Taste Radio

Distributors called her a “relentless bitch,” but Sharelle Klaus paid little mind to their insecurities. She was too busy building a business. Instead, Klaus, the founder and CEO of DRY Soda, a Seattle-based maker of premium carbonated soft drinks, wore the slur as a badge of honor. Standing at the forefront of the emerging craft soda segment since the launch of DRY in 2005, Klaus acknowledges that she is indeed relentless — and deeply passionate about her vision to deliver better soda to American consumers. “I have an expectation, and it has to get done,” she said in an interview included in this episode of Taste Radio. “In beverage, you’ve got to get that product on the shelf. It has to be executed correctly. I do demand a lot from everybody -- you just have to.” Beginning with DRY’s early days as a regional startup through its rise to a nationally distributed brand, Klaus shared war stories from the journey and revealed the one lesson she believes entrepreneurs need to learn if they intend to be successful

Stephen Williamson, the co-founder and CEO of organic plant-based food and beverage company Forager Project, embraces a non-traditional approach to innovation. “We are great believers in ‘Ready. Fire. Aim.’” he said in a recent interview included in this episode of Taste Radio. “We have tried to leverage anything where we’ve seen success.” Launched in 2013, the San Francisco-based company has built a brand platform that extends from juices to smoothies to snacks and yogurts, all based around the principle of making great-tasting, healthy and minimally processed foods and beverages. Speaking with BevNET assistant editor Martin Caballero, Williamson and co-founder J.C. Hanley discussed how the company works to align innovation with current trends while staying true to its core mission. Williamson, who is a former chairman and CEO of Odwalla, and Hanley also spoke about their origins in the food business and why “learning from food” is a key piece of Forager’s business philosophy. Also included in this episode:

Back to the Roots, which markets indoor gardening kits and organic breakfast cereal, has come a long way. Having started out making mushrooms out of coffee waste, the company has evolved into an ambitious sustainable food brand that envisions a future when it’s recognized as “The Pixar of Food.” In this week’s episode of Taste Radio, co-founder Nikhil Arora discussed how Back to the Roots is positioning itself to achieve that lofty goal through a consumer-centric approach to innovation and working hand-in-hand with key retailers. “People ask, ‘how’d you go from mushrooms to aquaponics to cereal?’ he said. “It was talking to our consumers and being able to have that opportunity. Whole Foods was a huge part of that.” Ahora noted that strategic planning always starts with “what problem are you solving for consumers,” and pointed to the company’s indoor gardening kits as a way for urban dwellers with limited yard space to grow their own food. In CPG, Back to the Roots cereals, formulated with four ingredients or

Barry Nalebuff believes that food and beverage entrepreneurs should focus on solving what he calls “a real problem.” When he co-founded organic beverage brand Honest Tea 20 years ago, that meant delivering healthier bottled drinks to consumers at a time when few such options existed. Nalebuff has since integrated that philosophy into other ventures, including alcoholic kombucha company Kombrewcha and Maker Oats, a new brand of organic overnight oats that he developed in partnership with Quaker Oaks. The ultimate goal, he says, is to transform an industry laden with unhealthy ingredients and formulations. “If you think about what people have put in our foods, do you think they’ve actually made us healthier?” he asked. “I’d like to be able to trust in my food companies. I want to make things that you can trust. I want to appeal to people who read labels.” In this week’s edition of Taste Radio, Nalebuff joined us for a wide-ranging conversation about his career as an entrepreneur and investor, including why prem

Halen Brands, a privately held operating company that invests in, acquires, and operates food and beverage brands, describes itself as “created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs.” It’s an appropriate tagline given Halen’s leadership team, which is headed by founder and co-CEO Jason Cohen, a highly successful entrepreneur and investor who’s grown and sold brands including Mamma Says, Sensible Portions, Rickland Orchards and partnered with the founders of Skinny Pop for a combined total of over $560 million. In an interview featured in this week’s episode, Cohen discussed his background in the food and beverage business and why he launched Halen, which in partnership with Clearlake Capital, currently has investments in fast-growing brands including CORE and Chef’s Cut Jerky and recently acquired OWYN, a brand of plant-protein drinks and shake powders. Cohen also shared lessons about building successful relationships with retail buyers and the one thing entrepreneurs should avoid if they want to sell their comp

