Hardware Podcasts

Lily’s Sweets: Cynthia Tice

How I Built This · 30 Sept 2024 · 1h 07m

What this episode covers

Cynthia Tice, founder of Lily’s Sweets, explains how she launched a sugar-free chocolate brand at age 59, leveraging stevia and erythritol to create a product that tasted like traditional chocolate. After securing a national launch at Whole Foods with just four employees, she navigated a costly legal battle with a former partner before partnering with VMG to scale the business. The company was eventually acquired by Hershey’s for $425 million, validating Tice’s prediction that consumers would pay for healthier treats.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies and companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Hershey’s, Whole Foods, VMG
Products
Lily’s Sweets
Also
Stevia, Erythritol, Maltitol

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