Chef at two trailblazing establishments, Renata Wood Fired Italian Restaurant and Nourish Mindful Meals, Sandra Arnerich is an amazing juggler of fine cuisines. Sandra’s journey started about as early as it can be done; she was, in her words, “…born a chef”. After a couple of years in a Texas school, she realized food was both her passion and her life’s dream and enrolled in culinary school in Canada. Her choice turned out to be a game changer. One day in class, the teacher gave everyone a library card to check out cookbooks. Not really knowing the restaurant scene of the world, Sandra picked up a cookbook from the world-famous The French Laundry in Nappa, California. She couldn’t put it down. Sandra went straight to her teacher and said she wanted an internship there, which was a huge ask considering it meant an international challenge. However, the school gave it a try and lo and behold, she landed it! As an intern Sandra became enthralled with the art of fresh ingredients and sourcing to create optimum dishes. The French Laundry has its own orchard and garden from which many of its dishes are created. As a real bonus, Sandra also met her husband there and the team worked successfully in restaurants around the Bay Area for some years. However, with two children now in the family, they decided to move to her husband’s home town, Portland, Oregon. Her husband’s family showed them the restaurant scene in Portland so the couple had a very clear idea of what they wanted to open. They felt Portland had great food but they wanted to integrate all that a great restaurant could be; a great wine list, cocktail list, impeccable service and great food. It was that detail-orientation the couple learned from The French Laundry that they wanted to bring to the area. And so the birth of Renata, wood fired Italian fare, including exceptional pizzas, pastas and meats. Their cocktail menu will drive you wild if you’re a cocktail lover like me. Currently, they’re only open Thursday through Saturday and if you look at their reservation list, they are booked. But don’t despair; if you love their pizza you can pick up their frozen pizzas at select grocery stores, including Market of Choice, one of this show’s sponsors. This endeavor has meant developing the strong partnerships with local farmers, partnerships that were tested during COVID and have stayed in tact. Sandra and her husband’s other venture, Nourish, started with, oddly enough, Sandra’s husband’s back surgery. While recovering and going through his rehabilitation, he found a trainer/coach who had a meal prep program that included a shopping list and recipes. However, the trainer’s big dream was to be able to deliver those nutritious and delicious meals to her clientele and more. So, one person’s dream meets those who can enable that dream and another great business idea was born. The challenge to put together both nutrition with caloric values plus great taste was exactly in Sandra’s wheelhouse and she went to work. Now her circle is complete and strong. She knows that food brings people together, forms fond memories and good, nutritious food is the most important thing people can do for their health. But to really, really spread that philosophy, Sandra and her team know they can’t depend on one restaurant location and meal delivery. That’s why they have increased their distribution into grocery stores, beginning with frozen pizzas, so that everyone can take their hand-crafted wares into their own home.

Thank you for listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast. 

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

Producer: Sarah Marshall of The Joy of Creation Production House
Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers 
Show logo design: Anton Kimball of Kimball Design 
Production Coordinators: Dave Drusky

