#91 Becoming the Willy Wonkas of Marshmallows with Funky Mello’s Delisa Harper

The Startup CPG Podcast · 16 May 2023 · 50m · Episode 68

What this episode covers

Delisa Harper, co-founder of Funky Mello with her husband Zach, explains how they developed a refrigerated, plant-based marshmallow cream using aquafaba after a year of R&D to avoid gelatin and soy. They discuss their decision to self-manufacture in-house to maintain a competitive advantage, navigating their first national rollout with Sprouts, and scaling production with a 40-quart mixer named Gizmo. The episode covers their fundraising efforts, product launches like the Dippsterz, and strategies for retail expansion and food service channels.

Mentioned

Companies
Sprouts, Whole Foods, Skew, Naturally Austin, EPAC, ThrillPL, Social Nature, Strategy Maven, IFT, Shameless Pets, FitJoy
Products
Funky Mello, tbh
Also
Gizmo

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