Essential Ingredients Podcast

“The most irresponsible thing I could do as an entrepreneur is fail." —Dana Thompson

Native foodways have been an integral part of various indigenous cultures for centuries. However, due to the economic and health crises affecting native communities, access to traditional foods has become more difficult. This has resulted in a lack of culturally relevant food options contributing to the overall health disparities across the continent.

Re-establishing native cultures and making traditional foods more accessible through noble initiatives such as community gardens, farmers markets, and educational programs is an essential step towards addressing these issues and promoting greater equity for indigenous peoples. 

The Sioux Chef, co-owned by Dana Thompson is helping to bridge the gap between traditional culture and accessibility. Through their commitment to equity, they help indigenous people reclaim their heritage while also providing affordable, tasty, and nutritious meal options. By understanding the importance of food in indigenous culture, they are also able to create a platform where everyone can experience the richness of native cuisine. 

Listen in as Justine and Dana talk about how to create a company that champions the indigenous community, how to build an authentic brand, the benefits of involving the community in business building, the importance of continuity in branding, and the key to making good decisions. 

Meet Dana: 

As co-owner of the company The Sioux Chef, Dana Thompson, lineal descendant of the Wahpeton-Sisseton and Mdewakanton Dakota tribes and lifetime Minnesota native, has been working within the food sovereignty movement for the past six years. Within that time, she has traveled extensively throughout tribal communities engaging in critical ways to improve food access. Last year Dana jointly founded the non-profit NATIFS (North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems) for which she is acting Executive Director. Through this entity, she will focus her expertise on addressing and treating ancestral trauma through decolonized perspectives of honoring and leveraging Indigenous wisdom.

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Episode Highlights:

00:48 Inside The Sioux Chef 

05:03 Relationships Create Success 

09:21 Building the Community

11:17 Continuity in Branding

14:24 How to Make Good Decisions

"We are the ones we are waiting for. And that from the ground up— in communities that needed most where we are both under-resourced and over-extraction— together, in community, with community, and with dedicated people, we can grow something greater."  —Stephen Ritz

School gardens are popping up all over the country as more and more people are recognizing their value in transforming both the lens of public education and green literacy. These gardens are usually designed and built by educators, parents, or community members with the help of students. 

The gardens serve as living laboratories where children can learn about the environment and the importance of eating healthy. They also provide a place for students to relax and connect with nature.

Gardens can be found in all types of schools, from urban to rural, and they come in all shapes and sizes. They can be as small as a window box or as large as an acre. No matter their size, all school gardens have the potential to make a big impact on the lives of the students who garden in them.

This is the mission of the Green Bronx Machine Curriculum, an indoor gardening educational program that allows children to eat what they grow! Not only does this help them develop healthy eating habits early on, but it also increases their school engagement and opens up job opportunities. And it’s not just a flash in the pan – this program is here to stay as this initiative keeps growing. 

This week, Stephen Ritz is back on the show to share exciting news and developments about the Green Bronx Machine. They also talk about how kids can now both enjoy exploring, planting, and learning both physically and digitally. Tune in and learn what we can do to help more kids experience the joy of education and personal eating outcomes.

Meet Stephen: 

Stephen Ritz is a South Bronx educator who believes that students should not have to leave their community to live, learn, and earn in a better one. An internationally acclaimed award-winning educator, Stephen is the author of the best-selling book, The Power Of A Plant, and founder of Green Bronx Machine Known as “America’s Favorite Teacher,” Stephen is responsible for creating the first edible classroom in the world, which he has evolved into the National Health, Wellness and Learning Center. He and his students have grown more than 100,000 pounds of vegetables in the South Bronx.  He was a Top Ten Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize, named Global Humanitarian, Food Tank Hero, TEDx Prize Winner and a Global Food Educator, and has presented at the Obama White House three times. Stephen believes that together, via collaboration, coalition and get to yes solutions, we can all prosper!

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Episode Highlights:

00:53 Growing From 17 to 270,000

03:33 The Green Bronx Machine Curriculum

07:19 From Box to Garden

10:30 Together, We Can Grow

“It's very easy to sit and read a recipe but the key is not going on a diet— you really need to adjust your way of life." —Stephen Freedland M.D.

