# Founder Feature: Gabriella Labi and Tonya Reznikovich of Gato Dates

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2026-04-03
- Length: 34m
- Episode: 286
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-04-03-founder-feature-gabriella-labi-and-tonya-reznikovich-of-gato-dates
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/50552026

## Summary

Gabriella Labi and Tonya Reznikovich, co-founders of Gato Dates, explain how they transformed a home kitchen recipe for dark chocolate-covered, nut butter-stuffed Medjool dates into a premium DTC brand. They detail their 'year zero' strategy of validating the product at LA farmers markets, which generated $1,500 on day one and led to organic celebrity discovery by figures like LeAnn Rimes and Kristin Cavallari. The founders discuss their transition to full-time operations, their retail expansion into specialty and major grocery accounts, and the specific challenges of scaling production and managing margins in year two.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Gato Dates Product and Founders' Backgrounds
2. Origin Story: Shabbat Dinners and the Farmers Market Launch
3. Ingredient Quality, Medjool Sourcing, and Product Formulation
4. Organic Celebrity Discovery and Influencer Marketing Strategy
5. Retail Expansion, DTC Strategy, and Year Two Challenges

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Gato Dates (product)
- Fishwife (company)
- Poppy (company)
- Loops Beauty (company)
- SunLife Organics (company)
- Eataly (company)
- Happier Grocery (company)
- Meadow Lane (company)
- Jimbo's (company)
- Glamour magazine (other)
- McKinsey (company)

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- [Simple Mills: Katlin Smith](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-02-15-simple-mills-katlin-smith) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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