Founder Feature: Gabriella Labi and Tonya Reznikovich of Gato Dates

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Gabriella Labi and Tonya Reznikovich, co-founders of Gato Dates—dark chocolate covered, nut butter stuffed Medjool dates in four decadent flavors: pistachio butter, cashew butter and walnut, almond butter, and peanut butter.Gabriella shares how years of working with functional medicine doctors, studying nutrition, and hosting Friday night Shabbat dinners led her to create a treat she could eat every day without guilt—one that just happened to blow every guest's mind. Tonya shares how one bite at that dinner table sent her straight to the freezer for seconds and eventually to writing a full business plan email.Together, they built Gato Dates from a home kitchen staple into a brand with celebrity fans, a loyal DTC following, and major retail accounts on the horizon—all while staying true to the premium, giftable identity that sets them apart in a crowded snack landscape.Caitlin and Gabriella and Tonya dig into why quality ingredients are non-negotiable, how five months of LA farmers markets became their proof-of-concept lab, and why organic celebrity discovery (think: LeAnn Rimes sharing with Kristin Cavallari) beats any influencer gifting strategy. They also cover the logistics of co-packing whole Medjool dates, the case for local delivery as a farmers market transition, and what it really looks like to go full-time on a food brand in year two.Listen in as they cover:How a Shabbat dinner dessert became the foundation of a luxury confection brandWhy Medjool dates are the perfect vessel—and why size really does matterThe farmers market strategy that generated $1,500 on day one and proved the conceptHow LeAnn Rimes, Kristin Cavallari, and Addison Rae found Gato Dates completely organicallyThe giftable format strategy that's turning customers into brand ambassadorsTheir retail expansion playbook: knocking on doors, building buyer relationships, and landing major grocery accountsWhat being invited into a giveaway with Fishwife, Poppy, and Loops Beauty meant to themThe upcoming healthy Nutella spread and what's next for the brandWhy year two is the hardest—and what separates brands that survive from those that don'tWhether you're a founder figuring out how to scale a premium food product, a buyer looking for the next breakout confection brand, or a date obsessive who just needs to know where to get your next fix, this episode is for you.Episode Links: Gato Dates Website: https://gatodates.com Instagram & TikTok: @gatto_dates Gabriella Labi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriella-labi-25a3079b/ Tonya Reznikovich on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonya-reznikovich/ Gato Dates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gato-dates/Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Caitlin's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected] music by Super Fantastics

In this episode of R&D Radio, hosted by Adam Yee, Adam sits down with Brian Chau, founder of Chau Time — an R&D operations consulting firm lowering the barrier to entry in the food industry. With a team of 12 spanning every U.S. time zone and experience across 20+ countries, Brian walks through the full concept-to-commercialization process and shares why setting clear parameters — with ranges — is the single most important thing an entrepreneur can do before working with a food scientist.Brian breaks down his four-phase R&D process, explains the trade-offs between cost, flavor, nutrition, and shelf life that every founder inevitably faces, and makes a bold prediction: fiber will eventually surpass protein as the dominant functional ingredient trend.He also shares two standout case studies in better-for-you chocolate: Dirty Gut (prebiotic/probiotic chocolate using fiber stacking from upcycled cocoa husks, acacia fiber, and chicory inulin) and Femme Health (a women's health chocolate using lactoferrin for improved iron absorption) — both developed during the global cacao supply crisis.Listen in as they discuss:Why you should create a parameter list with ranges before engaging any food scientistThe four phases of R&D and why three rounds of development is the magic number for an MVPFiber stacking: what it is and why it makes functional chocolate workHow to navigate the cacao supply crisis by going direct to smaller and heirloom farmersWhy fiber is poised to surpass protein over the next decadeBioactives trending in women's health, sexual wellness, and mushroom-derived nutraceuticalsHow startups vs. large companies prioritize trade-offs very differentlyEpisode Links:Brian Chau – Founder & Principal, Chau Time 🌐 Website: www.chau-time.com 🍄Webiste Linked: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chau-time/🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chautime/Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Adam's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected] music by Super Fantastics If you’re interested in learning more about the science behind Cognizin,Head to www.cognizin.com to learn more.

