July 03, 2026

860 Charles Coristine: CEO of LesserEvil

27 minutes

On today’s episode, we welcome Charles Coristine, CEO of LesserEvil — one of the fastest-growing better-for-you snack brands in the country.

Charles' entrepreneurial journey didn't begin in the food industry. In fact, he left a successful career on Wall Street and took a chance on a struggling popcorn company that was worth less than $1 million at the time. With no food industry experience but a strong belief that consumers deserved snacks made with better ingredients, he set out to transform LesserEvil into something much bigger.

In this episode, Charles shares the lessons he learned from betting on himself, building a challenger brand in a crowded category, and scaling LesserEvil from a small popcorn company into a national snack brand. We also discuss product innovation, the creation of fan favorites like Moonions and Cheezmos, what it takes to stay true to your mission as you grow, and how he approached the company's acquisition by Hershey.

Charles' story is a powerful reminder that some of the biggest opportunities come from seeing potential where others see problems.

Listen and learn!

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To learn more about Charles Coristine and LesserEvil:
https://www.lesserevil.com
https://www.instagram.com/lesserevilsnacks/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-coristine-7b611b13/