Adnan Durrani was once known as “The Suit.” A former Wall Street executive, Durrani’s first experience at a natural foods show was a clash in styles: a buttoned-up banker dressed in Brooks Brothers amid hippie entrepreneurs clad in raggedy jeans and sandals. Despite the difference in style, Durrani found himself embraced by the community and in particular by Stonyfield Farm co-founder Gary Hirshberg, for whom Durrani served as a board member and investor. Durrani is currently the CEO of American Halal, the company behind halal-certified frozen food and snack brand Saffron Road, which he founded in 2009. In this week’s episode of Taste Radio, he spoke about his career in the food and beverage business and how his belief system evolved during his transition from Wall Street into the natural food space. He also explained how he identified a huge growth opportunity for halal foods in the U.S. and why Saffron Road saw millennials as a key consumer demographic during the brand’s launch. Durrani also discussed how t

A former software engineer, John Coogan says that programmers are often pondering ways to “automate ourselves out of a job.” Coogan, who in 2013 co-founded fast-growing meal replacement products brand Soylent, has a similar perspective when it comes to entrepreneurship. In a recent interview featured in this week’s episode of Taste Radio, Coogan, who recently stepped down as Soylent’s CTO, said that “as entrepreneurs, we should be thinking about how we can manage ourselves out of a job.” Amid the brand’s ongoing expansion from direct-to-consumer sales and into retail stores, Coogan explained that it was important for Soylent, “to find people that are essentially the right tool for the job… and that have seen these challenges before.” In recent months the company has brought on several experienced CPG executives, including former KeVita chief strategy officer Bryan Crowley as president, to support its retail expansion. Coogan also discussed how Soylent’s e-commerce-only model enabled the company “to start coll

A tech executive-turned-beverage entrepreneur, Kara Goldin has incorporated many of the lessons from her career in Silicon Valley into the development of Hint, an unsweetened, flavored water brand that she launched in 2005. In this week’s episode of Taste Radio, we spoke with Goldin about how her experiences in the tech world helped shape the business strategy for Hint, which markets a variety of still and sparkling water products and is nearing $100 million in annual sales. Goldin also explained how she overcame early challenges of a food and beverage industry long dominated by legacy brands, Hint’s development of an highly successful e-commerce platform and her belief that a company's “ability to stay close to the customer and understand what the customer thinks about your product is really the key” to winning. Also included in this episode: a conversation with Billy Bosch, who is the co-founder and CEO of protein drink brand Iconic. Bosch discussed his journey as an entrepreneur, offering insight into less

Earlier this month the Taste Radio team met with GT Dave, the founder of best-selling kombucha brand GT’s Kombucha. In an interview recorded for this episode, Dave discussed the origins of GT’s, a brand he created 22 years ago and its pioneering role in the fast-growing and high-profile kombucha category. Recorded at the company’s headquarters in Los Angeles, Dave explained his belief that most "successful businesses come from a pure place" and stressed that brands should attempt to connect with consumers on a personal, intimate level. He also discussed why the company is constantly innovating and attempting to improve. “Complacency is a part of human nature, but I believe it’s also a version of corporate cancer,” he said. “As soon as you feel like you’re coasting, you’ve done enough or you’re great is when you start fail.” Also included in this episode: a conversation with SnackNation founder and CEO Sean Kelly, who discussed the company’s approach to optimizing office culture through better-for-you snacks a

Joy Bauer believes snacking should be simple. Bauer, the nutrition and health expert for NBC’s “Today” show and founder of granola bites company Nourish Snacks, is concerned that an ever-increasing number of product certifications and overwrought marketing callouts are confusing consumers. In an interview included in this week’s episode of Taste Radio, Bauer stated her belief that most consumers simply want clean labels, easily understood ingredients and delicious flavors, a perspective that inspired her to launch Nourish Snacks. As part of our conversation, Bauer also shared her opinion on what makes for a sustainable food trend versus a passing fad, and discussed the impact that CPG conglomerates are having in the evolving market for snacks. Also in this episode: An interview with Gus Griffin, the CEO of MGP ingredients, a leading producer of premium distilled spirits that has played a critical role in the emergence and development of the craft spirits segment. And in the latest edition of Elevator Talk, we