When it’s dark, cloudy, rainy and depressing outside and you’re having trouble getting motivated, you need to RALLY yourself. That’s what Alan Maniscalco and Shan Wickham have done for, and to, each other since starting Rally Pizza in 2016 in Vancouver, Washington. And that’s how they feel about their customers, that they too should rally into their restaurant to celebrate, whether a birthday, an anniversary or just to get out of the house on a rainy Tuesday and shake the blues. The husband-wife duo has a great division of labor. Shan is Rally Pizza’s General Manager and Pastry Chef. She grew up baking with her mother and grandmother before attending California Culinary Academy, and now creates Rally Pizza’s incredible vanilla frozen custard sundaes, shakes and Midwest-style ‘concretes’ mixed with her house-baked goods. Alan serves as Executive Chef with more than 20 years' experience as a baker, cook and pizza maker. The two met while working at Restaurant Zibibbo in Palo Alto because Alan had hired Shan right out of culinary school. They went on to open Stone House Bread South in Michigan, consult for community supported bakery Avalon International Breads in Detroit, and redesign the Whole Foods Market artisan bread line - Shan managing the bakery and Alan running the bread program. From 2006-2016, Alan led the kitchen at Ken’s Artisan Pizza in Portland, when it was considered one of the city’s most respected restaurants and among America’s top pizzerias. When they struck out on their own, their mission was to provide an uplifting atmosphere along with authentic Sicilian dishes and local, fresh ingredients and that is clearly evident when you walk in. The dining room is open and bright, the location is easy to get to for the greater metro area residents and there is plenty of parking. The restaurant is family-friendly, specializing in ingredient-driven Neapolitan style pizzas, bountiful farm-fresh salads, handcrafted muffulettas, decadent frozen custard desserts, and tempting cocktails. And according to Shan, they hand make “darn near everything” including the custards and the hand-pulled mozzarella cheese, so it is truly a craft restaurant. The community has appreciated their effort and has been a terrific supporter. Known as one of the “Best Pizza Places in Vancouver” on TripAdvisor, Yelp and Slice Life, the community “rallied” around them with plenty of to-go orders during COVID restrictions. That allowed Shan and Alan to keep themselves in business and the local farmers and suppliers in business as well. The custards are knockout and the salads delicious, but pizza is the calling card here. Start with the dough; the experience at Ken’s Artisan Pizza is of course the main ingredient. Shan as the pastry expert uses the basics of flour, water, salt and yeast to begin the simple vegan dough they make every day. It’s left in the refrigerator up to a day-and-a-half to give it that tangy flavor. Then the sauce, vegan tomatoes, garlic, chili flakes and salt and as Shan says, “easy cheesy” cheese is next. Sourcing local meats, the couple makes their own lamb and beef meatballs. They offer many gluten-free dishes but sadly, there is no way to serve up a gluten-free pizza. And there are amazing drinks for the adults. Shan and Alan have concocted some incredible cocktails using their custards, handmade syrups and spirits. They make up some “boozy floats” like their Blackberry G & T Float, comprised of house blackberry sauce, frozen custard and a can of Freeland Spirits Gin & Rose Tonic. So rally on over when you’re in the area.

Thank you for listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast. 

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

Producer: Sarah Marshall of The Joy of Creation Production House
Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers 
Show logo design: Anton Kimball of Kimball Design 
Production Coordinators: Dave Drusky

Lee Hedgmon grew up in Portland, Oregon, there was a culture of craft so making sweet drinks came very naturally and there are plenty of bee keepers in the region and lots of honey. Making a great brew is one thing, selling it commercially is another. So Lee has partnered with other spirits producers, among them Freeland Spirits of Portland, for whom she also works as a distiller. Previously a distiller for McMenamin’s, a regional pub owner, Lee knew people in the business. She began asking around if people had barrels they were dumping anytime soon and when they did, they went to Lee! In exchange, the distillers got some bottles of Barreled Bee and go their names on the bottle tag for advertising and everybody was a winner! And since distillery barrels have more than one life, Lee also gives her barrels away after she uses them; it’s a great ecosystem and great community. Beyond the actual brewing regimen, Lee is an astute marketer. Her packaging is superb, with distinctive bottling and labeling. The label looks “sophisticated woodsy” and the lid is reminiscent of any fine liquor bottling. A master stroke: She has added the signature wax sealant on the top ala Maker’s Mark. And luckily during the lockdown, her production numbers were small enough she never experienced a shortage of bottles, so distribution was not disrupted. Growth plans are in the works and the challenges to overcome are basic. Lee needs space, the right kind of space. Barrels are large and when filled with honey, very heavy. And as mentioned, temperature and humidity control are crucial. If too cold, the honey can crystalize inside the barrel and it’s not a fun rescue, if rescue is even possible. Aging time is about four months, and the barrels are mixed and tested in between. Drinking the honey straight is probably for the very few, it’s best as part of a cocktail recipe. And here’s a good one (write it down): The Honey Drop. Geneva Gin (from Freeland, Lee makes it also), Barrel Aged Honey (of course), lemon juice, a bit of Cointreau and egg white. Yes, your mouth is watering, so go make one and enjoy.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Thank you for listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast. 

