The Startup CPG Podcast

40:37

#269 Retailer Spotlight: Mariano's, with Amanda Puck

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/10/06

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Amanda Puck, Vice President of Communications and Brand Development for Roundy's, for the "Mariano's 101" episode listeners have been asking for.Amanda has been with Mariano's since 2014, working in the grocery retail business after years in restaurants and a lifelong love of grocery shopping that started as a kid clipping coupons with her grandmother. Today she leads communications, brand strategy, and community

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35:04

Partnership Not Ownership: Inside Main Post Partners'...

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/10/03

In this Investor Spotlight, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Tara Hyland, Principal at Main Post Partners, to break down how growth equity differs from venture capital and what founders should understand about building an enduring consumer business.Tara's path to Main Post started in investment banking on a consumer-focused food and beverage team, followed by a move into private equity at Swander Pace Capital. She joined Main Post, a consumer-focused private equity firm known for its

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31:17

Why This Architect is Choosing to Build a National...

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/10/02

In this Founder Feature, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Jane Kate Wong, founder of Noon World, a cognitive wellness company making dual-layer gummies designed for mind, mood, focus, chill, and sleep.Jane's path to Noon ran through architecture, where she designed urban planning projects, high-end residential and commercial spaces, and cultural centers, before moving into interaction design at Nike, Google, and Apple. After burning out from that work, she built Noon as a culmination of

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40:31

#268 The Rise of Gymkhana Fine Foods with Gulrez Arora

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/09/29

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with his longtime friend Gulrez Arora, founder of Gymkhana Fine Foods, the retail brand born out of London's two-Michelin-star Gymkhana restaurant, to talk about building a global premium Indian food brand from scratch.Gulrez and Daniel first met working together at Mars, where Gulrez spent nearly a decade in strategy roles across Asia Pacific chocolate and later ran an internal innovation and venture studio program

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31:04

R&D RADIO: The Real Science Behind Sugar Replacement...

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/09/28

In this episode of R&D Radio, host Adam Yee sits down with longtime friend Thom King, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Icon Foods, for a deep dive on sweetener systems from a food scientist's perspective.Thom founded Icon Foods in 1999 (originally as Steviva Brands), becoming one of the first companies to import stevia glycosides into the US. After partnering with Quest Nutrition on their first bar, the company shifted fully into ingredient supply, eventually rebranding to Icon

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41:42

How "Taste to Retain" Built a Billion-Dollar...

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/09/26

In this Operator Spotlight, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Hye Rin (Juliet) Choi, VP of Product at Grüns, to unpack the product philosophy and process behind one of the fastest billion-dollar acquisitions in CPG history.Hye Rin (Juliet) started her career in brand management at Johnson & Johnson's consumer health division, working on brands like Neutrogena and Tylenol, before pursuing her MBA at Stanford, where she met Grüns founder and CEO Chad Janis. She joined as employee number

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30:05

How This Ex-Attorney Reinvented Hard Candy as a...

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/09/25

In this Founder Feature, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Erica Haft, founder of Sweeter Collective, an organic hard candy brand modernizing the category with just 16 calories, less than 3 grams of sugar, and nearly 2 grams of fiber per piece.Erica spent almost 10 years as an attorney before leaving law behind to build the brand. Her inspiration was close to home: her mother, a registered dietitian, has eaten hard candy daily for over 30 years to satisfy her sweet tooth without derailing

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20:25

Should You Apply for Startup CPG's Founders & Funders?

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/09/23

In this bonus solo episode, host Daniel Scharff breaks down everything founders need to know about Founders & Funders, Startup CPG's flagship fundraising event happening December 10th in New York City, to help you decide whether you should apply.Daniel explains why he built the event: after hearing founders describe spending up to 50% of their time on fundraising, he wanted to create a highly efficient, application-based summit that brings together the top 100 VCs in emerging CPG with

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44:30

#267: Term Sheets 101 with Giannuzzi Lewendon

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/09/22

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Adam Marsh and Gabrielle McGonagle, partners at Giannuzzi Lewendon, a top-tier CPG law firm, for a deep dive on term sheets and what every founder needs to understand before raising capital.Adam has spent nearly 13 years practicing law focused on the CPG space, while Gabrielle brings over a decade of experience at the firm, including work on major exits like BodyArmor's $8 billion sale. Together, they've guided

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36:26

The 4-Part Diligence Framework Every Founder Should Know

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/09/19

In this Investor Spotlight, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Ashley Hartman, Managing Partner at Bluestein Ventures, an early-stage firm investing at the intersection of culture, science, and technology in modern wellbeing and consumer brands.Ashley's path to venture capital ran through financial consulting at NERA Economic Consulting and then operating strategy at her family's manufacturing business, giving her a rare blend of analytical rigor and hands-on operating experience. She's now

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25:55

Meat Stick Who? How TofuGo Turned Tofu Into a Viral...

