Catalina Crunch: Krishna Kaliannan. From Homemade Keto Cocoa Puffs to Breakfast Aisle Breakthrough
Krishna Kaliannan, founder of Catalina Crunch, explains how a diagnosis of type one diabetes and epilepsy led him to develop a high-protein, low-carb cereal using ingredients like pea protein and monk fruit. After initial failures in tech startups, he iterated on recipes in his New York apartment, eventually moving to Indiana to build his own manufacturing capability when co-packers rejected his volume. The brand scaled from a $1 million DTC startup to a $100+ million brand with retail presence in Whole Foods and Costco, navigating complex supply chain challenges and ingredient cost fluctuations.