#247 - How to Build a Board with Seth Goldman, JUST ICE Tea

The Startup CPG Podcast · 5 May 2026 · 48m · Episode 302

What this episode covers

Seth Goldman, co-founder of Honest Tea and CEO of Just Ice Tea, along with his roles as chair of Beyond Meat and Plant Burger, explains the strategic formation and governance of corporate boards for CPG founders. He details how to vet investors, recruit high-caliber members like Gary Hirshberg and Jeff Swartz, and manage board dynamics to protect founder control while ensuring rigorous oversight. The conversation covers practical aspects of board compensation, the importance of diversity of thought over cheerleaders, and specific operational wins, such as optimizing pallet configurations to save hundreds of thousands of dollars at Just Ice Tea.

Mentioned

Companies
Beyond Meat, Plant Burger, Tony's Chocolonely, Stonyfield Farm, Timberland, S2G Ventures, Whole Foods, City Year, Kroger, Safeway, Publix, Coca Cola
Products
Honest Tea, Just Ice Tea

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