Founder Feature: Ehime Eigbe-Akindele of Sweet Kiwi

The Startup CPG Podcast · 7 Feb 2025 · 31m · Episode 118

What this episode covers

Ehime Eigbe-Akindele, founder of Sweet Kiwi, explains how she transitioned from bankruptcy litigation at Citigroup to creating a frozen whipped Greek yogurt brand that launched into Whole Foods. She details the challenges of scaling a frozen product, including an initial rejection due to non-standard packaging and the strategic pivot to a rebrand that highlights the 'Greek yogurt' and 'sweet/tart' profile based on customer feedback. Ehime also discusses managing retail partnerships, avoiding slotting fees through relationship building, and expanding brand awareness via food service channels like hospitals and universities.

Mentioned

Companies
Whole Foods, Citigroup, Busuto, Genghis Grill, Albatsons
Products
Sweet Kiwi, Smurfs
Also
Penn State ice cream program

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • How I Built This · 1h 12m

    Yasso: Amanda Klane and Drew Harrington

    Amanda Klane and Drew Harrington, co-founders of Yasso, explain how they defied industry experts to create a frozen Greek yogurt bar, navigating early recipe failures and manufacturing rejections to secure a trial run with Mr. Cookie Face. They detail the operational chaos of their early scaling, including a truck accident, packaging errors, and a near-disastrous wet check from Costco, while building a brand that eventually attracted competitors like Ben & Jerry's and Unilever. The founders discuss their strategic decision to prioritize taste and mainstream retail placement over niche diet trends, leading to profitability and a eventual acquisition by Unilever.

  • How I Built This · 49m

    Advice Line with Sarah Kauss of S'well

    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.

  • How I Built This · 46m

    Advice Line with Jeni Britton of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

    Jeni Britton, founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams and her new fiber company Floura, advises three early-stage founders on marketing, fundraising, and PR. Jesse Koenig of Jesse & Ben’s discusses how to market his healthy frozen fries to grocery buyers without relying solely on the 'seed oil' narrative. Casey White of Jaju Pierogi asks how to sustainably grow her dumpling brand to big-box retailers like Costco without losing control to outside venture capital. Callie Zeher of Ube.co seeks guidance on hiring a PR firm for her purple sweet potato pet treats while balancing her full-time science career.

  • How I Built This · 1h 05m

    MadeGood: Salma and Nima Fotovat Lost Their First Business. They Grew Their Next One Into a Snack Giant.

    Nima and Salma Fotovat, along with their sister Saba, recount how they rebuilt their business after losing their family's co-packing company, Taste of Nature, in a 2012 buyout. They launched MadeGood, an allergen-free organic snack brand, by financing a $2 million factory with personal assets and bank loans. The episode details their early struggles, including manually reworking 200,000 mislabeled bars with alcohol wipes, and their strategy of saying 'yes' to difficult retailer requests to gain traction in Whole Foods and Costco.

  • How I Built This · 1h 07m

    Noosa Yoghurt: Koel Thomae

    Koel Thomae, co-founder of Noosa Yoghurt, explains how she leveraged a $75,000 equity payout from Izzy Beverage to launch a passionfruit yogurt brand in Boulder, Colorado. She details the 8,000-mile partnership with the Matthewson family in Australia and dairy farmer Rob Graves, who provided the manufacturing facility. Thomae describes the critical decision to pull out of a damaging deal with ShopRite to save cash flow, and the subsequent scaling through Target and private equity investment by Advent, leading to a $200M+ exit to Campbell’s.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Startup CPG Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.