The Startup CPG Podcast · 31 Jan 2022 · 46m · Episode 10
Sarah Nathan, founder of Bloom CPG and former manager of the Chobani Incubator, joins host Jesse Freitag to discuss how CPG founders can select and benefit from accelerator and incubator programs. Nathan shares insights from her experience reviewing hundreds of applications for Chobani and Mondelēz, emphasizing the importance of humility, responsiveness, and long-term relationship building over transactional interactions. She also introduces a new Startup CPG database designed to help founders filter and identify the right programs for their specific stage and needs.
early-stage companies and companies scaling up
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Angie and Dan Bastian, co-founders of Angie's Boom Chickapop, join Guy Raz to advise three early-stage founders. They counsel Michelle Pusiteri of Nana Joe's Granola on balancing mission-driven growth with outside investment, Gloria Kulb of Alida on overcoming stigma for her pelvic floor device Elatone, and Eric Poulain of Maple Rue on scaling their maple-based sports nutrition brand without compromising authenticity.
Taylor Foxman, founder of The Industry Collective, explains her unique business model of connecting 80 beverage and cannabis CEOs with investors, media, and partners without traditional marketing or a public-facing persona. She details her background in PR for brands like Jameson and Beyond Meat, and how she leverages this network to help underrepresented founders navigate fundraising and brand visibility. Foxman emphasizes the importance of creating 'good news' through consistent press releases and maintaining levity to support founders through the high-pressure CPG landscape.
Jeni Britton, founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams and her new fiber company Flora, advises three early-stage CPG founders on marketing, fundraising, and PR. Jesse Koenig of Jesse and Ben's discusses marketing frozen fries made with tallow and avocado oil, Casey White of Jaju Pierogi weighs the pros and cons of outside capital for scaling to big-box retailers, and Callie Sayher of ube.co seeks advice on hiring a PR firm for her purple sweet potato pet treats.
Eric Ryan, co-founder of Method and now a venture investor at Graycroft, joins Guy Raz to advise early-stage founders on branding, product differentiation, and fundraising. He discusses his new $15 million consumer fund and the current challenges of investing in CPG, noting that while starting is easier, scaling to $100M+ is harder. Ryan advises callers on building trust for an allergen-free fragrance brand, creating experiential marketing for customizable kids' flip-flops, and determining when to raise capital for a light-up jewelry startup.
S'well founder Sarah Kauss joins Guy Raz to advise three early-stage founders on positioning and growth. She helps Chiara Moonzi of Chigi navigate grocery placement for a chickpea-based hot cereal, Jesús Rualcaba of Paper Tacos expand his Latino-inspired greeting cards beyond specialty stores, and Adam Barker of Bolt Skin and Shave determine his growth strategy for a razor brand targeting men who shave their legs.
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