ContenderCast with Justin Honaman

Starr Edwards is the charismatic entrepreneur behind San Diego's Bitchin' Sauce. A foodie at heart, she initially planned on pursuing a career as a personal chef. Then, with a young family to feed, she infused her fun, fresh flavors into a host of Bitchin' Sauces. An immediate hit at the local farmers market, it wasn't long before they made their way to grocery shelves. Today they are in Costco, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Kroger and many more retail stores. Starr joins Justin to discuss this bitchin' brand!

When they couldn't find a delicious cheese snack, they decided to make one – from their very own award-winning cheese. Their first Parmesan Whisps were just the start. They are on a mission to put real cheese back in snacking and today have a range of snacks from classics like Cheddar to fan favorites like Tangy Ranch and Nacho. CEO Ilana Fischer joins Justin to discuss this fast-growing brand.

Founder Sandro Roco, a Queens-born Filipino American, was walking through a popular Asian supermarket in Manhattan's Koreatown. There, he noticed a huge gap between the modern, clean labels of the new-age "American" brands and the preservative- and sugar-laden labels of the legacy Asian brands. His goal was simple: celebrate high quality Asian flavors that for decades have been masked by added sugars, artificial flavors and preservatives. Sandro joins Justin to discuss this new beverage brand!

The Cookie Cups was a genius mistake that started because their creator, Nicole Pomije wanted to make chocolate chip cookies without the right oven pan. She did happen to have a mini cupcake pan and decided to put the cookie dough in that way and see what happens! Out came The Cookie Cups, their version of the cookie, reinvented! The Cookie Cups is a bakery that sells gourmet cookies in the shape of mini cupcake(s). They also sell REAL baking kits for kids – a family baking experience you will love! Nicole joins Justin to discuss this baking brand!

Their story began on Thanksgiving Day 2016 when a family member asked to what they attribute Brutus' longevity. The answer: "Love and Grandma's Bone Broth." As a pup that led a very active life, he had a number of health issues most senior dogs face. We found that adding Bone Broth to his diet not only provided him with a tastier meal but gave him added nutritional benefits. Not only that, he loved the taste and adding the broth to his dry food made it more easily digestible. The challenge was finding a way to share these benefits with other dogs. Kim and Sue spent thousands of hours researching the pet market, speaking to experts in the industry, testing and tweaking recipes, designing packaging prototypes, working with ingredient suppliers and manufacturers, amongst other things, to assemble the best possible team to help bring Brutus' Bone Broth to the market. Kim Hehir and Sue Delegan join Justin to discuss this delicious bone broth brand!

Light Years Ahead (LYA) is a full-service public relations and marketing firm specializing in lifestyle, beauty, health, wellness, parenting products, industry experts, and services. LYA creates dynamic, sales-driven PR campaigns that produce stellar results in the most cost-effective ways. They have helped large and small businesses launch new products with meaningful brand-building programs that establish and maintain solid media visibility. CEO and co-owner Megan Brown Bennett joins Justin to discuss the power of PR in launching and growing a consumer brand.

LEVIA Seltzers are the #2 cannabis seltzer in the country and #1 selling cannabis beverage in Massachusetts. At LEVIA, they are creating the best tasting social seltzer rooted in simple, all-natural ingredients. After years of research, LEVIA unlocked the secret to crisp and refreshing cannabis-infused drinks. Matt Melander, President and CFO, joins Justin to discuss this high-growth brand.

Abby Kircher started her company when she was 15. As a home-schooled food lover and health enthusiast, she craved delicious and especially sweet, foods that pleased her taste buds and body. She started with nuts, a food processor, and natural sweeteners on a quest to make a better-for-you food brand. Today Abby's Better Nut Butter products are in hundreds of stores and growing rapidly. Abby joins Justin to discuss launching and growing a nut butter brand!

Meet Christina Pardy – founder of Sh*t That I Knit! She and her company believe that when you feel good, you always look your best. At Sh*t That I Knit, they strive to create high-quality knitwear and accessories that make you feel good. When you know the materials used to create their products are sustainably sourced, you feel good. When you know their products are handmade by women in Peru who are working moms earning a fair wage, you feel really good. When you know they donate Knit Kits that teach young adults undergoing cancer treatment how to knit, you feel even better. Christina joins Justin to discuss this Sh*t-hot brand!

Modpools is the original container pool of North America, with over 775 container pools built and shipped all across Canada and the USA. They use only the highest quality of materials and equipment from North America's top suppliers. Modpools is a trusted brand regularly featured on TV and across social media. Founder and CEO Paul Rathnam joins Justin to discuss this unique high-growth brand!