Eating healthy is not just about looking good, it is also about feeling good. Food has been used as medicine for centuries, and with the right knowledge and eating habits, we can use food to heal ourselves. 

This week, Dr. Stephen Freedland delivers compelling reasons we must rethink our eating habits and lifestyle. Dr. Freedland is a leader in the field of urology, with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer. He has contributed significantly to cancer prevention and awareness through a patient-centered approach that focuses on understanding the whole person rather than just the disease. 

Join in as Dr. Freedland outlines a decade worth of research on how carbohydrate affects tumor growth, the challenges of conducting a clinical trial, how a personalized lifestyle can make greater impact, how we can gain more control over our health journey, and what can help us make better choices not only for our health but for our future. 

Meet Stephen:

Stephen Freedland, MD, is the director of the Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle, co-director of the Cancer Genetics and Prevention Program, and associate director for Faculty Development at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute. He is a faculty physician in the Division of Urology at the Cedars-Sinai Department of Surgery. Freedland's clinical expertise focuses on urological diseases, particularly benign prostatic hyperplasia, and prostate cancer. His approach toward cancer prevention and awareness focuses on treating the whole patient, not just the disease, by combining traditional Western medicine with complementary holistic interventions. His research interests include urological diseases and the role of diet, lifestyle, and obesity in prostate cancer development and progression, as well as prostate cancer among racial groups and risk stratification for men with prostate cancer. 

Freedland has published over 400 studies, and his research has appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Journal of Urology, Cancer Prevention Research, Cancer and BJUI, among others. Freedland is an active reviewer for more than 50 journals. He sits on the editorial board for Cancer Prevention Research, European Urology, International Journal of Urology, Nature Reviews Urology and BJUI, and serves as editor-in-chief for Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases and as a consulting editor for European Urology. Freedland earned his MD from the University of California, Davis. He completed a residency in urology at UCLA and a fellowship in urological oncology at Johns Hopkins. Before joining Cedars-Sinai, he was at Duke University, where he specialized in surgical oncology and urologic oncology, and served as an associate professor in the Division of Urology.

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Episode Highlights:

01:00 The Link Between Food and Cancer

06:49 Carbohydrate and Tumor Growth

12:15 Measurable Outcomes

16:25 Personalizing Lifestyle

22:06 Be an Active Participant in Your Health Journey

30:33 Make Better Choices

“Some people have an intuition that [alternative proteins] might be somehow bad for the environment because it's unnatural and that might upset the balance of nature. But in reality, animal products are one of the worst contributors to climate change and many other environmental metrics that you can think of. So reducing the consumption of animal products is one of the major ways that we can reduce our own environmental footprint currently.” —Chris Bryant

Protein is the building block of life, and it's crucial that we get enough of it in our diet every day. But we're hard-wired to crave meat, plus, we know how challenging it can be to find healthy foods that match up to the rich flavor profiles of meat. That's why there's so much excitement around plant-based proteins: they're taking over the market!

This transition is not only beneficial for our health but it also helps us move toward greener solutions for our health while reducing our carbon footprint. Making this shift can bring about tangible benefits such as improved air quality, reduced waste and emissions, and healthier communities. Moving away from traditional methods of production is essential in order to achieve these goals.

Bryant Research UK is one of the leading experts in advancing protein transition. Their team of experts in social science, market research, and policy analysis helps mainstream meat reduction and alternative proteins. Besides conducting independent research, they also collaborate with alternative protein companies and animal protection non-profits to help speed up this initiative.

In this episode, Bryant Research UK Director, Chris Bryant offers empirical evidence on how protein transition can help create a more sustainable future for everyone. Justine and Chris also talk about what makes protein transition so urgent, how culture and background shape people’s choices, what labels really say about animal welfare, how alternative proteins have progressed over the years, how misinformation affected how alternative proteins are perceived, and how businesses can make a successful transition in this trend.

Meet Chris: 

Chris Bryant is the Director of Bryant Research UK. He is an expert in alternative proteins and has published dozens of papers on the social dimensions of the protein transition. He has his MSc in Policy Research from the University of Bristol and his PhD in Psychology from the University of Bath.

