Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)

By Gage Mitchell of Modern SpeciesBusiness Health & Fitness Nutrition Arts Marketing Food

Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG) episodes

December 08, 2021047 - Nailing The Pitch with Kayla Castañeda of Agua Bonita
“When life gives you lemons, make aguas frescas!” As was the case for many people, 2020 started off on a difficult note for Kayla Castañeda, with a young child and no job. Instead of letting this knock her down, Kayla kicked into gear and put the skills she acquired after many years of working in the food and beverage industry to good use; the co-founding of Agua Bonita. Agua Bonita boasts the first line of better-for-you, ready-to-drink aguas frescas, which come in eco-friendly cans that are branded by Kayla’s co-founder, Erin. The quality of the product combined with the authenticity and transparency of the brand, and the relationship-building approach that Kayla adopted from week one, have led to her winning every pitch competition she has entered! That’s not to say that the past year has been easy for them, and in today’s episode, you’ll hear about the ups and downs, the lessons learned along the way, their plans for the future, and some valuable advice for nailing your pitch!

Key Points From This Episode:
What the past year has looked like for Kayla and her business.
Kayla shares what she learned from working in the hospitality industry.
Experience that Kayla had working for Coca Cola, and why she decided to leave the company and start consulting.
Circumstances which motivated Kayla to found Agua Bonita.
The approach that Kayla and her cofounder, Erin, took to funding their business.
A goal that Kayla and Erin set when they founded the company.
Challenges of balancing work and family life and how this impacted the decision to make Agua Bonita a full-time job.
When Kayla and Erin were able to start drawing salaries.
How pitching and pitch competitions have benefited Agua Bonita.
Why fundraising is a difficult task, and the importance of relationship building early on.
Qualities that make Agua Bonita attractive to investors.
Valuable tips for going into pitch competitions.
Erin’s background, and how her skillset complements Kayla’s.
The biggest challenge that Kayla and Erin have been faced with over the past year.
Flavors of Agua Bonita that are currently available.
Exciting plans that Kayla and Erin have for the future of Agua Bonita.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Agua Bonita
Agua Bonita on Instagram
Kayla Castañeda on LinkedIn
Modern Species
Evolve CPG
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
34 min
December 01, 2021046 - Food Systems & Climate Change with Jonathan Reinbold of Thomas Foods
When we look at the sectors that are contributing significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, agriculture is responsible for 15 to 20 percent, but today’s guest believes that the food industry has an opportunity to do better; a lot better! Today, we speak with Jonathan Reinbold, Sustainability Director for Thomas Foods, about the food industry’s impact on our health and the environment and the progress being made to turn any negative impacts into positive ones. Jonathan has worked in sustainability, agriculture, and climate action for over a decade now, and his experience spans sustainability strategy, CSR reporting, non‐profit management, food systems policy, renewable energy, and green design. In this episode, we touch on how companies can benefit from an increased focus on sustainability and how taking a more holistic approach to agricultural practices can help companies become climate positive and Jonathan shares some advice for brands entering into the sustainability space: identify your biggest opportunity areas and focus there. Don’t try and do everything! Tune in today to learn more about some of the major advances that the food industry is making when it comes to sustainability!

Key Points From This Episode:
Minimizing negative climate impacts in agriculture and throughout the supply chain.
The increasing focus on sustainability and how businesses stand to benefit in terms of profitability and reputation.
How companies can become climate positive by taking a holistic approach to agriculture.
The benefits of building a climate positive mindset into your business model; start early!
Food and physical wellness as a common thread throughout Jonathan’s career journey.
Why health food is more about abundance and variety than it is about elimination.
What drew Jonathan to agriculture and his early roles in community and supply chains.
Learn about Jonathan’s previous role as head of sustainability at Organic Valley.
Some of the initiates worked on, including guiding Organic Valley to become the world’s largest 100 percent renewably-powered food company.
Time spent creating impact strategies, collecting data, running initiatives, and storytelling.
The value in viewing farmers as ‘price makers’ rather than ‘price takers’.
Integrated supply chains at Thomas Foods and how they align with Jonathan’s values.
How big brands like McDonalds are shifting strategies in ways consumers never expected.
Why it’s not all about packaging; identify your biggest opportunity areas and focus there.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Jonathan Reinbold on LinkedIn
Thomas Foods
Organic Valley
Lopez Foods
Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn
Evolve CPG
Evolve CPG Community
Evolve CPG Email
Evolve CPG on YouTube
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
49 min
November 24, 2021045 - Giving Bulk a Brand with Jason Freeman of Farmer Direct Organic
To create a CPG product that is 100% organic, 100% traceable back to the family farm, and 100% tested for pesticides and herbicides is no small feat. In today's episode, we speak to someone who has done just that. Jason Freeman is the Founder and CEO of Farmer Direct Organic, a certified organic supplier of beans, grains, legumes, and all sorts of healthy whole foods to stores across the US and Canada. Today we discuss the challenges of traceable supply chains, affordable plastic-free packaging, finding the right investors, the rise in superweeds, the need for more widely-used environmentally-friendly farming techniques, and the problems of corporations fueling unhealthy addictions that create disease. This episode is jam-packed with valuable insight into a whole range of important issues, so don’t miss it!