Episode 78 of BevNET’s Taste Radio podcast features a conversation with Chris Hunter, the co-founder of plant-based protein drink brand Koia and a co-founder of Phusion Projects, the Chicago-based alcoholic beverage company best known as the maker of Four Loko. In our interview, recorded at Natural Products Expo East 2017, Hunter discussed the remarkable rise (and notorious reputation) of Four Loko and why a focus on branding and merchandising was key to its success. Hunter also explained his belief that the natural food and beverage industry is “the most exciting space out there,” his role in reframing and positioning Koia as a brand first and foremost, and why entrepreneurs should look to align themselves with experienced, value-added investors and advisors. Also included in this episode: A discussion with Project NOSH senior staff reporter Meagan McGinnes about the FDA’s new guidance regarding peanut allergies and how food brands are reacting, innovating and commercializing. We chat with the folks behind S

In this week’s episode of BevNET’s Taste Radio, we’re joined by Pat Brown, the founder and CEO of Impossible Foods, a food tech company focused on the development of meat, dairy and fish products derived from plant-based material. Best known as the maker of the Impossible Burger, a juicy, meatless patty that’s served in trendy restaurants nationwide, the company has reportedly raised over $300 million to date, including investment from GV and Bill Gates. Project NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg and BevNET sr. brand specialist Jon Landis recently spoke with Brown about the origins and business strategy behind Impossible Burger and his vision for the future of plant-based meat and the brand. Also included in this episode: An interview with Adam Louras, who is the founder of Koa, an innovative, but recently discontinued brand of colorless, calorie- and sugar-free juices. Louras, who is currently the chief operating officer of functional drink company Dirty Lemon Beverages, discussed learning lessons from his journey

Episode 76 of BevNET’s Taste Radio podcast spotlights a wide-ranging conversation with Spindrift founder and CEO Bill Creelman. Recorded at Spindrift headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Creelman waxed about cutting his teeth in the beverage business and the launch, development and sale of his first company, Stirrings, a maker of premium cocktail mixers. He also discussed how the origins of Spindrift, a fast-growing brand of fruit-infused sparkling water, continue to play a critical role in the brand's evolution and remarkable growth, why the brand is pursuing a “craft” identity in the sparkling water category, and how the company has taken a careful approach to retail partnerships and investment. Also included in this episode: BevNET staff reporter Brad Avery and senior brand specialist Jon Landis examine the emergence of MCT oil. The pair discussed MCT’s purported functional benefits, why a growing number of food and beverage brands are infusing the ingredient into new products and how it’s being marketed to con

Taste Radio episode 75, presented by Virun, features a compelling conversation with Aaron Anker and Nat Peirce, who are the co-founders of Grandy Oats, a maker, wholesaler and retailer of organic granola. BevNET editor-in-chief Jeff Klineman met with Anker and Peirce at Grandy Oats’ headquarters in Hiram, Maine, where the trio spoke about the company’s development and evolution since its launch in 1979. Over the past two years, Grandy Oats, which has remained independent since its founding, has invested in improvements to its manufacturing facility, greening its factory and adding capacity, as it moves closer to national expansion. The upgrades come as the company aims to moves toward an increasingly successful CPG line from what has been a majority bulk food proposition. Also included in this week’s episode: BevNET senior brand specialist Jon Landis and the Project NOSH team of Carol Ortenberg and Meagan McGinnes examine the expanding market for plant-based "meat,” including key brands and product categories

In this week’s episode of BevNET’s Taste Radio, we’re joined by Matt Thomas, the founder and CEO of Townshend’s Tea Company and Brew Dr. Kombucha. In a conversation with BevNET assistant editor Marty Caballero, Thomas discussed the origins of Townshend's, a premium tea retailer based in Portland, Ore., and its development of Brew Dr., which has become one of the fastest-growing brands in the breakout kombucha category. Thomas explained how a tea-forward approach to formulation continues to resonate with new and consumers and has positioned Brew Dr. to achieve explosive growth at retail. The brand is represented nationally at Trader Joe’s and available throughout the Pacific Northwest and along the West Coast at retailers including Target and Costco. Also included in this episode: A conversation with Dan and Genevieve Brazelton, who are the founders of Improper Goods, the parent company of RAFT Botanical cocktail syrups and The Bitter Housewife, a brand of small-batch, aromatic bitters. The husband-and-wife te