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

Producer: Sarah Marshall of The Joy of Creation Production House
Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers 
Show logo design: Anton Kimball of Kimball Design 
Production Coordinators: Dave Drusky

We love to interview food founders who also listen to our show, and Ashley Chase is one of them. Ashley has just changed her company name to Bird Food For Humans (originally Bird Seed Food Co); but why? It’s been a big journey for Ashley. Celebrating five years in business, becoming a solo Mom and barely hanging on to her business, Ashley did something both creative and brave. She sent out an email to a select group laying out her situation plainly and honestly that she was looking to either sell her business or find a strategic partner. Lo and behold, she was introduced to a woman named Tessa who had been out of the workforce for some time but was looking for a project and the stars began to align. Tessa not only had a food product background, her husband also happened to be the CEO of a large dairy company. Tessa brought connections and knowledge to the table, but it was still a few months of back and forth to put together the deal. Tessa and husband invested in Ashley’s company and are now the majority owners, but they also brought in more friends who have wound up being strategic partners. So one of the early projects was to end the confusion of “is it bird seed for birds or bird food for humans?” with the name change. That’s the glowing situation today, but the back story provides the real impetus for Ashley’s achievement. Back in 2013, she was a healthy, active person outdoors hiking and indoors leading Zumba classes. Feeling like the vision of health, Ashley was shocked to find out she was actually a rather sick person after running a full blood panel at her doctor’s office. Hearing that she had half the amount of blood as a normal person, Ashley was told not to raise her heartbeat to high levels as she could be prone to a heart attack. Time to open a new chapter and that’s exactly what Ashley did. First was a blood transfusion to get her stable and then tests for all sorts of possibilities. Luckily, she saw a naturopathic doctor who identified gluten as the sole culprit for her woes. Her extreme allergy meant her blood was not being replenished effectively hence the drop in supply. After the change in diet, Ashely was a new person. The allergy had her body performing at half capacity and now at full capacity she was twice the person as before. Bursting with this new lease on life she ran a marathon and many other robust activities. But she got to thinking about all the other people in a similar situation; what could she do to help them? Become a naturopath? She was now a voracious reader and came across a passage saying that having a product was a way to be a microphone for a story and that passage stuck. While managing a coffee shop, Ashley always had a mason jar full of her homemade granola, which a co-worker called bird seed. Everybody loved it and suggested it go on the menu, which it did. Then Ashley got the idea that some attractive packaging would be more appealing and the snowball effect was in gear. They called it the obvious – bird seed granola – and sales took off. A food blogger friend suggested hosting a breakfast and so Ashley built a website by herself, finished it the day before the breakfast and sold $800 from that one event. More shows, more social media and listening to podcasts kept the momentum going and led to initial grocery store shelf space. That grew to 75 locations up until COVID. 2020 Was a tough year and Ashley as for many food founders and she is digging her way out. But it’s working as her loyal customers have stayed alive and kept ordering.

Thank you for listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast. 

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

Producer: Sarah Marshall of The Joy of Creation Production House
Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers 
Show logo design: Anton Kimball of Kimball Design 
Production Coordinators: Dave Drusky

The Specialty Food Association puts on a show, a really big show, It is the largest U.S. event focused exclusively on the specialty food industry and although COVID slowed down the show schedule, our very own hosts, Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall, attended the first 2022 show, February 6th through 8th in Las Vegas (yes, it's a tough job, but somebody has to do it). In this episode, they talk about the things they did, the people they saw and the great foods they ate. The Association is comprised of specialty food manufacturers. Specialty foods are hand-crafted, of extremely high quality and this association helps protect their standards, build a community and keep promoting good eating of nutritious foods which are generally found in specialty food stores, certain sections of a grocery store or shops such as your favorite cheese shop. Twice each year, the association puts on their Fancy Food Show, essentially a trade show for their members to reconnect, share, grow their knowledge base and help promote each other’s wares, and to connect with Buyers! Our hosts had a little time to enjoy the big art exhibit on tour and catch a few venues recommended by friends. Of particular interest was the art exhibit. To enter, you go through a door that feels like a minimart with real and not-real products. As you explore, you can go through a refrigerator door, look behind a meat case, open a file cabinet drawer and it opens a secret door – very Alice In Wonderland. Outside in the city, our hosts found a very clean, not crowded Las Vegas. And the food in the restaurants was wonderful; this episode contains a great list if you're interested. But back to the food show. Part of the value of a show is new connections for young company food entrepreneurs and Sarah Marshall gives us a case study in this episode. Tonia Farman, whose company is Queen of Hearts Hemp (episode #82), was personally introduced around by Sarah. Tonia met new food buyers and grocery buyers. These are buyers who would normally take weeks, months and years of door knocking to get an audience and even then might be impossible to see. But a person-to-person setting with a qualified introduction by a known quantity can make a huge difference in the growth trajectory of a budding food company. Queen of Hearts Hemp is one of a long list of Oregon food founders who got to meet and greet important people in the industry by our hosts. It’s great to see business is getting brighter and brighter. And stay tuned to more episodes! Our two hosts are working on a secret “new idea” which will probably be revealed over time…"