In this special episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with the three winning brands from Startup CPG's biggest-ever Grocery Run event — held the night before the KeHE Summer Show in Denver. Kiki Couchman (co-founder of Sourmilk), Cam Loyet (founder of Honeymoon Chocolate), and Ryan Raish (founder of Fave) share what it was like to compete among 70 vetted brands in front of 400 buyers and KeHE account managers, and what the night led to for each of their businesses.Kiki describes how the Grocery Run served as the perfect training ground before Expo West — her brand's very first trade show experience — and how every single conversation felt worth the flight to Denver. Cam shares how the reaction to his brand-new honeycomb chocolate product completely blew away his expectations compared to years of selling bars at Whole Foods. And Ryan reveals how a 15-minute huddle at the event turned into a verbal commitment from Sprouts for a national launch into their innovation set in June — completely reshaping Fave's go-to-market strategy.Throughout the episode, the founders share hard-won advice on how to stand out at a trade show: bringing a physical hook to the table (like a raw honeycomb frame or a cocoa pod), using bright visuals and branded tablecloths, asking questions instead of pitching, and keeping the energy low-pressure and relationship-first. Ryan also opens up about what made him finally launch his own brand after years in the industry — and why his 4-year-old daughter naming the company "Fave" during a preschool taste test was the sign he needed.Whether you're preparing for your first trade show, evaluating whether KeHE is the right distribution partner, or just trying to understand what these Grocery Run events are all about, this episode is packed with real, actionable insight from founders who just lived it.Listen in as they discuss:What it actually feels like to exhibit at a Grocery Run event — the energy, the camaraderie, and the buyer opennessHow Sourmilk used the event to identify which regions were responding best to their product without paying for SPINS dataWhy Honeymoon Chocolate's new honeycomb product stole the show — and what it means for their product strategy going forwardHow Fave secured a verbal commitment from Sprouts for a national innovation set launch — all from a 15-minute conversation at the eventBooth setup tips: physical hooks, branded tablecloths, tall pitchers, and light leave-behinds buyers will actually carryHow to get a buyer's attention without being pushy — asking for feedback instead of selling, calling out the double-take, and keeping it friendlyWhy Ryan spent years in CPG before launching his own brand — and the personal criteria he required before doing itWhat early-stage brands can realistically expect from a KeHE onboarding opportunityEpisode Links:Thank you to KeHe Distributors and our sponsors from our Denver Grocery Run!Advantage SolutionsFDMGreen SpoonIGNITE Sales Services (a Division of Acosta)What's Next? KeHE Holiday Show Grocery Run, Chicago, June 9thAPPLY NOW: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfCr-xzT5_hPGE0CpRhVE2QnTIK_pysg-Sz-o-TP2l_rDsVBQ/viewformKiki Couchman – SourmilkLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirsten-kiki-c-242929112/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sourmilk/ Website: https://www.sourmilk.com/Cam Loyet – Honeymoon Chocolate LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camloyet/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/honeymoonchocolates/ Website: https://hmchocolates.com/Ryan Raish – Fave LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanraish/ Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/favemixes/Daniel Scharff – Founder, Startup CPG LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danscharff/ Startup CPG Newswire: https://startupcpg.com/newswireDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected] music by Super Fantastics

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Josh Resnick, co-founder and General Partner at OpenSky Ventures—an early-stage consumer venture firm investing in food, beverage, health, wellness, lifestyle, and the technology that powers growth for consumer brands. Josh brings a rare combination of serial entrepreneurship, deep operating experience, and investor pattern recognition to the table, having built a video game studio (Pandemic Studios) that he sold to Electronic Arts, co-founded the luxury confections brand Sugarfina, and spent years as an angel investor before launching OpenSky.OpenSky invests at the pre-seed stage with opportunistic Series A involvement, writing checks of $100K–$200K in Fund 1 and scaling to $500K checks in Fund 2 (targeting $25M). What sets them apart is that both partners are former operators — a background that shapes how they access deals, how they evaluate founders, and how they show up