Key Points From This Episode:
How Farmer Direct Organic was established and the principles that it is founded upon.
The evolution of Jason’s career from BioHemp to Farmer Direct Co-Op, to Farmer Direct Organic, and HempScience.
Jason’s involvement in the early hemp legalization movement.
Jason’s thoughts on democracy in light of the prohibition of cannabis.
Shocking stats about diabetes in America and how corporations pray on unhealthy addictions.
The rise in superweeds that are becoming resistant to GMO technology.
How Farmer Direct Co-Op became the first national brand to be certified to domestic fair trade standards through the Agricultural Justice Project.
Jason’s hope for the revitalization of rural America through organic farming.
The value of Farmer Direct Organic being consumer-founded and therefore consumer-focused.
The difference between non-GMO and organic.
How Farmer Direct Organic just became part of Above Food and what this means.
What Farmer Direct Organic is doing to try to eliminate plastic in its packaging.
Jason’s goal to have everything that the company produces approved for a diabetic diet.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Jason Freeman on LinkedIn
Farmer Direct Organic
"Attack of the Superweeds” - New York Times
Kiss the Ground
Amy’s Kitchen
Agricultural Justice Project
HempScience
Non GMO Project
Above Food
rePurpose Global
For a Better World Podcast
Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn
Modern Species
Evolve CPG
Evolve CPG on YouTube
Evolve CPG Community
Evolve CPG email
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
1 hr 4 min
November 17, 2021044 - Prioritizing Brand Messaging with Pilar Ochi of Alter Eco
Making a sustainable CPG product a household name doesn’t sound as challenging as it is. Today we speak to Pilar Ochi, Vice President of Marketing at Alter Eco, a sustainable sweet snacks company. She joined the company because this was the first brand that she found that does more for people and the planet than they talk about. While this sounds like any marketer’s dream, narrowing down the messaging and the direction the brand should be taking when you have so much to say has been quite a challenge. Today she joins us to discuss how she settled on one key takeaway, how her background in economics and in the marketing departments of both big and small companies prepared her for this job, and the challenge of scaling that she now faces having updated Alter Eco’s brand. She provides valuable insight into how to build a brand by finding the balance between owning the thing that makes your product special and owning the thing that gets it into a consumer’s cart. For all this and other helpful advice on how to build a brand, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:
Why making a sustainable CPG product a household name is so challenging.
How building a brand is a balance between owning the thing that makes you special and owning the thing that gets you into a consumer’s cart.
The challenge of mission-driven brands settling on one key takeaway.
How companies benefit from hiring consumers because they don’t have to figure out what makes a consumer tick.
How Pilar decided on the direction the brand should be taking from many possible options.
The three pillars of Alter Eco’s brand strategy and which two they chose to focus on and why.
How Pilar’s background in economics provided a framework for understanding human behavior at scale.
How Pilar’s different experiences at Clorox and Blue Bottle Coffee Company became the perfect foundation for her current job at Alter Eco.
The difference between a brand marketer and a brand manager and how this varies across different-sized companies.
Paid media versus influencer and PR and why Alter Eco does both.
The biggest challenge of scaling now that Alter Eco’s brand has been updated.
How Pilar envisions the industry and the world evolving towards more sustainable products.
The shift Pilar has noticed away from a minimalist aesthetic to one that is more colorful, detailed, and sensorial.
Thoughts on how consumers are increasingly more interested in the simple things in life.
How Pilar hopes the pandemic will impact consumers going forward.
The marketing books that Pilar and Gage have found useful.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Pilar Ochi
Alter Eco
Clorox
Blue Bottle Coffee Company
Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn
Modern Species
Evolve CPG Community
Evolve CPG Email
Evolve CPG
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
54 min
November 10, 2021043 - Preparing Brands for Wholesale with Alli Ball of Food Biz Wiz
If you have a food and beverage product, getting it onto the grocery store shelf is not enough; it has to sell! Today’s guest, Alli Ball, Founder of Food Biz Wiz, is a former grocery buyer turned wholesale consultant, and she helps food and beverage brands understand how to be successful on the retail shelf. In this episode, Alli pulls back the curtain and offers insights into the minds of buyers, and what they are looking for in brands. Stories and tasty products aren’t just a given in 2021; buyers do their research before they commit. Alli also touches on her unique course offering, who the program is targeted at, and what you can gain from it. For all this and more, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:
Get to know today’s guest, Alli Ball.
Alli’s start at Bi-Rite and the incredible expansion of the company.
What Alli’s role as a grocery buyer entails.
The misconception people have about how buyers evaluate products.
Finding the balance between historical data and future predictions.
Why Alli decided to become a consultant.
Hear about the podcast Alli hosts and the three segments of the show.
Details about Alli’s course, Retail Ready, and who it is for.
The most common misconception brands have around wholesale.
How brands can take advantage of the rise in e-commerce; it’s not what they think!
What’s on the horizon for Alli and Retail Ready.

