→ Listen on Spotify, Apple, YouTube

Today’s episode is brought to you by, Highbeam.

Running a brand? Highbeam is the all-in-one banking and cash management platform built specifically for consumer brands.

It combines no-fee banking, automated treasury to maximize yield on idle cash, flexible credit, bill pay, and live 13 week cash flow — plus AI agents that automate tedious manual spreadsheet work

Think: fast answers to ad hoc sales and finance questions, cash flow forecasting and scenario modeling, benchmarking, and more.

Brands like Birddogs, New York or Nowhere, Ridge, and Avocado use Highbeam to stay ahead of cash flow, make significantly more money on idle cash, and access credit that fits how brands actually operate.

Build your brand. Keep your cash.

Hey friends,

Our guest today is Richard Laver, the founder of both Kate Farms and Lucky Energy.

Richard created Kate Farms—an allergen-free, plant-based medical nutrition company—to save his daughter Kate’s life. After scaling the business and eventually stepping away, he launched Lucky Energy, a clean energy drink brand aimed at offering a better-for-you alternative in a crowded market. The company recently raised a $14.2 million Series A1 led by Maveron.

We discuss:

* 00:00 – Introduction & Mike’s Overview

* 01:24 – Who is Richard Laver? Plane Crash, Loss & Life Mission

* 04:43 – The Origin of Kate Farms: Saving His Daughter’s Life

* 08:04 – Building a Formula Business Without a Background in Nutrition

* 12:09 – How Kate Farms Scaled Nationwide

* 17:20 – Raising Capital & Growing the Brand to $75M Series C

* 22:00 – Why He Left Kate Farms

* 24:04 – The Birth of Lucky Energy: From Pain to Purpose Again

* 29:00 – Ingredient Strategy & Clean Energy Drink Philosophy

* 34:36 – Building a Brand in a Saturated, Cutthroat Category

* 38:47 – Why Energy Drink Startups Fail & Lucky’s Retail Approach

* 43:52 – Raising $14M Series A1: What Investors Saw

* 50:52 – Lessons from Healthcare Branding vs. Mass Market

* 56:00 – Red Bull vs. Lucky: Marketing War or Mission-Driven Movement? 60:37 – Final Reflections: What’s Harder—Hospitals or Retail?

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→ Listen on Spotify, Apple, YouTube

Today’s episode is brought to you by, Highbeam.

Running a brand? Highbeam is the all-in-one banking and cash management platform built specifically for consumer brands.

It combines no-fee banking, automated treasury to maximize yield on idle cash, flexible credit, bill pay, and live 13 week cash flow — plus AI agents that automate tedious manual spreadsheet work

Think: fast answers to ad hoc sales and finance questions, cash flow forecasting and scenario modeling, benchmarking, and more.

Brands like Birddogs, New York or Nowhere, Ridge, and Avocado use Highbeam to stay ahead of cash flow, make significantly more money on idle cash, and access credit that fits how brands actually operate.

Build your brand. Keep your cash.

Hey friends,

A big thank you to Odile Roujol for introducing me to our guest today—Shamin Walsh, Managing Director at BAM Ventures. BAM is an early-stage, consumer-focused venture capital firm based in Los Angeles that’s focused on investing at the pre-seed stage. They’ve backed some truly iconic companies:

* Honey

* Cotopaxi

* NerdWallet

* Zola, Away

* Thrive Market

The list goes on. Seriously, some of the most exciting consumer success stories out there.

In this episode, we dig into:

* 03:44 Why She Joined BAM originally & What Makes the Firm Different

* 07:00 Is Investing in Consumer Still Sexy? (Hint: Yes, If You Do It Right)

* 10:07 Power Law Returns in CPG & Brand Exits

* 13:21 Why Fund Size Dictates Strategy

* 16:10 Balancing Brand, Commerce Infra & Consumer Tech

* 17:30 What BAM Looks for in Founders

* 20:15 Case Study: How Thrive Market Nailed Consumer Behavior

* 23:15 The Danger of False Signals in Consumer Startups

* 26:00 How BAM Thinks About Reserves & Follow-Ons

* 28:20 Staying Price Disciplined (Even in the 2021 Hype Cycle)

* 30:00 Why Founders Pick BAM Over Bigger Funds

* 32:00 Capital Efficiency ≠ Always Bootstrapping

* 35:09 Fundraising Strategy & How to Navigate Future Rounds

* 37:00 What Early Traction Signals Actually Matter

* 39:10 How BAM Measures Stickiness vs. Trendiness

* 44:00 Could a New Social Platform Still Win?

* 46:00 BAM’s View on AI: Not a Strategy, Just a Tool

* 48:00 ⚡ Rapid Fire Round: Trends, Products, Books

* 52:00 Why “The Little Prince” Still Inspires Shamin

Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube

Hey friends,

Our guest today is Chris Kirby, Founder of Ithaca Hummus. Ithaca Hummus is known for its super fresh, clean-label approach. One of my favorite parts of this conversation was hearing how Chris grew the brand—staying in a handful of retailers for years before turning on the gas and scaling nationally. We also get into how he achieved a negative cash conversion cycle (which is wild), and his thoughtful approach to choosing strategic partners.