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Thank you for listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast. 

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

Producer: Sarah Marshall of The Joy of Creation Production House
Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers 
Show logo design: Anton Kimball of Kimball Design 
Production Coordinators: Dave Drusky

Chef, garden advisor, recipe writer and more! That’s the introduction to Shannon Feltus, owner of Urban Farm Foods, a real information center and shopping place for those who love fresh and inventive meals. Her career began learning from “Gram”, who taught her hearty and wholesome recipes from her secret stash. That evolved into canning foods as a hobby and her generosity evolved into sharing her canned treats with others. An unabashed food nerd, Shannon was herded into the cheffing profession by friends and family who worshipped her cooking. They asked her over and over again to cook for them professionally (meaning Shannon got paid) for dinner parties and special events. This made Shannon feel confident she could enter the chef’s world and that was the beginning of her entry into the commercial world. Around 2012, after gaining notoriety both on local television shows and nationally on the Food Network, she started working seriously on creating her own brand, which is basically her knowledge, passion and energy. Besides being a chef on TV and catering pop up dinners, Shannon puts on classes to teach others. She instructs on proper gardening so people can grow their own nutritious food, invents and shares custom recipes and points to books for background reading. She is so inventive; she is currently developing new seeds for a local seed company, going above and beyond the normal food preparer or even food grower. Shannon loves how she is involved in creating new plant varieties, test-tasing them, and creating even more new recipes to share. An admitted vegetable pusher, Shannon appreciates how her seed producer is creating seeds for plants that will continue to produce year after year, rather than the “one and done” seed production from most companies. And of course, COVID has changed her business model. Not feeling comfortable going into people’s houses to cook for special events as in the past, Shannon channeled her time and energy into more recipes and sharing them along with Urban Farm Foods merchandise to spice up the special meals you can serve. That’s where you’ll find procured book titles as well, and the superb food photography will really put you in the mood to cook. You would do well to check out urbanfarmfoods.co – NOT .com (somebody grabbed that one). You should also note Shannon’s high standards for more than food and seeds. She has eschewed becoming an influencer even though she has had multiple offers. Shannon doesn’t feel right pushing products, she prefers the path of being an honorable businessperson. Her business success is no surprise based on her moral success.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Thank you for listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast. 

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

Producer: Sarah Marshall of The Joy of Creation Production House
Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers 
Show logo design: Anton Kimball of Kimball Design 
Production Coordinators: Dave Drusky