This week’s episode of Taste Radio features a captivating interview with veteran beverage executive with Joth Ricci, a veteran beverage executive Joth Ricci with one of the most diverse, interesting and impactful track records of anyone in the industry. Over a 17-year career, Ricci has held roles as president of Stumptown Coffee, president and CEO of Jones Soda and managing director with beverage investment and advisory firm First Beverage Group. BevNET assistant editor Marty Caballero recently traveled to Portland, Ore. to meet with Ricci, who is currently the president of Adelsheim Vineyard, a pioneering winery in Oregon's Willamette Valley, and a board member at a number of fast-growing companies in the Pacific Northwest, including Brew Dr. Kombucha and Dry Sparkling. As part of their conversation, Ricci discussed his path to Adelsheim and shared insights into parallels between previous roles and beverage categories, how premiumization has changed the coffee business and why he believes there’s more to com

In episode 72 of Taste Radio, we feature a conversation with Poorvi Patodia, who is the founder and CEO of Biena, a fast-growing maker of roasted chickpea snacks. Just five years since its launch, Biena is distributed at 15,000 locations across the U.S. and available at Whole Foods, Target, Sprouts and Stop & Shop. Patodia outlined her vision for roasted chickpeas and how the combination of familiar snack flavors and a healthy, whole food option continues to win over investors, distributors, retailers and consumers. She also discussed why Biena attempts to operate more like a tech firm than a food company and the decision to launch a co-branded line of snacks with Weight Watchers. Also included in this episode: BevNET editor-in-chief Jeff Klineman and sr. brand specialist Jon Landis explored the world of retail activation through encounters with the High Brew Liner, a giant bus turned into sampling cafe that is on tour throughout the summer. And in the latest edition of Elevator Talk, we talk with Rob Bur

Doug Zell believes in “chasing perfection with the hope of never catching it.” That concept guides the core mission of Intelligentsia, a super-premium coffee roaster and retailer that Zell co-founded 22 years ago. In a conversation included as part of this week’s episode, Zell expounded on how Intelligentsia’s relentless pursuit for improvement permeates its retail and packaged coffee business. He also discussed why the “totality of the impression” carries so much significance for the company, the notion that “quality will always find an audience,” and shared lessons learned from over two decades in business. Also included in this episode is an interview with Tyler Gage, who co-founded guayusa beverage brand Runa and is the author of a new book called “Fully Alive.” The book chronicles his immersion in Amazonian indigenous spirituality and its life-changing impact on him and his company. We also spoke with Miriam Novalle, the owner of CBD beverage company High Tea Today, in the latest edition of Elevator Talk

Episode 70 of BevNET’s Taste Radio podcast spotlights a recent conversation with Jeff Church, the co-founder and CEO of Suja, a maker of organic beverages, including high-pressure processed juices, drinking vinegars, and kombucha. At the helm since 2012, Church has guided Suja’s remarkable ascent as the leading brand in a highly competitive cold-pressed juice category and was instrumental in its partnership with the Coca-Cola Co., which in 2015 acquired a 30 percent stake in the company. Recorded at Suja’s vast production facility in San Diego, Church opined on the role of luck in business, why a thorough understanding of consumer demand is critical to success, and explained how “the rule of twos” helped steer the company through its growth and development. Also included in this episode: BevNET assistant editor Marty Caballero and senior brand specialist Jon Landis examined the emerging market for kefir and discussed key brands, sub-segments, including water kefir and plant-based varieties, consumer confusion

This week’s episode of Taste Radio features a wide-ranging conversation with Krave Jerky and Sonoma Brands founder Jon Sebastiani. Recorded at the 2017 Summer Fancy Food Show, Sebastiani delved into his background in the food and beverage industry as an heir to a legacy wine family and talked about what spurred him to strike out on his own with Krave. He reflected on the meteoric growth of the meat snack brand, which launched in 2009 and was acquired by The Hershey Co. in 2015 for $240 million, and how he used the proceeds to create Sonoma Brands, a CPG incubator and venture fund that develops and partners with innovative food and beverage brands. Also included in the episode: an interview with veteran marketing executive Greg Fleishman, who is the CEO and co-founder of boutique marketing firm Purely Righteous Brands. Having worked with a range of innovative brands in his 20-year career, including Fuze, Bear Naked, Kashi and Suja, Fleishman opined on why successful entrepreneurs always have a “hunger and humi