This issue is brought to you by Highbeam.

Get the credit you need to stay ahead. Highbeam is the all-in-one banking and cash management platform built for consumer brands.

With tariffs stretching working capital, brands are turning to Highbeam for flexible credit lines and charge cards designed around how they actually operate.

Brands like Birddogs, New York or Nowhere, Ridge, and Avocado use Highbeam to access capital, manage cash, and scale without hiring a full finance team.

Build your brand. Keep your cash.

Includes a free 3-month trial of the AI Analyst.

Time stamps:

* 03:24 - From Fine Dining to Culinary Burnout

* 06:36 - Discovering a Gap in Ithaca’s Food Scene

* 10:46 - Launching Ithaca Hummus from a Camp Kitchen

* 13:54 - The Addictive Energy of Farmer’s Markets

* 19:15 - No Brokers: Selling to Co-ops Door-to-Door

* 24:33 - Sampling, Promotions & Retailer Education

* 28:10 - $1M to $3.5M: Strategic Investment from Co-Man

* 33:50 - Saying No to VCs: Building Without External Pressure

* 37:17 - What Strategic Actually Means in CPG

* 41:50 - Branding, Packaging & the Power of “Owning Taste”

* 45:33 - Creating Viral Flavors (e.g. French Onion Hummus)

* 47:59 - Graza x Ithaca: Strategic Co-Branded Launch

* 50:00 - Long-Term Vision: Legacy, Not Liquidity

* 53:50 - Lightning Round: Books, Beliefs & Brands

Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube

This issue is brought to you by Highbeam.

Get the credit you need to stay ahead. Highbeam is the all-in-one banking and cash management platform built for consumer brands.

With tariffs stretching working capital, brands are turning to Highbeam for flexible credit lines and charge cards designed around how they actually operate.

Brands like Birddogs, New York or Nowhere, Ridge, and Avocado use Highbeam to access capital, manage cash, and scale without hiring a full finance team.

Build your brand. Keep your cash.

Includes a free 3-month trial of the AI Analyst.

Hi friends,

Thank you to Taylor Foxman for the introduction to this week’s guest, Sid Banthiya. Sid is an angel investor and advisor to many consumer brands – like Aerflo, HOLY, and Splendid Spoon. He was previously the Chief Strategy Officer at Milk Bar and Head of Corporate Development at Blue Apron.

We focus this conversation on two of the articles he wrote:

* Avoiding the road to mediocrity

* The case for a Better Business Bureau for investors

We explore what happens when founders build for the wrong reasons, how investors sometimes fuel the problem, and why ambition (or lack of it) shows up in your strategy, not just your pitch deck.

We discuss:

00:47 Why Sid Wrote “Avoiding the Road to Mediocrity”

03:12 The Venture Trap: Chasing Capital vs. Solving Problems

06:00 Is VC the Right Path for Every Founder?

08:31 Fundraising Focus vs. Revenue Focus

10:00 The Rise of Too Much Capital in VC

13:10 Can Founders Course-Correct Their Mission?

16:00 Case Study: Hungryroot’s Strategic Pivot

18:25 How to Decide if You Should Start a Company

20:00 Bootstrap vs. Venture: When and Why

22:50 Go Slow or Scale Fast? What Founders Should Know

26:00 Investing in Hot Markets: Supplements, Protein & More

29:00 Valuation vs. Exit Reality: Why Price Discipline Matters

32:00 Waterfalls, Liquidation Preferences & Founder Equity

37:00 The Case for a “Better Business Bureau” for Investors

41:00 What Makes a VC Truly Valuable

44:00 Rapid Fire: Consumer Trends, Favorite Products, VC Myths

52:00 Sid’s Book Recommendations

You can also listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube

Hi Friends,

On the latest episode of Consumer VC, I chat with Ishan Sinha, Partner at Point72 Ventures. Point72 Ventures is a global venture capital fund that builds on Steve Cohen's decades of public and private market investing experience. Ishan co-leads their consumer group.

In this episode, Ishan shares insights into the evolving role of AI in consumer startups, the challenges of AI-driven media, and the future of monetization for creators. He discusses the impact of AI on intellectual property, whether VCs are still underestimating consumer AI, and how AI-powered businesses can scale effectively. Ishan also breaks down venture capital trends, investment strategies, and lessons from past market cycles.

* Why Did Point72 Start a VC Fund?

* From Public Market Investing to Venture Capital

* Are VCs Underestimating Consumer AI?

* AI in Media & Content Creation

* AI vs. The Music Industry

* Lessons from Napster to Spotify

* How AI Can Benefit Artists & Creators

* The Future of AI in Publishing & Journalism

* How AI is Reshaping Consumer Tech

* Investing in AI Startups: What VCs Look For

* The Role of AI in Business Models & Monetization

* Will the Next Big AI Innovation Look Like a Toy?

* Lightning Round: Biggest Consumer Trends, Myths About VC & More 41:30 Final Takeaways & Where to Follow Ishan Sinha

Thanks for listening.

