Hardware Podcasts

339 - Beyond the Dieline ep 1 with Tom Seymour and Jessica Kwon from Moka Energy!

People of Packaging · 5 Feb 2026 · 46m

What this episode covers

Tom Seymour interviews Jessica Kwon, founder of Jack & Friends Jerky and co-founder of Moka Energy, about her journey from a Cornell food science background to building CPG brands. Kwon details the operational challenges of bootstrapping, including 3 AM kitchen shifts and hand-packing orders after a New York Times feature, and the technical pivot from DIY Photoshop designs to custom-printed packaging via Wagon Design Studio. The conversation highlights the importance of owning manufacturing mistakes with partners like Seymour’s company and the strategic decision to launch Moka Energy with an experienced team to skip early-stage hurdles.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Wagon Design Studio
Products
Jack & Friends Jerky, Moka Energy
Tools
Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Also
Cornell University

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