Hardware Podcasts

Founder Feature: Bringing Froyo Back, Building in Public, and Why Pressure is a Privilege - Ashley Whalen of Chara

The Startup CPG Podcast · 29 May 2026 · 27m · Episode 314

What this episode covers

Ashley Whalen, founder of Chara, a Greek frozen yogurt brand, explains how she launched the company from her college apartment with seven roommates and differentiated it in the crowded protein dessert space by using natural sweeteners like maple and agave instead of artificial ones. She details her strategy of building in public on TikTok, using a renovated vintage Volkswagen bus for pop-ups in SoCal, and leveraging cold outreach on LinkedIn to secure collaborations with Fabletics and Shopbop. Whalen also discusses landing her first retail chain at Lunds and Byerly's through the Startup CPG community and her goal to expand into nationwide natural retail in 2026.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Lunds and Byerly's, Fabletics, Shopbop, Whole Foods
Products
Chara, Bureau Padel Classic
Also
Nootopia Now, Expo West

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