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/09/18

In this Founder Feature, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Caroline Dai, founder of TofuGo, a savory protein snack made from whole foods tofu with 12 grams of protein, zero sugar, and zero natural flavors.Caroline grew up eating tofu daily in her Chinese family before moving to Seattle at age 13. After years working in business and finance, constantly snacking on sugary protein bars at her desk, she realized there was nothing savory, whole-food, and additive-free on the market. She

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36:52

#266: Building an Organic Social Media Following with...

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/09/15

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Lindzi Shanks, founder and CEO of XO Marshmallow, to unpack how she built an organic social following of 1.4 million across platforms and turned it into real, trackable sales.Lindzi started XO Marshmallow 10 years ago with a background as an influencer and blogger, designing the brand from day one to be visually shareable. As short-form video took off, she realized the marshmallow-making process itself was

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25:04

R&D RADIO: How Startup CPG's Product Developer...

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/09/14

In this episode of R&D Radio, host Adam Yee sits down with Drake Nickell, founder of Dimitri's Greek Kitchen, to talk through how he used Startup CPG's Product Developer Database to find the right partner for reformulating his brand's pita chips.Drake and his sister built Dimitri's Greek Kitchen around traditional Greek and Mediterranean snacks with a modern twist, starting with whipped feta before pivoting into pita chips after finding a manufacturing partner who could bring the

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30:28

How Whole Foods Invests in Emerging Brands with Ellen...

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/09/12

In this Investor Spotlight, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Ellen Gorra of Whole Foods Market, who leads the retailer's equity investment and warrant partnership programs, to unpack how one of the industry's most influential retailers evaluates, invests in, and supports emerging brands.Ellen's path to Whole Foods wound through equity research at Piper Sandler, buy-side coverage of hedge funds and private equity, and a stint at L Catterton in Asia, where she helped lead an $80 million

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30:15

Tallow, Trust, and Testing: Inside My Neighbor's...

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/09/11

In this Founder Feature, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Harri Magaldi, founder of My Neighbor's, a regenerative tallow and vegan skincare brand manufactured in-house in the Hudson Valley.Harri left nine years on Wall Street after her daughter developed eczema as a baby. Unable to find anything that worked, she started making beef tallow balm at home in a crock pot using suet from a local farm, initially just to help her own daughter and as gifts for friends. After encouragement from

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41:35

#265: Marion Nestle on Food Politics and the Cereal...

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/09/08

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Marion Nestle, Professor Emerita of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at NYU, to unpack decades of cereal industry marketing history and what it reveals about food policy today.Marion is one of the most influential voices in food politics, having helped pioneer food studies as an academic discipline and served as Senior Nutrition Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where

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38:20

Turning Customers Into Investors: A Popcorn Brand's...

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/09/05

In this Founder Fundraising Journey episode, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Tal Moore, founder and CEO of Popsmith, a design-forward stovetop popcorn brand that's landed on Oprah's Favorite Things list and is heading into Williams Sonoma nationwide this year.Tal is a serial e-commerce founder with 25 years in the space, starting as a 12-year-old selling gumballs and candy in elementary school before building and exiting multiple online businesses, including a popcorn equipment store he

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30:42

She Couldn't Find a Clean Electrolyte Brand, So She...

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/09/04

In this Founder Feature, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Danielle Nuss, founder of Short Story, a clean electrolyte mix made with organic fruit powder and naturally sourced minerals - and notably, zero natural flavors.Danielle is a mom of two boys working full-time in tech who started making her own electrolytes at home during her second pregnancy after struggling to find anything clean on shelf. What began as homemade batches for personal use turned into a farmer's market launch in

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34:43

How Foundation Foods Became One of SoCal's Most...

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/09/01

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Louis D'Angelo, founder of Foundation Foods, a beloved natural products distributor serving Southern California's most quality-focused retailers, to talk about how the company was built, what it takes to get on their shelves, and why strict ingredient standards have always been non-negotiable.Louis got his start freelancing as a de facto sales rep for small organic brands before ever knowing what a broker was

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25:10

R&D RADIO: Building a Reliable Formula Brand with...

The Startup CPG Podcast ·

2026/08/31

In this special R&D Radio episode, guest host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Casey Bauer, COO of Bobbie, one of only four infant formula manufacturers in the United States, to dig into what "test obsessed" really means when your product is a baby's sole source of nutrition.Casey has spent almost a year at Bobbie overseeing quality, regulatory, and supply chain, following roles as COO at Kate Farms, a leading medical nutrition company, and operations leadership at Pharmavite (Nature

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