Tweetables:
“In that role of grocery buyer, my role was to figure out products for our shelves and make sure that once we did put them on the shelf, they sold.” — Alli Ball [0:05:40]
“The more feedback we can get from our audiences, the better.” — Alli Ball [0:23:38]
“If you want to sell on a shelf, whether that is a digital shelf or a physical brick and mortar shelf, Retail Ready is for you.” — Alli Ball [0:26:24]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Food Biz Wiz
Alli Ball
Retail Ready Course
Bi-Rite
Evolve CPG
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
49 min
November 03, 2021042 - From Founder to Mentor with Mike Fata of Manitoba Harvest
Feeling constantly sick, tired, and weighing 300 pounds at 18 years old, Michael Fata embarked on a pursuit of health, which, after much experimentation, led him to the discovery of the benefits of hemp.
Hemp, though often confused with marijuana, has no mind-altering properties and is a great source of essential fatty acids. When Michael founded his company, Manitoba Harvest, not only did he have zero high school or college education, but he was also faced with the challenges of hemp being a product with a brand-new supply chain, laden with numerous regulatory challenges.
However, Michael’s passion for his products, his sound business ethics, and his decision to focus solely on hemp culminated in a hugely successful business. In today’s episode, you’ll hear about the learnings Michael had along his journey with Manitoba Harvest, some key insights from the experience he has had as an investor since he sold his company, and the various other ways he is helping entrepreneurs to succeed in the business world.
Key Points From This Episode:
The motivation that sparked Michael’s health journey.
How Michael became interested in hemp.
Examples of some of the major learnings Michael had when he entered the world of business.
Confusion relating to hemp and marijuana that made things challenging for ManitobaHarvest when it was starting out.
The goals of the Canadian Hemp Trade Association that Michael founded.
Why Manitoba Harvest chose to focus solely on hemp.
Michael’s concern with entrepreneurs who put a lot of emphasis on selling their businesses from the beginning.
Advice that Michael gives to entrepreneurs from an investor standpoint.
How Michael and his partner are helping other entrepreneurs to succeed in the business world.
Why Michael is a fan of social audio platforms like Clubhouse.
How Michael maintains his commitment to his own health and wellbeing.
The stage of a business’s lifecycle when Michael likes to invest, and why.
Tweetables:
“I always took the high road and built the brand known for the best quality and a great company to do business with, and that’s how we really outcompeted all the competitors.” — Michael Fata [0:12:29]
“Our mission was to become the experts in hemp, right from the genetics and the farming operation all the way through to the consumer.” — Michael Fata [0:13:27]
“If you grow a good business and become a leader in your space, and you get to the right scale, you’ll likely have a good opportunity to sell the business. If you overly focus on selling the business it could create the wrong culture and lead to failure.” — Michael Fata [0:14:59]
“I feel grateful that I found my health when I was 18,19 years old, so I too want to make this world a healthier place and I want to help founders make sure that their vision and mission is realized.” — Michael Fata [0:38:16]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Mike Fata on LinkedIn
Mike Fata on Clubhouse
Manitoba Harvest
Fata & Fleishmann Mentorship
Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill
The Promise of Sleep
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
41 min
October 27, 2021041 - A Transparent Food System with Colleen Kavanagh of Zego Foods
The general trend towards healthier living and better information about nutrition has many layers, with one of the main tenets being an increase in transparency from food brands about the ingredients used and their sources. Today we are joined by Colleen Kavanagh, the CEO and Co-Founder of ZEGO Foods, to talk about how the company is enabling its customers to live healthy and fulfilling lives, and supporting achievement on multiple levels. Colleen shares some of her personal journey with nutrition and how this led into her career, the important shifts in the industry in recent years, how public policy fits into the picture, and the central theme of transparency at ZEGO! So, for a great check-in on the present and future of the world of health foods, be sure to listen in with and see what Colleen has to say!