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Episode Highlights:

01:43 Moving Protein Transition Forward

05:13 What Survey Says 

10:03 What Labels Really Say

14:24 The Truth About Alternative Proteins

17:46 Facing the Horrible Truths of the Meat Industry

20:06 How Businesses Can Make the Transition

“There was so much need for healthier food and so much extra food.” —Anna Hammond

Food is an important part of our lives. It's what we eat, and it's how we celebrate and mourn. But sometimes, getting the right ingredients can be a challenge—especially if we're trying to do right by our environment, too.

As faithful stewards of the earth and advocates of our health, we are faced with the urgency to act upon this inherent responsibility. Upcycling is a great way to reduce waste and give something new life. It's also a great way to support local communities and build connections with the people we're working with. Thankfully, more companies are embracing upcycling as a sustainable business practice. 

Matriark Foods is a Founding Member of the Upcycled Food Association, therefore, all their products are Certified Upcycle. Their dedication to sustainability is also seen in their FSC (Forest Council Certified) packaging, which means that their products are totally eco-friendly and sourced responsibly from the inside out.  

In this episode, Justine sits with Matriark Foods’ CEO, Anna Hammond to discuss the urgent reasons we must reframe our food system and how businesses can help in achieving this goal. They also talk about food and art, how food strengthens bonds, tips on starting a new business, getting your products on the shelf, and the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs.     

Meet Anna: 

Anna Hammond is the Founder and CEO of Matriark Foods, a social impact business— inspired by the thousands of children Anna has worked with (including her 3  children and 4 grandchildren) — to scale access to healthy food for the benefit of people and the environment. Anna has spent 25 years as a nonprofit leader scaling programs and teams into dynamic, and stable organizations. Most recently, she was Executive Director for The Sylvia Center and collaborated with farmers, institutions, funders, and foundations committed to solving food insecurity through education and reimagined food systems. Together they expanded healthy eating and cooking programs in public housing community centers in all 5 NYC boroughs and all 6 school districts in Columbia County.

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Episode Highlights:

00:56 The Goals of Matriark Foods

03:55 Weaving Environment, Economics, and Health

07:04 Creativity in Food

10:56 Tips When Starting Something New

18:03 Getting on the Shelf 

22:30 Challenges of a Female Entrepreneur

“In the long run, we need all forms of ag(riculture)— they all play their particular role. The more forms of ag we have, the greater the food supply; the greater the diversity of the food supply; and the greater the options we're providing. So at the end of the day, that allows the consumers to make the choice and not have the choice forced on them based on the limitations of the agricultural system.” —Rick Vanzura

Food security is a pressing global issue that requires concerted action from multiple sectors to solve. In many cases, communities are far away from reliable sources of fresh, healthy, and affordable food. This distance can lead to a number of long-standing barriers that prevent these communities from accessing the food they need. Fortunately, modernized food systems have the potential to help in achieving sustainability in food production and consumption on a global scale.

Freight Farms is on a mission to create a global infrastructure of products and services so that people around the world can enjoy fresh and accessible food. Their use of Agriculture Technology yields plenty of benefits, especially in urban vertical farms. By utilizing this process, their network of farmers can produce larger yields with smaller energy inputs, while maintaining a scalable and easy-to-replicate design that is also ideal for both small and large businesses.

This week, Justine and Freight Farms CEO, Rick Vanzura discuss how this modernized farming method impacts the farmers, entrepreneurs, consumers, and ultimately the planet. They also talk about how much space, resources, and technological know-how is needed to start your own farm; how to customize your own crops; common mistakes in ag-tech farming, and much more! 

Meet Rick:

Rick is the CEO of Freight Farms, a sustainable, hyper-local, fully traceable growing solution that uses no soil and minimal water. He has spent the last 25 years in President/C-level roles at major consumer and tech brands, including Fortune 5 companies and start-ups. He has also been an active board participant in every company he has served since 1994 and his current role reflects his interest in sustainability and environmental causes. Rick has received numerous awards and recognitions for his achievements and has been featured in major publications and spoken at various universities, including Harvard and Santa Clara.