as partners over the long haul.Josh and Hannah dig into everything founders need to know about the fundraising process: how valuations work (and why they're more art than science), why chasing the highest valuation can actually hurt you down the road, and how to think about runway, dilution, and building a cap table that genuinely adds value. They also explore what separates the brands that break through from the ones that don't — from storytelling and brand community to unit economics and must-have product positioning.They also walk through the full spectrum of funding stages, from the friends-and-family round all the way to Series A, with clear, practical definitions founders can actually use to locate themselves on the journey.Listen in as they cover:Josh's journey: from Malibu lemonade stands to Pandemic Studios, Sugarfina, and OpenSky VenturesOpenSky's investment thesis: stage, categories, check size, and what's changing in Fund 2The parallels between founders fundraising and VCs fundraising — and what that reveals about what investors need to seeWhy valuation is more art than science — and the real risks of setting it too high too earlyWhat a down round signals to investors and how it can trap a brand in a cycleThe case for slowing down: why jumping straight into Costco might not be the right first moveHow to think about runway — and why you should always raise a little more than you think you needThe founder traits Josh sees in every successful company he's backed: problem solving, storytelling, authenticity, and "must have" positioningA founder spotlight: Becca at Fishwife, and why lean cost DNA and branding instincts are a winning combinationWhat makes a great investor partner — and the specific questions founders should ask before they signA clear breakdown of the funding stages: friends & family, pre-seed, seed, and Series AAdvice for anyone who wants to break into CPG investing — and why becoming an LP first might be the smartest moveWhether you're a founder preparing to fundraise, an operator thinking about the jump to investing, or just someone who wants to understand how early-stage CPG capital actually works, this episode is packed with practical, hard-won insight.Episode Links:OpenSky Ventures: opensky.vcJosh Resnick on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joshresnick1Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Hannah's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected] music by Super Fantastics If you’re interested in learning more about the science behind Cognizin,Head to www.cognizin.com to learn more.

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Edouardo Jordan, founder of Food with Roots—an ethnic food brand based in Seattle, Washington, celebrating Black food ways through products like their award-winning pimento cheese and Southern cornbread mixes.Edouardo shares how a love of cooking with his mom and grandmother in St. Petersburg, Florida led him through an unlikely path: a college degree in sports management, a stint with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, culinary school against his mother's wishes, and eventually a career cooking at some of the world's most celebrated restaurants—including the French Laundry and Per Se. He went on to open his own restaurants in Seattle, becoming the first African American to win two James Beard Awards in a single night.When the pandemic shuttered his restaurants, Edouardo saw an opportunity. Customers who loved his pimento cheese—a staple on his restaurant menu—wanted to keep getting it at home. That question sparked the launch of Food with Roots, which quickly landed on shelves at Whole Foods and local Pacific Northwest markets.Caitlin and Edouardo dig into why he put chitlins on his fine dining menu as a deliberate act of reclamation, how he's building a brand around the motto "sharing soulful stories through food," and why he intentionally resists making Food with Roots a "Black-owned brand" first—and a quality product second. They also cover his nonprofit Soul of Seattle, which has raised over $1 million for youth of color in the greater Seattle area, and his long-term vision to take his pimento cheese from the Pacific Northwest to coast-to-coast distribution.Listen in as they cover:How a childhood show-and-tell moment involving chitlins shaped Edouardo's identity as a chef and storytellerWhy foods like oxtail and pimento cheese were "poverty food" to his grandparents—and how he's working to reclaim and celebrate themThe tension between leading with Black identity versus leading with product quality in CPG retailHow Food with Roots got its start during the pandemic and landed in Whole Foods and Metropolitan MarketHis expansion targets: California and Texas, markets already familiar with pimento cheeseThe story behind Soul of Seattle and why he pays vendors to participate rather than charging booth feesWhy Food with Roots' pimento cheese retails at $9.99—and why it's worth every pennyEpisode Links:Instagram: @thefoodwithrootsLinkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/edouardojordanWebsite: thefoodwithroots.comDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Caitlin's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected] music by Super Fantastics

