Let’s Talk Dairy

Chrys Kefalas, founder and CEO of Yala Greek Ice Cream, the first authentic Greek ice cream shop in the United States, and the managing vice president of Brand Strategy at the National Association of Manufacturers, joins Dairy Foods for Episode 69 of the Let’s Talk Dairy podcast to discuss Greek ice cream.

Brian Britton, president and CEO of Kilwins, appears on Episode 68 of the “Let’s Talk Dairy” podcast to discuss desserts and consumer trends. He leads the company’s mission to “Make People Happy” through premium chocolates, fudge, and super-premium ice cream while driving growth strategies from their headquarters in Petoskey, Mich.Previously, Britton was president and CEO of National Heritage Academies and held executive roles with OTG Management, Levy Restaurants, and The Walt Disney Co. With a U.S. Naval Academy background and a Harvard MBA, he brings over 30 years of diverse leadership experience in hospitality, operations, education, and consumer brands.

Sibel Candemir, chief marketing officer at Irving, Texas-based Cacique, joins Dairy Foods for Episode 67 of the “Let’s Talk Dairy” podcast, where she discusses Hispanic dairy.Candemir leads brand strategy, innovation and commercialization across the company’s cheese, crema, and chorizo portfolio, building culturally authentic brands that connect with both Hispanic and mainstream consumers and unlock new avenues of category growth.

Jorge Izquierdo, vice president, market development, PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, joins Dairy Foods for Episode 66 of the “Let’s Talk Dairy” podcast. During the podcast, he discusses artificial intelligence (AI).

Matt Graziose, Ph.D., vice president for Regulatory Compliance at Chobani, joins Dairy Foods for Episode 65 of the “Let’s Talk Dairy” podcast, where he discusses protein and natural ingredients.Graziose is the vice president of nutrition and regulatory compliance at Chobani, responsible for compliance related to ingredients, manufacturing, and labeling, as well as nutrition claims and trade association representation.

Jacqueline Van Schaik, global lead nutritionist, Fonterra, joins Dairy Foods for episode 64 of the “Let’s Talk Dairy” podcast. During this podcast, she discusses GLP-1s and dairy.

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Drew DiSpirito and Joe Rotondo, founders of Smearcase, appear on Episode 63 of the "Let's Talk Dairy" podcast to discuss their frozen cottage cheese product, FroCo. Rotondo, who created his first brand, Rocky Clark, while in college, has experience in e-commerce and was named New Jersey's Best Bagel in 2018. DiSpirito, the CFO and COO of Smearcase, spent ten years in New York balancing corporate strategy with entrepreneurial ventures.

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Cindy Cooper, assistant director of Health and Wellness at The Dairy Alliance, discusses the Milk Dispenser Initiative in Episode 62 of the “Let’s Talk Dairy” podcast. With 28 years of experience in school nutrition, she highlights how milk dispensers enhance the milk experience, increase consumption, and help schools meet USDA nutrition requirements, along with key takeaways for dairy processors.

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Dairy Foods Multimedia Specialist Brett Parker sits down with Nicole Pavlica, Senior Director of Milk Adjacencies for Horizon Organic, as they discuss the brand's new Real Dairy Creamers which are made from four natural ingredients and presented in three flavors: Homestyle Vanilla, Chantilly Sweet Cream and Golden Caramel.  In this interview, Pavlica explains the challenges of creating real dairy creamers, the consumer data that influenced this product, and how the brand's dairy innovation principles went into the crafting of these creamers.

Jeff Mroz, co-founder of Pioneer Pastures, joins Dairy Foods for Episode 61 of the “Let’s Talk Dairy” podcast. He discusses A2 milk and his company.Mroz, along with Kathryn Moos, founded Pioneer Pastures, a health company rooted in ultra-filtered milk from cows with the A2 gene. Drawing on their success building OWYN (Only What You Need) into a nationally recognized protein brand, in 2024 they launched Bozeman, Mont.-based Pioneer Pastures to help reshape the future of food by prioritizing gut health, accessible nutrition and dairy innovation. 

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