Taste Radio

Denise Woodard, the founder and CEO of Partake Foods, is not shy about asking for advice. In an interview featured in this episode, she reflects on how guidance from other entrepreneurs has been a key part of her success in building a fast-growing packaged food brand. You might be surprised, however, that the counsel she most values comes from unsuccessful founders. “I think oftentimes when you’re company’s on a rocketship to success, it’s hard to remember the stuff that went wrong,” Woodard said. “But when you’ve lost your last dollar and put all your blood, sweat and tears into a company that didn’t work for whatever reason, you have really good advice about what not to do and what you wished you would have done.” A former executive with The Coca-Cola Co.’s Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB) unit, Woodard founded Partake in 2016 after her infant daughter was diagnosed with severe food allergies. Frustrated with the lack of allergen-friendly food brands, she launched Partake with a line of cookies that are