Think Misfits Market is just a place to offload short-coded inventory? Think again. In this episode, Daniel Scharff sits down with the Misfits Market buying team — Steve Edelman, Jessie Kimsey, and Emma Dineen — to pull back the curtain on the "new" Misfits Market and what it really takes to get your brand into their curated assortment.From the treasure hunt experience they've built for subscribers to the live brand pitching session at the end, this one is packed with insight for any emerging CPG brand looking to crack e-commerce.You will learn:How Misfits evolved from rescued produce to a tightly curated grocery destination of ~1,100 SKUsThe three pathways to get on their platform: opportunity buys, LTOs, and replenishmentWhat a winning pitch email actually looks like (hint: know their assortment before you reach out)Why transparency about your pricing, MOQs, and operations matters more than a perfect marginWhat categories they're actively looking to fill right now: dairy, frozen, charcuterie, and moreWhy some brands that underperform elsewhere absolutely soar on Misfits — and the "1 in 1,100" advantageLive brand pitches from the audience — and which ones made the Misfits team's eyes go wideEpisode Links:Brands who pitched:Vital Halva — Brooklyn sesame bar, 19g fiber, 12g protein: https://vitalhalva.com/Veggie Vice — Freeze-dried veggie chips (zucchini & salt, broccoli sour cream & onion), viral on TikTok: https://www.veggievice.com/Nout — Macadamia nut butter with black sesame and matcha: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noutAveyo  — Avocado mayo made from actual avocados, 75% less fat/calories than oil-based mayo: https://www.aveyolife.com/ Little Gourmets — Fresh, veggie-rich, globally inspired baby food: https://lilgourmets.comPtashka — Fully cooked frozen sweet & savory crepes: https://www.ptashkacrepes.comPezzy Pets — Pet treats made from invasive species sourced from fishermen and hunters: https://pezzypets.com/SAYSO  — Stick pack cocktail/mocktail mixes, dehydrated, low sugar: https://drinksayso.com/Reclamation Foods — Upcycled Korean-style bone broth, shelf stable, jiggles in fridge: https://reclamationfoods.com/Pantry Gems  — Single-tablespoon tomato paste portions: https://pantrygems.co/OH MY!  — Spoonable dessert butter in jars and squeeze pouches, gluten/dairy free: https://eatohmy.com/collections/dessert-buttersHot Girl Sauce— Squeezable chili oil bridging chili crisp and hot sauce categories: https://thehotgirlsauce.comReach the Misfits buying team directly: 📧 [email protected] with the guests:Misfits Market Website: https://www.misfitsmarket.com/Stephen Edelman, Sr. Director Category Management, Misfits Market LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenedelman/Jessie Kimsey, Associate Director Vendor Strategy & Category Innovation, Misfits MarketLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-kimsey-80023266/Emma Dineen, Category Manager, Misfits MarketLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmadineen/Shop Misfits Market: https://www.misfitsmarket.com/hp58Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected] music by Super Fantastics

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Mollye Santulli, Principal at Springdale Ventures—an early-stage consumer venture firm investing in food, beverage, beauty, pet, personal care, and supplements. Mollye brings a rare combination of brand-side operating experience and investor pattern recognition to the table, having started her career at RXBar, gone on to General Mills and Simple Mills, and joined Springdale during her MBA before coming on full time in 2024.Springdale invests in brands doing $1–$15 million in revenue, with a sweet spot of $1–$5 million, partnering with founder-led brands at the seed and Series A stage. What sets them apart isn't just the check—it's that every person on the team, from founding partners Genevieve and Dan to Mollye herself, has operated inside consumer brands. That operating DNA shapes everything from how they evaluate deals to how they show up for founders over a five-to-ten year investment relationship.Mollye and Hannah dig into what Springdale is actually looking for when they underwrite a deal: repeat purchase data, velocity across retail and DTC, a clear path to $100M+ in revenue, and a believable exit story. But just as important as the metrics is the founder—someone who understands their unit economics cold, can attract and inspire a team, and responds to feedback in a way that signals they'll be a good long-term partner.They