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Episode Highlights:

00:53 Growing Hyperlocal Fresh Food with Freight Farms 

06:17 Finding the Right Mission 

11:15 Customize Your Crops

14:54 Soil Ag vs Agtech

19:25 Connecting Communities With Agtech

22:30 Start Your Own Farm

26:44 Common Mistakes About Agtech Farming 

"When you come up with something, you have to commit to manifesting that thing." —Ashley Albert

Matzo crackers are a classic snack, but many people struggle to find a good version that doesn't taste like cardboard. Matzo Project co-founders Ashley Albert and Kevin Rodriguez have solved this problem with their revolutionary matzo cracker. 

Matzo Project is designed to appeal to consumers who want to enjoy familiar flavors without compromising their health. With its extra snappy texture, sturdy construction, and flavorful ingredients, this cracker is sure a favorite among snack lovers. Matzo crackers are made from natural ingredients and are also vegan, nut-free, and dairy-free. Plus, it's kosher (but not certified for Passover) — reviewed and approved by the Rabbis of the Orthodox Union.

Matzo crackers are also versatile. Their different recipes make it a perfect ingredient for just about anything you crave— from a bowl of soup to your favorite toast. 

In this episode, Justine and Ashley discuss how to start an artisanal food brand. They also share advice on key areas such as knowing which avenue suits your business model best, working with a co-founder, the importance of commiting to your ideas, and facing the dilemmas of going big in your ventures. 

They wrap up the show with their Lucky Subscribers Giveaway. Tune in to find out more details on how to participate and win!

Meet Ashley:

Ashley Albert, the creative power-house behind some of the most iconic ideas of the last decade shows no signs of slowing down. Living in Brooklyn in close vicinity to The Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club, one of her pet projects, Ashley is the driving force behind The Matzo Project and the kids’ band The Jimmies. But aside from her ideas, Ashley’s home- from plants to photos; quirky objects and unique furniture- paints a vivid image of Ashley’s life and personality. 

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Episode Highlights:

01:05 Everything Matzo

09:11 From Voiceovers to CPG Company Founder

18:22 Co-Founders Complement

20:03 Manufacturer vs Marketer

22:52 Yes or No— Facing the Dilemma

26:35 Going Big

31:08 Matzo Giveaways! 

"We put so many different things in our bodies now. I think the cleaner we eat, the better we are." —Shareen Davis

Our oceans are an incredibly valuable resource— home to some of the world's most majestic and diverse marine life. Unfortunately, our current fishing systems continue to threaten the health and balance of our aquatic ecosystems.

That's why sustainable fishing is a vital practice for the preservation of our water resources. It helps to protect endangered species, reduce bycatch, and create more sustainable seafood supplies. Additionally, it promotes ocean health, improves the livelihoods of fishing communities, and reduces environmental damage from overfishing. By taking steps to implement sustainable fishing practices in our fisheries communities, we can help make a difference for future generations.

Chatham Harvesters is a cooperative that harvests and sells Cape Cod seafood. By utilizing their resources and implementing innovative strategies to empower the local fishing community, they have been able to create a sustainable business model that benefits everyone involved. This proves that sustainable seafood practices are possible when there is a collective effort. 

In this episode, we will take a look at the innovative initiatives that Chatham Harvesters has implemented to promote sustainability and how they empower the local fishing community. Justine and Shareen also discuss the challenges of sustainably managing fishing and marine resources, the importance of economic empowerment for fishermen, the difference between eating local catch vs farm-raised seafood, and how to bridge the gap between local farmers and the community.

Meet Shareen:

Shareen has years of experience in seafood consulting, visual art, and writing. Through her work and writing, she aims to provide insight into the issues facing our local fishing communities. She also hopes to raise awareness about the importance of sustainability in our food system and help people understand how they can make a difference.

Shareen also serves as the Program Developer and Cook at Chatham Harvesters, a cooperative that is owned and operated by fishermen themselves. Their mission is to build community involvement in local fishing while ensuring that consumers receive quality local seafood at reasonable prices. To achieve these goals, they focus on increasing access to abundant species markets, educating the public about cleanly harvesting whole animals from fisheries, and creating collective economic stability.

