Advertise on podcast: Emerging Brands Podcast

Rethinking daily household essentials took on a whole new urgency when Will Gahagan decided to confront a hidden environmental crisis: the billions of pesticide- and microplastic-laden wet wipes clogging oceans and landfills every year. As Co-Founder and CEO of Biom, Will is revolutionizing a massive everyday category with 100% plant-based, non-toxic, and fully biodegradable wipes designed to protect both households and the planet. Growing up on the water in Charleston, South Carolina, Will developed a deep connection to coastal conservation before building a successful decade-long career leading go-to-market teams at high-growth startups like Untapped and Legion Technologies. Combining his commercial scaling background with co-founder Hank Schellenger's industrial design expertise, Will shares how they spent over a year prototyping a zero-compromise solution that blends elevated aesthetics with clean-label, plastic-free performance. Inside the Episode: How turning over a generic wipe container and reading the label sparked Will's discovery of hidden microplastics and pesticides, launching his mission to create Biom. Will discusses the product design and development journey behind creating non-toxic, biodegradable wipes that deliver performance without sacrificing aesthetics. Key go-to-market strategies and scaling insights from Will's background in high-growth startups, and how those lessons apply to building a disruptive CPG brand. Shop here!

Lindsay Joyce is the President of Brand & Innovation at Pet Life Unlimited, where she leads a consumer-first mission to make the experience of dog parenting as rewarding as possible. Inspired by dog parents themselves, Lindsay and her team respond to long-ignored needs in the market, designing elevated care products that deliver on performance and design. Drawing on her deep background in scaling high-growth CPG and wellness brands, Lindsay combines operational rigor with empathetic brand strategy to transform a traditionally utilitarian space. She shares how listening directly to dog parents inspired a portfolio built for modern routines, expanding the brand's reach across both retail shelves and direct-to-consumer channels. Inside the Episode: How Lindsay and the founders of Pet Life Unlimited identified unaddressed pain points in traditional dog care to build products that truly serve modern pet parents. The brand's heavy emphasis on pet parent research, how deep consumer insights uncover unmet needs, and where the broader pet care category is heading next. The innovation framework behind expanding a pet care portfolio while maintaining high standards for performance, design, and customer trust. Find Pet Life Unlimited near you!

Bridging the gap between fresh homemade baby food and shelf-stable convenience requires a total rethink of standard processing. Jess Sturzenegger is the Founder and CEO of Amara, a food technology company redefining organic nutrition for modern families. Founded in 2016, Amara uses a proprietary process that preserves the taste, texture, and nutrients of whole fruits and vegetables without repeat high-heat processing. Propelled by her upbringing with entrepreneurial parents and a deep passion for food culture, Jess set out to make wholesome eating effortless for busy parents. Under her leadership, Amara has scaled from a direct-to-consumer startup to a nationally distributed brand, driving food technology innovation to shape lifelong healthy eating habits from a child's earliest years. Inside the Episode: The lightbulb moment that inspired Jessica to launch Amara and her mission to bridge the gap between truly healthy, nutrient-dense food and convenient, accessible snacks. Jessica's journey from consulting to CPG founder, and how relentless curiosity sparked her leap into the food technology space. The strategic vision behind innovating for modern families and building a mission-driven brand focused on long-term health and convenience. Shop here!

Authentic regional Indian cuisine received a massive upgrade when Harish Visweswaran joined forces with co-founders Ragoth and Kiru to solve a major everyday dining challenge: how to bring wholesome, traditional Indian meals to busy consumers in a fast, convenient format. As Co-Founder and Lead of Growth and Analytics at The Cumin Club, Harish is driving the retail expansion and data strategy behind a brand on a mission to shift food culture toward nourishing, clean-label, five-minute meals. Growing up in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, before moving to the U.S. in 2014, Harish holds a master's in Data Science from Columbia University and honed his analytical rigor at organizations like Mu Sigma and The Weather Company. A lifelong foodie whose passion naturally aligned with the food industry, Harish shares how he applies data-driven decision-making as a co-founder to scale retail channels, optimize operations, and make high-quality, flavorful Indian dishes accessible to households everywhere. Inside the Episode: How The Cumin Club identified a key whitespace in the CPG market by merging authentic regional Indian flavors with ultimate five-minute preparation convenience. Why the team chose freeze drying as their core preservation method to lock in natural flavors, preserve clean ingredients, and eliminate the need for artificial preservatives. The strategic importance of starting as a direct-to-consumer brand and how early customer feedback and data collection shaped their product development and scaling strategy. Shop here! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Book a call with the Team to get started!

