# #105 Equity Crowdfunding Insights: How Ghost Town Oats is Cultivating Community & Opportunities with Ezra Baker

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2023-08-29
- Length: 41m
- Episode: 82
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-08-29-105-equity-crowdfunding-insights-how-ghost-town-oats-is-cultivating-community-op
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/c750c20c

## Summary

Ezra Baker, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Ghost Town Oats, discusses the rapid growth of the first Black-owned, queer-owned oat milk company. He details their product development process, leveraging their background as baristas to create a milk that steams well for coffee professionals, and their strategic choice of Tetra Edge packaging. Baker also explains their equity crowdfunding strategy via WeFunder, which raised over $210,000 in their first campaign with NBA star Jimmy Butler as a lead investor, and their current expansion into retail and school cafeterias.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Ghost Town Oats and Founder Background
2. Product Development and Formulation
3. Packaging Design and Barista-Centric Features
4. First WeFunder Campaign and Jimmy Butler Investment
5. Scaling Production and Distribution Strategy
6. Hiring, Community Building, and Future Retail Goals

## Topics

- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Ghost Town Oats (product)
- WeFunder (tool)
- Tetra Pak (tool)
- Shoreline (company)
- Go Get Em Tiger (company)
- CBC Specialty Beverage (company)
- Stan's Donuts (company)
- Dom's Kitchen & Market (company)
- Cafe Grumpy (company)
- Dayglow (company)
- Jimmy Butler (other)
- Saveur (other)
- Good Morning America (other)
- Prosperity Market (company)
- Black Market Flea (company)

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- [Ooni Pizza Ovens: Darina Garland and Kristian Tapaninaho](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-11-07-ooni-pizza-ovens-darina-garland-and-kristian-tapaninaho) (How I Built This)
- [Pipcorn: Jennifer and Jeff Martin](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-04-26-pipcorn-jennifer-and-jeff-martin) (How I Built This)
- [Happy Family Organics: Shazi Visram (2020)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-07-04-happy-family-organics-shazi-visram-2020) (How I Built This)
- [Afterschool Podcast, Episode 19 - Craighton Berman, Founder of Manual (04/16)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2014-04-16-afterschool-podcast-episode-19-craighton-berman-founder-of-manual-04-16) (Core77 Podcast)

## Citing this page

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