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Episode Highlights:

00:53 Reconnecting Seafood Loving Communities to Local Catch

04:00 Local Catch vs. Farm-Raised Fish

10:38 Connecting Fishermen and the Community

15:04 The Fair Price Conversation

21:26 Crafting a Business Model That Benefits All

“Networking is a ripple effect… It's hard to track how those connections play out and what the value is in the long term for the founder who makes that first connection." —Kate Fosson

The world is changing, and businesses must keep up to remain competitive. To do so, they need to look beyond their own resources and start collaborating with others to create sustainable solutions. Engaging with other companies not only leads to creative ideas that can be propelled forward quickly but also gives valuable access to the resources of others involved in the collaborative project. 

Moreover, amplifying voices through collaboration can create a larger platform on which to affect change and bring people closer together. By forming these connections, businesses  generate more innovative ideas, increase sustainability initiatives and corporate social responsibility, as well as drive brand recognition. 

This is the mission behind Brand Pollinators, founded by speaker, author, and connection-maker, Kate Fosson. Brand Pollinators is dedicated to helping brands spark positive change through their sustainable and socially responsible initiatives. This unique approach harnesses the importance of humanity in order to drive meaningful progress toward shared objectives.

Listen in as Justine and Kate discuss how building connections can be an asset, how to manage the community that you are building, how to ensure that your conversations are mutually beneficial, the pros and cons of having a co-founder and being a solo founder, finding the right time to charge for the value you provide, and how networking creates a ripple effect. 

Meet Kate: 

Kate is a 2X founder, speaker, author, and connection-maker. She has worked alongside entrepreneurs from a variety of industries, providing expertise in branding, marketing, operations, and personal development. Kate has also served in various leadership roles with non-profits and local government. She is a certified business mentor and has an MBA from American University.

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Episode Highlights:

00:51 Connection is an Asset

06:58 Managing the Community 

11:30 Why Limited to Founders

13:08 Having a Co-Founder vs Being a Solo Founder

18:06 Resources for Founders 

22:32 Networking Is a Ripple Effect

“Food waste happens at every stage of the supply chain so there are many instances that we can, ourselves, rescue.” —Leah Lizarondo

Food shortage is a pressing issue affecting people of all countries and cultures across the globe. Sadly, it's not necessarily due to lack of food production, but the excessive waste that contributes mostly to this problem. 

Food Rescue Hero is a non-profit organization that is tackling this problem head-on. Hence, it is dubbed as the Door Dash of food surplus. Food Rescue Hero collects and redistributes excess food from donors and distributes it to partner charities, schools, and community programs. Through their efforts, Food Rescue Hero has saved thousands of meals from going to waste and have ensured those meals get to people who need them.

Listen in as Justine and Food Rescue Hero Founder, Leah Lizarondo share how this initiative can be a model for food rescue projects and how we can be food heroes as consumers. Leah also shares pitching tips to convince potential investors, how to set up a model for an organization, and how our narrative can change our whole conversation. 

Meet Leah:

Leah is the Founder of Food Rescue Hero, a food recovery technology platform used in over 25 cities. The platform has redirected over 100 million pounds of perfectly good food from going to waste toward feeding people experiencing food insecurity. Prior to founding Food Rescue Hero, Leah worked in technology, focused on investment, market, and brand strategy for early-stage companies, and in brand management for global FMCG.

Leah has won numerous awards for her work including Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Award in 2020, Carnegie Mellon University’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2022, the Vital Voices Global Leadership Award in 2020 and WE Empower UN SDG challenge in 2019, a global award for women social entrepreneurs. She has been named as one of the 100 Most Influential Leaders by both Pittsburgh Business Times and City & State PA. Most recently, she was recognized in the Grist 50, a list of emerging leaders creating impactful solutions to climate change. 

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Episode Highlights:

01:05 The Door Dash of Food Surplus

07:26 From Vision to Mission to Reality

12:24 Pitching Tips 

17:04 Expanding the Model