also tackle one of the trickiest questions in early-stage fundraising: how do you communicate scale potential when you're building in an unproven or emerging category? Mollye's answer is practical—get retailer feedback, find tangential comps, and make it as easy as possible for investors to see where your product lives on shelf.Throughout the conversation, Mollye and Hannah discuss the investment journey from first check to exit, why cash management and hiring are the two things Springdale spends the most time on post-investment, and what founders should be asking investors before they sign anything.Listen in as they cover:Springdale's investment thesis: categories, check sizes, stage, and what "early stage" really meansWhy the team's operating background shapes how they partner with foundersHow trends factor into (and don't drive) Springdale's investment decisionsCurrent areas of excitement: protein, GLP-1 tailwinds, fiber, and frozenThe diligence pillars Springdale anchors on — repeat data, velocity, scale path, and exit potentialWhy understanding your own unit economics might be the single most important founder traitHow to communicate category size when you're building something genuinely newWhat the company profile looks like at investment vs. exitWhy $100M in revenue is Springdale's general threshold for believable exit convictionA Slack community case study: how long do you actually need to show traction?How to build a relationship with Springdale before you're ready to raiseAdvice for anyone who wants to break into CPG investingWhether you're a founder preparing to fundraise, an operator thinking about making the jump to the investing side, or just someone who wants to understand how early-stage CPG capital actually works, this episode is packed with actionable insight.Episode Links:Springdale Ventures: https://www.springdaleventures.com/ Deal intake form: available on the Springdale websiteMolly Santulli on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollyesantulli/ Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Hannah's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected] music by Super Fantastics

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Jessica Hamel, founder of PlantChi, a new type of pantry staple made from superseed blends mixed with flavorful ingredients that you can sprinkle on anything for effortless nutrition from real food. No optimization required.Jessica shares how growing up in a "weird food house" in the 90s, running long distances without a watch, and a doctor's simple advice to sprinkle hemp seeds on everything all converged into a brand built on one core belief: nourishment shouldn't be stressful. PlantChi isn't trying to make you a Greek God. It's trying to make you feel a little more nourished—one sprinkle at a time.With a background in marketing and a previous natural frosting company whose customers included some of the top ultra runners in the world, Jessica brings both creative instincts and hard-won CPG experience to PlantChi. She's self-funded, scrappy, and deeply intentional—using farmer's markets as live market research, updating packaging based on real customer feedback, and choosing to slow down on retail expansion in early 2026 to first build a strong online community and education foundation.Caitlin and Jessica dig into why 62% of consumers no longer believe health claims, why seeds don't need to be revolutionary to be powerful, and why PlantChi's positioning—real food that just happens to be nutritious—is landing at exactly the right cultural moment. They also cover Jessica's honest take on protein label deception, the underrated power of independent retailers, and why anyone starting a food business just to make fast money is, in her words, what's wrong with the industry.Throughout the conversation, they discuss the parallels between PlantChi and the broader consumer fatigue with wellness as performance, the buzz around fiber and protein heading into 2026, and why a product toddlers keep coming back to at a vegan festival might be the ultimate market validation.Listen in as they cover:Why Jessica built PlantChi as an antidote to wellness optimization cultureHow farmer's markets became her most valuable (and actionable) market research toolThe packaging update that came directly from customer feedbackWhy seeds are an underrated, nutrient-dense answer to the protein and fiber crazeThe truth about misleading protein claims and consumer trust in food brandsHer strategy of pausing retail growth to invest in community and education firstWhat independent retailers like Happier Grocer and Levers Locavore taught her about launching smartHer advice to founders: follow your heart, stay resourceful, and don't ruin the industryHow PlantChi compares to everything but the bagel seasoning—and why it wins on nutritionWhether you're a founder looking for a grounded approach to brand building, a buyer searching for a joyful new addition to the spice aisle, or a consumer who's exhausted by wellness culture and just wants to eat good food, this episode is for you.Episode Links:Jessica Hamel — Founder, Plant Chi 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicarhamel/  🌐 Website: https://plantchi.life/Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Caitlin's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected] music by Super Fantastics

