Claire Matern grew up immersed in New York City's vibrant food scene. Her family ran a specialty food and cheese store for two decades, instilling in her a lifelong mission: to demystify cooking, take the intimidation out of ingredients, and inspire people to get creative in the kitchen.

That passion led her to create JONI, a brand that celebrates the unique and versatile ingredient, verjus (pronounced vair-joo). Verjus, which translates to "green juice" in French, is the tart juice from young grapes picked before the main harvest. It's a centuries-old culinary secret that Joni is bringing to the forefront.

Inside the Episode:

• How Claire's upbringing in her family's food business shaped her entrepreneurial journey

• The story behind building a brand around a lesser-known ingredient like verjus

• What founders can learn about building a mission-driven brand that makes niche ingredients approachable and inspiring

Shop here!

This podcast episode was made possible by Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds is the go-to platform built for creator-powered retail activations—connecting everyday creators with CPG brands to spark shelf-level awareness, drive in-store momentum, and generate authentic content in the markets that matter most. Learn more!