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 Manager of Infant Nutrition, who brings a wealth of experience managing multi-billion dollar campaigns at tech and entertainment giants like Intel and 20th Century Fox. In this episode, I sit down with Kristin to dive into the operational mechanics behind a brand that has earned over 1.45 million five-star reviews and consecutive placements on Fast Company's Brands That Matter list. She shares how her corporate background translates to the consumer goods space, how Munchkin maintains an award-winning workplace culture, and the media strategy behind StrollerCoaster, their hit show that ranks in the top 1% of Apple Podcasts and stands as the #1 parenting podcast on YouTube. Inside the Episode: Kristin shares how her marketing tenure at major tech and entertainment giants prepared her to scale a massive, legacy consumer lifestyle brand. A look inside Munchkin's product development engine, which has yielded hundreds of patents and recognition on Fortune's Most Innovative Companies list. What it means for Munchkin to stand as the only baby brand in the United Nations Global Compact, integrating strict animal welfare and environmental protection into their supply chain. Shop here! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Book a call with the Team to get started!

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 Chips have scaled into over 30,000 retail doors including Whole Foods, Costco, Kroger, and Walmart, surpassing $100M in sales, with their highly anticipated WILDE Protein Crackers rolling out nationally to mark the brand's next major expansion phase. Jason and I explore what it really takes to manufacture a product that has never existed before. He shares his hands-on journey from building custom machinery and partnering with university meat science departments to opening a dedicated USDA-certified facility to maintain complete product control. Jason opens up about the grit required to sustain a decade of product development, the logistics of managing massive retail scale, and how he keeps pushing the boundaries of food innovation without ever compromising on flavor or quality. Inside the Episode: How growing up with a family history of diabetes and later experiencing a high-protein lifestyle in New York City inspired Jason to dedicate his career to functional CPG innovation. The intense ten-year journey of trial, error, and deep food science required to transform real chicken breast into a crispy, shelf-stable snack chip. Tactical takeaways on scaling to 30,000 retail doors while staying relentlessly committed to clean, protein-first ingredients and bold flavor profiles. Shop here! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Book a call with the Team to get started!

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 brand launched directly across foodservice, retail, direct-to-consumer, and meal kits, introducing its first Regenerative Organic Certified® products at Whole Foods Market in 2021 and evolving into an elevated portfolio designed for modern, everyday nourishment. Sarela and I talk about building a supply chain rooted in deep transparency and equitable sourcing, beginning with quinoa sourced directly from indigenous farmers in Puno, Peru. She shares the unique operational realities of launching a multi-channel food brand during a global pandemic, the true meaning behind regenerative agriculture, and how SIMPLi successfully sits at the intersection of food, wellness, and lifestyle to support how people actually live and cook today. Inside the Episode: Sarela shares how a shared passion for accessible, high-integrity food inspired her and her husband to launch SIMPLi to meet the shifting demands of home cooks. What it actually means to be Regenerative Organic Certified® and why prioritizing soil health and ecosystem wellness translates to more nutrient-dense food. How SIMPLi bridges the gap between agricultural values and a modern lifestyle, making versatile, clean ingredients a seamless part of daily self-care. Shop here! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Book a call with the Team to get started!

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, including gluten-free, non-GMO, and seed-oil-free ingredients, Little Latke successfully transforms a seasonal heritage food into a highly versatile, everyday snack. In this episode, Taylor dives into the creative and operational journey of bringing a heritage-inspired product to the mass market. She shares how she identified a major gap in the salty snack aisle, the technical challenges of capturing the distinct texture of a fried latke in a shelf-stable baked crisp, and the branding strategies required to make a culturally rooted food accessible, exciting, and craveable for every type of consumer. Inside the Episode: Taylor discusses how she looked outside standard snack trends to find inspiration in her own family traditions, creating a brand-new product format for the chip aisle. How Little Latke balances honoring cultural heritage with positioning the brand as a modern, approachable everyday snack for a mainstream audience. Practical operational takeaways from a founder launching an entirely new product concept into competitive retail spaces. Shop here! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Book a call with the Team to get started!

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 formulations, like the best-selling Pink Dream Raw Juice Face Mask, line the shelves of over 19,000 stores nationwide including Whole Foods Market, Target, Walgreens, and Sprouts. In this episode, Elina is joined by Amy Kapolnek, Founder of the fwrd group and Fractional CMO of ESW Beauty, to break down the mechanics behind this explosive retail growth. Drawing on Amy's two decades of brand-building experience for powerhouses like Gucci Beauty and Olay, they discuss how to build a highly functional founder-executive partnership, manage an omni-channel retail footprint, and launch new product categories like their recent Infused Water Facial Mists. Inside the Episode: How Elina's personal health struggles inspired her to launch ESW Beauty, creating a wellness-focused skincare line that fuses clean, food-grade ingredients with clinically proven results. A look at how Elina focused on clean formulas made in Korea, and how her intrigue with whole-foods skincare directly shaped the vibrant, health-conscious branding of the entire company. Amy's perspective into the shifting landscape for indie brands, including why investors are prioritizing profitability, a sustainable financial runway, and proven traction across multiple retail and digital channels. Shop here! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Book a call with the Team to get started!