In this debut episode of R&D Radio, a series hosted by Adam Yee, Adam sits down with Rachel Zemser, founder of A La Carte Connections. With 30+ years in the field and hundreds of products brought to market, Rachel shares the advice that stops most entrepreneurs in their tracks: before you spend a dime on R&D, find your co packer.Rachel explains why the manufacturing process represents 60% of what you're actually building, walks through how to use platforms like Keychain and PartnerSlate to start that search, and shares the real story of bringing Island Vibe — musician Pretty Kenny's cocktail mixer — from kitchen concept to award-winning pasteurized beverage. She and Adam also dig into the sweetener landscape: why allulose and erythritol are letting formulators down on functionality, why small amounts of real sugar are quietly making a comeback, and date sugar's surprising FDA classification.Listen in as they discuss:Why co packer conversations should come before any R&DHow having a food scientist gets you taken seriously by manufacturersThe Island Vibe cocktail mixer story: concept to production runCo packer negotiating dynamics — and why founders need to bend more than they thinkThe "cleanish label" trend: small amounts of real sugar returning for functionalityWhy allulose won't crystallize and erythritol won't brownDate sugar's status as a non-added sugar under current FDA guidanceEpisode Links:Rachel Zemser - Food Science Industry Consultant, A La Carte Connections🔗 Website: www.alacartconnections.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/culinologist/Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Adam's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected] music by Super Fantastics

In this bonus mini episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Bill Hayes, Director of R&D Applications at Vibrant Ingredients, to finally answer a question that trips up a lot of product developers: what's the actual difference between a tea extract and a tea essence?Bill breaks it down in the most satisfying way — that irresistible aroma that hits you the second hot water meets a tea bag? That's your essence. The body, color, astringency, and mouthfeel that makes a tea beverage actually taste like tea? That's your extract. Together, they're what makes a great RTD tea tick.Vibrant Ingredients is the world's largest private equity-owned natural ingredients provider, and they're doing a lot more than tea. The conversation covers cold brew coffee extracts, natural flavors, functional ingredients like L-theanine, EGCG, and natural caffeine — all using a pure water-based extraction process that keeps things clean and natural. Bill also shares his tips for formulators and brand founders on how to move quickly from concept to commercialization by knowing your "must haves" vs. your "nice to haves" and partnering with ingredient suppliers who actually understand your brand's mission.If you're working on a tea, coffee, or functional beverage — or just curious how your favorite RTD gets that fresh-brewed character — this one's for you.🔗 Get in touch with the Vibrant Ingredients team: https://bit.ly/4d9gWjJ 🔗 Connect with Bill Hayes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-hayes-83008764/Listen in as they discuss:The real difference between a tea essence and a tea extract (and why both matter)How Vibrant Ingredients uses pure water extraction to keep things naturalWhat categories use tea essences and extracts (hard teas, RTDs, functional beverages, and more)When and why alcohol or other solvents might be used instead of waterFunctional add-ins: L-theanine, EGCG, natural caffeine, antioxidantsTips for formulators: how to move fast and partner effectively with ingredient suppliersThe full scope of what Vibrant Ingredients offers — from concept to commercializationEpisode Links:Get in touch with the Vibrant Ingredients team: https://bit.ly/4d9gWjJ Guest: Bill Hayes, Director of R&D Applications, Vibrant IngredientsWebsite: https://vibrantingredients.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-hayes-83008764/ About Startup CPG: Startup CPG is the largest community for emerging CPG brands: 35,000+ Slack members, the #1 podcast in CPG, 100+ events per year, and award-winning resources to help brands grow. Join free today: https://startupcpg.com/sign-upShow Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected] music by Super Fantastics