Key Points From This Episode:
How customer action can quickly impact the industry and make meaningful change!
Advice from Colleen around the legalities of going to market and a safe marketing plan.
Colleen's background and how her own celiac disease diagnosis led her getting into nutrition.
ZEGO Foods' process to becoming a B-Corporation and the processes around certification.
Pesticides and diseases; the research that has illuminated the dangers of what we consume.
The launch of ZEGO Foods and how Colleen formulated the vision for the company.
Concerns about safety and assurances related to allergies and ingredients lists.
The centrality of the testing process at ZEGO Foods and bringing these practices up to speed.
Information on A Better Course, Colleen's school nutrition program!
Thinking about the next few years at ZEGO; the two current goals of the company.
How local work in San Francisco deeply impacted Colleen's philosophy.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Modern Species
Collen Kavanagh on LinkedIn
ZEGO Foods
A Better Course
KRAFT Foods
Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn
Evolve CPG
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
51 min
October 20, 2021040 - Growing Organic Certification with Jessica Beckett Parr of CCOF
The California Certified Organic Farmers, or CCOF, extends across the US and certifies more operations than any other organic certification company or organization in the country. This week we get together with Jessica Beckett Parr to discuss her work as director of the CCOF Foundation, and how her devotion to agriculture was shaped from a young age. Tuning in you’ll hear about the history of CCOF as well as the history of certification and organic farming in America. Jessica shares her expansive knowledge on the many benefits of organic and why it has such an important role to play in combating climate change. She elaborates on the expansive scientific data available on the benefits and effects of organic farming and how laypeople can access it. We also hear about the various initiatives the CCOF Foundation is pursuing, from pledging money to students who want to work in organic farming, to supporting farmers looking to transition to organic. Jessica interrogates how taboos around organic are changing and reflects on the individuals who give her hope for the future. Tune in today for this inspiring discussion on organic farming, the CCOF, and much more!

Key Points From This Episode:
Introducing today’s guest Jessica Beckett Parr and how she developed her love for agriculture.
More about Jessica’s career path and how she came to be the director of the CCOF Foundation.
How Jessica worked with Deborah Koons Garcia on her movies The Future of Food and Symphony of Soil.
What inspired Jessica to go back to school to earn a Master's in Science and Community Development.
How CCOF was founded in 1973.
The history of organic certification and how it has changed over the past fifty years.
How CCOF was involved in creating a national standard for organic by petitioning the government.
How certifiers are routinely audited by the government to maintain the standards for certification.
The three legal entities of CCOF and their purpose, namely the Certification entity, their lobbying organization, and their foundation.
How the CCOF foundation focuses on education and training.
How they raise money to support students who want to pursue organic education.
How the foundation supports farmers who want to transition to organic.
The Benefits Report and how it has affected political engagement with organic agriculture.
The processing bottleneck with certifying meat as organic.
The importance of understanding your local habitat.
Jessica’s thoughts on the future of organic and the young people and individuals inspiring her.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Jessica Beckett Parr on LinkedIn
CCOF
The Future of Food
Symphony of the Soil
Benefits Report
Roadmap to an Organic California
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn
Evolve CPG
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
50 min
October 13, 2021039 - From Coffee to Cascara with Paul Evers of Riff
Your morning cup of coffee has a far greater environmental impact than you might realize. Ironically, the current unsustainable practices have the largest effect on the industry itself. Today’s guest, Paul Evers, is the Co-Founder and CEO of Riff, an innovative cold brew coffee company that looks to use the whole coffee plant, reducing waste and increasing sustainability. In this episode, Paul unpacks coffee’s dirty, not-so-little, secret and shares how uncovering it led Riff to venture into an entirely new range of products no one else in the space is creating. Paul also talks about his other passion, craft beer, and how the sector’s growth has had had cascading effects for other small business growth. Consumers have grown to trust their neighbors more than corporations and this is in large part due to craft beer. Tuning in, you will hear why reducing waste in the coffee industry will not just benefit the environment but could improve your health too!

