friend Bradley Roulier about making popcorn cool led them to Opopop. I sat down with Tempel to learn more about Opopop, the pivot the company made during COVID, and the first question he asks any entrepreneur.

Over the past decade, Patrick Schwarzenegger has been one of the most impactful investors in Consumer Products. After the success of his first investment, Blaze Pizza, Schwarzenegger has gone on to be an early check in breakout successes like Super Coffee, Olipop, and Liquid IV. In his latest investment, he’s turned to the role of founder, partnering with his mother Maria Shriver to laun...

In 2017, Halo Top became the #1 selling pint of ice cream in the United States and was even named one of the top inventions of the year by TIME Magazine. The ice cream was one of its kind, igniting an entire category of low-calorie and high protein products where top companies even launched copycat competitors to get in on the craze. Halo Top was co-founded by former lawyers, Justin Woolverton and...

As a 10 year old kid, Josh Luber loved nothing more than trading cards and sneakers. Decades later, Josh has made a career out of these passions, first as the founder of StockX and now as Chief Vision Officer at the recently launched Fanatics Collectibles.  I sat down with Josh to learn more about the massive impact that Fanatics has already made in trading cards, his views on pricing and dis...

Before joining Kraft Heinz as Chief Growth Officer for North America, Sanjiv Gajiwala was the CMO at Mark Anthony Brands where he launched White Claw Seltzer. Today, Sanjiv brings that same approach to Kraft Heinz, where he is taking an iconic portfolio of brands that he views as a portfolio of challengers, competing for consumers' attention. I sat down with Sanjiv to talk more about thi...

Justin Wiesehan is a self-proclaimed snackaholic. But when he started to count his macros in his quest to eat healthier, he found the better-for-you snacks lacking the flavor and crunch that he loved. His quest to solve that problem led him to launch HA! A Healthier Alternative, which is line-up of salty snacks that offer 11 grams of protein and 140 calories. I sat down with Justin to le...

When Mike Russell decided that he needed to change his relationship with alcohol, he realized that most resources were focused only on the daily drinker. This inspired him to launch Monument, an online treatment platform for anyone looking to change their relationship with alcohol. I sat down with Mike to learn about his personal journey launching Monument, and the impact Covid-19 has had on teleh...

With The Bruery , membership has its privileges. That is because since their earliest days, The Bruery has offered an industry leading direct-to-consumer subscription program called Societies that offers beer lovers exclusive access to some of the most innovative beers in the industry. I sat down with The Bruery’s CEO Barry Holmes to talk about their Societies, why they proved so valuable in...

Growing up, Justin Gill and his family would spend the holidays making a big batch of Japanese barbeque sauce that they would give out as holiday gifts. Years later, he would take the family recipe and with a lot of ingenuity turn into Bachan’s.  I sat down with Gill, founder and CEO of Bachan's, to talk about how his grandmother inspired the business and the challenges he faced in creat...

Public Goods is on a mission to make nearly everything in your house healthier and more sustainable.  Behind that mission, revenue has grown over 200% when comparing the month of January 2020 to January 2021, and the company has been able to plant over 300,000 trees  – one for every order placed.  I sat down with Morgan Hirsh, founder and CEO of Public Goods, to talk about their gro...

Stuck in an unfulfilling job on Wall Street, Ashley Thompson was looking for something more.  She found that inspiration in the most unlikely of places with ready to eat oats.  Starting in farmer’s markets, Thompson started MUSH to make it easier for people to eat healthy - starting with breakfast.  I sat down with Thompson to learn more about the early days of the brand, how they e...

Over nearly three decades, Ben Fischman has been one of retail’s pioneering entrepreneurs.  In college he started the baseball cap retailer Lids and then followed that with e-commerce retailer Rue La La.  In his latest venture, Launch, Fischman is partnering with entrepreneurs and bringing his years of experience to help them succeed.  We sat down to talk about what he looks for in...

Launched two years ago, Ergatta offers an alternative to instructor-led fitness with what the company calls game-based workouts.  As Ergatta looks to broaden the awareness of the company and their at-home rower, they are launching their first brand campaign with former NFL player Colin Kaepernick at the center of it.  I sat down with Randi Charles, VP of Marketing for Ergatta, to talk mo...