In the Sauce

Patrick Coyne is co-founder and CEO of Laoban Foods, the modern frozen Asian brand known for its dumplings and scallion pancakes. He previously worked at the World Bank Group and the Clinton Foundation, as well as in strategy consulting and venture capital. On this episode of In the Sauce, Patrick talks about how a teaching stint in China and a love of neighborhood dumpling shops set the stage for Laoban, the early days of selling dumplings from a Union Market restaurant, the move into co-manufacturing and frozen retail, and how the brand's retail partnerships have grown from independents to national accounts.

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Morgan Zanotti is the founder and co-CEO of Waay, the sparkling protein beverage with 10 grams of protein, zero sugar, and 45 calories a can. On this episode of In the Sauce, Morgan talks about her return to building after co-founding Primal Kitchen and its $200 million exit to Kraft Heinz, the time she spent inside Kraft and learnings few founders get to see, the whey protein isolate that sparked the idea for Waay, and why she went national with Whole Foods straight out of the gate.

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Alison Cayne is founder and CEO of Choulie - Choulie, a fragrance-infused body oil brand for women in midlife and beyond. She is also the founder of Haven’s Kitchen the cooking school and CPG sauce line.

On this episode of In the Sauce, Alison Alison talks about the Haven’s Kitchen journey and hard decisions and what she's carrying into Choulie as she launches her new brand in an entirely different category.

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Matt Kramer is the co-founder and CEO of Sunny Fine Foods, the refrigerated condiment company he started with his wife, Nora. On this episode of ITS, Matt talks about starting with fresh tahini and expanding into dressings and drizzles, finding product-market fit, the complexities of scaling a refrigerated brand, and what retail velocity and consumer data can tell you about where to go next.

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 Sahra Nguyen is the founder and CEO of Nguyen Coffee Supply, the specialty Vietnamese coffee company she started in 2018. On this episode of ITS, Sahra talks about building a market for Vietnamese coffee and robusta in the U.S., working directly with farmers in Vietnam, shifting from DTC beans to retail cans, and how introducing a new product to consumers requires time and intention.

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Ben Lewis is the co-founder and CEO of Little Spoon, the baby and kids' food company he started with his wife, Angela in 2017. On this episode of In the Sauce, Ben talks about building Little Spoon DTC before moving into retail, the partnership with Target, building across different stages of childhood and the store, and what Ben has learned as both a founder and an investor in emerging consumer brands.

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Kendall Kransdorf is the founder of Cotto, a line of whipped cottage cheese dips bringing real protein and big flavor to the refrigerated dip aisle. On this episode of In the Sauce, Ali and Kendall discuss turning a personal food habit into a product, the test and learn approach, and the particular challenges of building a refrigerated dairy brand.

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Elisabeth and Gina Galvin are the mother-daughter founders of Stellar Snacks. On this episode of ITS, Elisabeth, Gina, and Ali discuss how lessons from Elisabeth’s first food business shaped Stellar, what it takes to own and operate your own manufacturing, and how they’ve built a distinctive snack brand while navigating growth, retail, and working together as a family.

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Caitlin Skae is Director of Consumer Marketing at Carbone Fine Food. On this episode of ITS, Caitlin and Ali discuss how Carbone is building a grocery brand that stands on its own while drawing strength from its restaurant roots, why cultural relevance can't rely on celebrity alone, and how events, creators, and retail have become one connected marketing engine.

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Esther Levy is a food scientist, consultant, and founder of Evolve Food Consultants. On this episode of ITS, Esther and Ali discuss why food science is at the center of every successful food business, how founders can better navigate product development, manufacturing, and supply chains, and why today's conversations around GLP-1, clean labels, MAHA, and ingredient transparency are changing the way brands think about innovation and growth.

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