Lots of food entrepreneurs start in their kitchen and then go commercial. But Stefania (please note the spelling) got her start in her mother’s kitchen. A stay at home Mom in Perugia, Italy, Stefania’s Mom along with Stefania’s aunts cooked homemade pasta. Stefania’s Dad worked with farmers and would bring home fresh produce and the family had absolutely delectable dinners. They sat around the table and talked and laughed. Of course, friends and other family members would join in the feasts and at the tender age of four, Stefania was hooked on cooking fresh and authentic. Stefanie, her husband and two boys moved to Portland, Oregon around 2008 and Stefanie was rather shocked to discover grocery shopping in the US. She would go to the store and see people filling their grocery carts with processed foods! Stefanie had learned the Italian way: You go to the baker for bread, the butcher for meat and so forth. You only buy fresh ingredients, take them home and spend a good portion of the day creating masterpieces that go far beyond simply “fueling” the body, you also fuel the soul. And as we have seen before, Stefanie decided to offer her talent to the public. She started a small operation in southeast Portland offering take out dishes including soups and frozen meals. She also sold her foods at a farmers’ market as more or less an experiment, but decided that venue was not the best way to showcase and sell. And now she operates Stefanie’s Kitchen, which is a fascinating case study in dealing with the COVID situation. Stefanie hangs her hat on homemade, fresh ingredients, authentic Italian meals, sauces and pastas. The pasta meals are made with fresh pasta and are available to either pick up or be delivered next day. So, no restaurant with employees and worries about being closed unilaterally, just cook and have meals ready. The magic of her business is her website. Check it out. It is easy to navigate, absolutely sizzles with mouth watering images, and makes it easy to choose and buy. And she has really merchandised well. She offers not only her own cooking, but also direct import Italian products for your pantry (she only offers the best; I have been to the Gentile pasta factory in Italy and it’s world famous). Plus, you can buy her custom napkins, utensils and other accessories. And don’t wait; every day Stefanie loads up the quantities of the different fresh dishes on the website. You will often see “sold out” on the popular dishes that day if you dally too long.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Thank you for listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast. 

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

Producer: Sarah Marshall of The Joy of Creation Production House
Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers 
Show logo design: Anton Kimball of Kimball Design 
Production Coordinators: Dave Drusky

There are a few hot and spicy flavor companies out there certainly. But Althea Potter’s company combines crunchy, hot, spicy and tasty like no one else. Her love for spicy flavors began early. As a mere baby, her parents gave her pepperoncini peppers as snacks and Althea never lost her craving. Whether you call the taste chili oil or chili crisp, it’s all those things and more with a crunch. Taking from the world’s table from China, Mexico, Central America, Japan and Thailand, Althea has created a flavor base to go in just about any dish to make it more special. Or, as many of her customers write on her website, eat it from the jar! During her career as a chef in Portland, Oregon she received accolades from Portland Monthly, Eater Portland, the Portland Mercury, Willamette Weekly, Imbibe, Time Out London, USA. That 10-year stint was cut short by the COVID lockdown, as the restaurant went the way of so many during that period. And entrepreneurs are borne of that necessity/desperation; Althea decided to pursue her passion in a way to make her own living via a food brand of her own. Like many of our guests, a huge help in getting launched was reaching out to the Food Innovation Center, headed by our host, Sarah Masoni. At the time, the class was offered by teleconference and the lessons learned by Althea saved her much time, heartache and money in getting launched. The instructors were awesome and inspired Althea with confidence. In 2018, with her local press as credentials, she was contacted by The Food Network to apply for Guy's Grocery Games while working in the restaurant. Althea applied, got on the show, filmed it in California and won! That prize money bootstrapped her new venture, The Flavor Society. She is doing it right; packaging is in jars with art-deco like labels that are supremely designed. The jars are clear, so you see the ingredients that are hand crafted in Portland. The Flavor Society website sells Bagel Crunchy Sauce and Pizza Crunchy Sauce jars in combinations online.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Thank you for listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast. 

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

Producer: Sarah Marshall of The Joy of Creation Production House
Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers 
Show logo design: Anton Kimball of Kimball Design 
Production Coordinators: Dave Drusky