You can also listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube

Hey friends,

On today’s episode I interview Preston Rutherford, Co-Founder of Chubbies. Chubbies is the weekend apparel brand and leaders of the proper-length shorts revolution. Preston is also the founder of Marathon, the only platform that quantifies the revenue impact of brand.

We discuss:

* Challenges in Early Manufacturing

* Building a Brand Identity

* Raising Capital and Business Growth

* Navigating Co-Founder Dynamics

* Shifting Focus from top line to EBITDA

* Pressure and Growth Metrics

* The Decision to Sell Chubbies

* Channel Expansion and Inventory Management

* How to measure brand

* What’s venture-backable in consumer

Enjoy!

You can also listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube

Hi friends,

Our guest today is YuChiang Cheng, CEO of Hero Bread. Hero Bread produces delicious real bread with benefits – 0g net carbs, 0g sugar, 45 calories per slice. Previously, he founded World Golf Tour, which was acquired by TopGolf where he became President of TopGolf Media after the acquisition.

We discuss:

* Founding World Golf Tour

* Acquisition by TopGolf

* Merging Digital and Physical Experiences at TopGolf

* Discovering Hero Bread

* Joining Hero Bread as Interim CMO

* Pivoting from Food Service to DTC

* Why he became CEO at Hero Bread

* Challenges and Success in Retail

* Driving Velocity and Consumer Demand

* Leadership Transition to CEO

* Lightning Round: Trends, Brands, and Innovations

You can also listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube

This Episode is Brought to You by Propeller Industries.

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies. Thinking about profitability, extending your runway, and improving efficiency in your operations? Managing your company’s finances requires multiple skill sets. Propeller’s fractional model offers a dynamic solution that provides a cost-effective alternative to hiring full-time finance talent.

Hey friends,

Our guest today is Jeff Byers, CEO of Momentous. Momentous produces and sells best in class human performance products. Previously, Jeff Byers founded Amp Human and later acquired Momentous, merging the two companies. He’s also a former professional football player and played at USC in college (Fight On✌️)

We discuss:

* Jeff Byers' Transition from NFL to Entrepreneurship

* The Birth of Amp Human and Momentous

* Challenges and Innovations in Supplement Industry

* Acquisition of Momentous and Future Plans

* Navigating the Supplement Market

* Sourcing and Trust in Supplements

* Challenges in the Supplement Industry

* Transparency Issues in Ingredient Sourcing

* The Problem with Chinese Creatine

* Commoditization of Supplements

* Importance of Protein, Omegas, and Creatine

* Momentous' Approach to Supplements

You can also listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube

This Episode is Brought to You by Propeller Industries.

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies. Thinking about profitability, extending your runway, and improving efficiency in your operations? Managing your company’s finances requires multiple skill sets. Propeller’s fractional model offers a dynamic solution that provides a cost-effective alternative to hiring full-time finance talent.

Hey friends,

Happy New Year! Our guest on today’s episode is Daniel Faierman, Partner at Habitat Partners. Habitat Partners is an early-stage venture fund that is part of Red Antler. Red Antler is one of the premier branding and marketing agencies. We focus this conversation on Habitat Partners investment strategy. The relationship with Red Antler, why they both invest in consumer brands and software businesses, the differences in the underwriting process in each of these business types, why for them it makes to have two strategies, how he thinks about returns.

We discuss:

* 02:04 Daniel's Journey into Food and Beverage

* 04:13 Challenges of Innovation in Big CPG Companies

* 08:05 The Role of Strategic Partners in Scaling Brands

* 09:34 Red Antler's Venture into Investment

* 19:54 Habitat Partners' Investment Strategy

* 28:29 Sourcing and Red Antler's Impact

* 30:49 Key Metrics for Consumer Brands

* 34:19 Navigating Competitive Investment Landscapes

* 34:46 The Role of Creative in CPG and B2B SaaS

* 37:21 Transitioning from Health and Wellness to B2B SaaS

* 40:06 Are the only SaaS Opportunities AI

* 43:35 Evaluating Founders and Teams

* 46:46 Lightning Round: Trends, Myths, and Personal Insights

You can also listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube

This Episode is Brought to You by Propeller Industries.

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies. Thinking about profitability, extending your runway, and improving efficiency in your operations? Managing your company’s finances requires multiple skill sets. Propeller’s fractional model offers a dynamic solution that provides a cost-effective alternative to hiring full-time finance talent.

Hey friends,

In today’s episode, I’m thrilled to chat with Bryan Kim, Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. Andreesen Horowitz is one of the largest venture capital firms in the world. Bryan is on the board at BeReal, Partiful, and Snackpass. He is also a board observer at Captions and ElevenLabs.

We discuss:

* How working on Alibaba’s IPO led him to a career in tech

* How he got a job at Snap and Snap’s approach to adding new features

* Does emerging consumer tech have to have an AI component?

* The lost opportunity in social

* Will glasses be the next form factor after the smartphone?

* What will generate the most returns in AI – hardware/chips, apps, or foundational layers?

* Approach to investing in prosumer companies

* Common mistakes when scaling consumer tech companies

* One contrarian belief he has about consumer tech & more