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 with Kelley Arena, Founder and Managing Partner of Golden Hour Ventures, and Annie Evans, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Dream Ventures, for a transparent look at what it actually takes to back and build a successful consumer brand in today's market. Captured in front of an audience of builders and backers within the New York tech and startup ecosystem, this panel moves past surface-level pitch advice to deliver hard, tactical truths. Together, we unpack how early-stage operators can cut through the noise to catch an investor's eye, the reality of building long-term institutional relationships, and how modern founders are successfully leveraging specialized, community-driven ecosystems like HALO and the Dream Ventures network to secure capital with confidence and clarity. Inside the Episode: An honest assessment of how the macroeconomic landscape has changed funding cycles for early-stage CPG, and what metrics investors are prioritizing right now. The exact elements that differentiate a generic pitch from a compelling, data-backed brand story that commands investor confidence. Observations on the current energy, collaboration, and opportunities driving the Northeast startup market for consumer goods and tech-enabled platforms. Contact Golden Hour Ventures! Learn More About Dream Ventures Accelerator! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Book a call with the Team to get started!

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 plant-based heads, proving that everyday consumer products can be both premium and planet-friendly. In this episode, Gyve shares how his extensive corporate background, including leading brand management for a £500M Gillette business at Procter & Gamble, as well as roles at AKQA and WPP, prepared him to launch a disruptive sustainable hardware brand. He discusses the complex logistics of manufacturing and recycling sustainable consumer goods, the marketing strategies required to change entrenched consumer habits, and how SURI balances sleek, high-end aesthetics with rigid environmental responsibility. Inside the Episode: Gyve highlights the staggering environmental impact of traditional toothbrushes and how SURI is actively engineering waste out of the personal care routine. Key operational and marketing takeaways from Gyve's eight years at Procter & Gamble and how managing an international enterprise brand translates to scaling a startup. How SURI embodies the philosophy of "fewer, simpler, and better products" to win consumer loyalty and industry awards without compromising on aesthetics. Shop here! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Book a call with the Team to get started!

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 just 3g of sugar per serving—beating out the macros of every leading competitor without a single artificial ingredient. In this episode, Liz shares how her background as the former Head of Operations at Magic Spoon and the first US operations hire at Huel prepared her to launch and scale a major retail brand. She discusses the operational grit required to secure exclusive ingredients, the strategy behind designing a high-protein brand tailored to today's female consumer, and the exact roadmap that landed Scoops on the shelves of Target nationwide. Inside the Episode: Liz breaks down the operational lessons she brought from her foundational roles at powerhouse CPG brands like Magic Spoon and Huel. Why Scoops intentional branding and superior macro profile are shaking up a category historically dominated by hyper-masculine marketing. The logistics, operations, and cross-functional strategy behind preparing for a nationwide launch into Target. Find Scoops near you! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Book a call with the Team to get started!

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 evolved into a powerhouse, nationally distributed brand bringing handmade, premium English muffins to grocery stores and breakfast tables across America. In this episode, Cameron shares the journey of building a food brand from scratch alongside his brothers and friends. He discusses the operational realities of scaling a handmade, artisanal product without losing its premium quality, the lessons learned while expanding from a local favorite to national retail shelves, and how staying true to a core craft philosophy can completely revitalize a legacy grocery category. Inside the Episode: How treating the humble English muffin like artisan bread allowed the brand to carve out a premium niche in a sleepy grocery aisle. The unique dynamics, rewards, and challenges of scaling a high-growth CPG brand alongside brothers and close friends. Insights into managing inventory, building retail relationships, and standing out on competitive store shelves over a decade of growth. Find Stone & Skillet Near You! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Book a call with the Team to get started!

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 direct, immediate impact on climate change through the business world. By stripping bread down to its absolute essentials, PACHA has created a Certified Organic, gluten-free buckwheat sourdough using just two simple ingredients: sprouted buckwheat and sea salt. Maddie joins the show to discuss how she translates complex environmental science into a compelling brand narrative, why soil health is the key to the future of food, and what it takes to build a truly sustainable CPG brand from the soil up. Inside the Episode: Maddie shares her journey of leaving academia and Earth Science to fight climate change directly through sustainable food entrepreneurship. How PACHA engineered a delicious, allergen-friendly sourdough without any of the binders, fillers, seed oils, or preservatives that dominate the gluten-free market.  A breakdown of how PACHA communicates deep sustainability values to everyday shoppers without sacrificing the ultimate selling point: making food that tastes incredible. Shop here! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Book a call with the Team to get started!

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 powerful background in building networks for women entrepreneurs at the Female Founder Collective, Carli uses her deep expertise as a community builder, investor, and advocate to ensure Norms speaks authentically to women navigating pregnancy, postpartum, and other key life stages. She joins the show to discuss how she is tackling stigmatized self-care, building an inclusive brand voice in a sensitive category, and replacing shame and guesswork with maximum-strength, FDA-compliant relief. Inside the Episode: Carli shares the inspiration behind Norms and how the brand is dismantling the stigma around everyday health issues starting with the butt and moving to the gut. How Carli's experience leading community at the Female Founder Collective and angel investing shaped her tactical approach to launching a consumer product. The strategy behind pairing highly relatable, stigma-free marketing with rigorous, FDA-compliant product development. Shop here! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Book a call with the Team to get started!