And why would anyone named Robin call her business Vivienne? Vivienne is the French spelling of the name and represents the idea of a Grandmother – Robin’s Wheelright’s best version of a Grandmother – to give people that comforting, genuine feeling when they walk into her Vivienne Kitchen and Pantry, Portlands newest Culinary Bookstore! And to make the feeling even more real, there’s a portrait of dear Vivienne in the store. It’s similar to the Betty Crocker mystique as pointed out by our own Sarah Masoni. Vivienne Kitchen & Pantry is a relaunch, a very ambitious relaunch, of Robin’s former restaurant. The old model before lockdown just didn’t work going forward, so Robin completely changed the layout and offering of her store to be more community-based. Instead of a traditional menu, Vivienne has culinary books to cover the spectrum of recipes and food related stories. And Robin has continued the afternoon bake shop from her earlier restaurant plus she serves a variety of sandwiches. She also has kept many of the take-and-bake items from her original restaurant offerings during the lockdown. In addition, there is a European-style bar, featuring foods and selected natural wines not available anywhere else in the neighborhood. She also offers cookbook workshops for those who wish to further their expertise in the art of food. Patrons are taught from a particular cookbook recipe, learn the techniques for the dish they are preparing, and leave with the cookbook to continue their exploration in their own kitchen. And for those who cook at home, there is a shop full of vintage and new cookware. Vivienne is a two-woman run business, so everything is handled, molded and cooked by Robin. Also, Robin’s background and education is in minimal waste and she is most pleased to call Vivienne a zero-waste business. The café and pantry is a work in progress, however. To launch, Robin started a crowd funding campaign, and is in fact in the middle of another one. Ordering books and cookware, let alone baking supplies, takes capital and Robin wants to raise it from the community she desires to serve. Her café is a “connecting point”, a place of food and comfort blended with a library devoted to food and food’s important place in our lives. Vivienne is located in a great community also, in the heart of Portland, Oregon’s Hollywood district which is a mix of traditional and gentrified living.

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Thank you for listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast. 

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

Producer: Sarah Marshall of The Joy of Creation Production House
Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers 
Show logo design: Anton Kimball of Kimball Design 
Production Coordinators: Dave Drusky

It will be hard to find Tracy Oseran’s company, Tracy’s Small-Batch Granola on social media. That’s because she focuses her media outreach through her non-profit organization, Urban Gleaners. That’s right, this double-barreled startup founder lives by the philosophy emblazed on her website: “There’s something special about baking by hand and using organic, wholesome ingredients. There’s something even more special about making a product that gives back to the community something special.” Tracy loved to cook growing up and her cooking experiences were with her father. As she says, it would have been hard to survive on their cooking, but she and Dad had a lot of fun! She then had a catering business in Los Angeles where her popular dish was enchiladas. So popular in fact that she sold them to a grocery store chain that in turn sold them as frozen; her first venture into the food industry. Her big foray into the world of food products was rather typical for food entrepreneurs. It began in 2004 when she couldn’t find good granola in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. So, she started making her own, in small batches. And as the old story goes, family and friends couldn’t get enough of it and soon Tracy was convinced she had a commercial product. Also in 2004, Tracy met our own Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center and that began her catapult from kitchen to sales. She took the leap in 2006 and approached City Market in Portland. She simply asked if they’d like to sell her granola, they said, “yes”, and her first sale was made. During this same year, Tracy was driving one day listening to an NPR show about a woman saw so much good food in her community being thrown away while there were so many people going hungry. The woman began picking up the excess food and getting it to hungry people. Tracy was touched by the story and also troubled that she and her friends had plenty of good, nutritious food while so many in Portland, including children, were hungry. To make it worse, she knew of the perfectly good and delicious food that went into the garbage as waste everyday, simply because no one would make the effort to get it to the ones who needed it. She decided that she could accomplish the same thing as the woman on the radio show. And that was the beginning of Urban Gleaners, the organization that gathers, packages and distributes the useable food to those in need rather than throwing it away. COVID has been challenging because the schools have been shut down and many of the children and their families go to the schools to pick up the food. But moving some of the distribution to the parks has helped get back on track plus more schools have opened back up again. All profits from Tracy’s Small-Batch Granola go to support Urban Gleaners, and the organization runs on volunteers and donations above that. "Maybe we should just eat it."

"Masoni and Marshall the meaningful Marketplace" with your hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

We record the "the Meaningful Marketplace" inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design

Website was designed by Cameron Grimes

Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster

10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes

Thank you for listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast. 

Call our hotline with questions for Sarah and Sarah at 503-395-8858. If you want to support our show, write us a review, share episodes with friends, or subscribe to our Patreon.

Producer: Sarah Marshall of The Joy of Creation Production House
Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers 
Show logo design: Anton Kimball of Kimball Design 
Production Coordinators: Dave Drusky