Key Points From This Episode:
Coffee’s big, dirty secret and how this led Riff to have a new product range.
The coffee industry has large stakes in more sustainable practices yet is contributing to environmental degradation.
The craft beer sector has been the catalyst for artisanal manufacturing in other industries too.
The importance of getting clear on purpose as a mission-driven brand.
Get to know Paul, his background in creative services, and the ethos that underlies his career.
What drew Paul to focus his work on beverage brands.
Insights into the first brand Paul launched and the major lessons from this first big step.
Building a brand is about more than just good marketing; it’s about community.
What led Paul to transition into the world of cold brew coffee.
We could potentially be overlooking a super fruit, cascara.
All of the benefits of creating demand for cascara, which should be done through creating awareness.
Paul’s advice for impact entrepreneurs and marketers.
Parallels between craft alcohol and cold brew coffee.
Why small, emerging brands are the bedrock of the economy.

Tweetables:
“My ethos is really oriented around relationships and that’s really driven a lot of my career path and what my interests are. I really see brand actually as being the conduit.” — @paulevers [0:02:03]
“Nobody understands that their normal up of Joe is actually contributing to the new normal; the extreme weather events, the floods, the fires, what’s happening to the planet.” — @paulevers [0:36:00]
“The coffee industry as a whole has this very significant sustainability risk moving forward and the irony is that they are contributing to the greatest threat.” — @paulevers [0:37:26]
“Failure is part and parcel of exploration.” — @paulevers [0:47:21]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Paul Evers
Riff
Crux Fermentation Project
Bobby Evers
Cascara
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
55 min
October 06, 2021038 - The #1 Climate Change Solution with Turner Wyatt of Upcycled Food Association
Food Waste is a global issue and plays a pivotal role in the onset of climate change. While the problem might seem overwhelming, there are increasing opportunities for consumers to impact change through their choices. This week we welcome Turner Wyatt, CEO at The Upcycled Food Association, to discuss how his company is helping producers and consumers make better decisions that will have a global impact on food waste reduction. Turner shares his journey with food waste reduction and sustainability and explains how taking a solution-based approach has led to outcomes that align environmental and sustainability goals with financial incentives and healthy profits, and why this is great news for the future of upcycling food. Make sure you tune in for this remarkable conversation to learn about the power of upcycling food and how you can make a difference!

Key Points From This Episode:
Learn about the research-based evidence presented by Project Drawdown that illustrates the critical role that reduced food waste plays in curbing climate change.
Why it’s essential to hold big companies accountable for the massive amount of food waste occurring every year and how they benefit from it.
The huge benefit of aligning environmental and sustainability efforts with financial incentives.
Our natural tendency to upcycle foods and how the industrialization of food products has disrupted those traditions and caused a dissociation with food in modern culture.
Why Turner founded The Upcycled Food Association after working with multiple non-profits.
The Upcycled Certification logo and how it empowers consumers to align their choices with their values.
How concerns over food waste is a universal concern that bridges political divides.
The important lessons that Turner learned about food charity and unintended consequences after co-founding Denver Food Rescue as a young adult.
The Fresh Food Connect app and how it takes a solution-based approach to overcome complex barriers that prevent us from combating food waste and food insecurity.
The future of upcycling and a circular economy.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Turner Wyatt
Turner Wyatt on LinkedIn
Upcycled Food Association
Project Drawdown: Reduced Food Waste
Denver Food Rescue
Fresh Food Connect App
Evolve CPG
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
50 min

About Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)

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We're bringing you the stories behind the people and products building a more just, healthy, and regenerative future for us all. Tune in weekly and together, we’ll learn about why these better…

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Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG) episodes

About Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)