In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Grace Kennedy chats with Marilyn Yang, co-founder and CEO of Popadelics—the first-of-its-kind crunchy shiitake mushroom chip brand. Marilyn shares the story of how she and her husband turned a pandemic-era idea into a nationwide retail brand, detailing their journey from finance to CPG, and the behind-the-scenes grind of product development, branding, pivoting from DTC to retail, and navigating funding without losing creative control. 

She dives into how they created bold, edgy branding to change perceptions around mushrooms, launched with eye-catching flavors like Rosemary + Salt and Twisted Thai Chili, and scaled the brand through demos, trade shows, and sheer hustle. Plus, she shares what it’s like getting on shelves at places like Whole Foods, Urban Outfitters, and even airport stores, all while building a company rooted in a bigger mission to make all mushrooms—culinary and psychedelic—mainstream. 

Follow along for more founder stories and behind-the-scenes startup wisdom—tune in now!

Listen in as they share about:

• Popadelics Founding Story
• Flavor Development
• Initial Launch Strategy
• Go-to-Market Strategy
• Funding & Self-Financing
• Pitching & Investor Readiness
• Biggest Challenges and Future Goals

Episode Links:

Website: https://popadelics.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/popadelics/ 

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Show Links:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
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• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics