Join Daniella as she sits down with Denise Woodard, Founder and CEO of Partake Foods, to discuss her inspiring entrepreneurship journey. Denise opens up about the highs and lows of starting a CPG business, sharing pivotal lessons on branding, customer service, and product innovation. Learn how she navigated the complex world of fundraising and scaled her startup, all while championing diversity and inclusion for Black and Brown entrepreneurs in CPG. This episode is a treasure trove of insights on leadership, mentorship, and the dynamic growth of a purpose-driven food company.

EPISODE KEY MOMENTS:

Where to connect with Denise on the internet:

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

Plantas Pod Credits

Host: ⁠⁠Daniella Allam⁠⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠Jacqueline Smith⁠⁠

⁠⁠Plantas Strategy website⁠⁠

For episode transcripts, go to the Plantas Pod website ⁠⁠here

If you have any feedback or questions about the podcast, email ⁠[email protected]

In this episode, Daniella sits down with Maddie Hamann, who transitioned from a PhD in oceanography to founding an organic buckwheat bread company focused on regenerative agriculture, PACHA. Maddie shares her journey from academia to entrepreneurship, highlighting her passion for sustainability and how she and her partner overcame initial hesitations to launch their business. They discuss the marketing challenges, the importance of sustainable packaging, and their persistence in securing Whole Foods distribution. The conversation also covers the significance of regenerative agriculture, the impact of buckwheat as a cover crop, and the difficulties of educating consumers about the benefits of sustainable practices. Maddie emphasizes the need to align values with actions and the potential for big brands to lead in consumer education about regenerative farming.

EPISODE KEY MOMENTS:

Where to connect with Maddie on the internet:

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

Plantas Pod Credits

Host: ⁠⁠Daniella Allam⁠⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠Jacqueline Smith⁠⁠

⁠⁠Plantas Strategy website⁠⁠

For episode transcripts, go to the Plantas Pod website ⁠⁠here

If you have any feedback or questions about the podcast, email ⁠[email protected]

In this episode, Daniella sits down with Chef Carla Briggs, Founder and CEO of Viola's Heritage, a business celebrating the contributions of people of color in the culinary world with high-quality bread. Carla shares her entrepreneurial journey from leaving the baking industry due to carpal tunnel syndrome to starting a bread business during the pandemic. She discusses growing her business from a side hustle to a full-fledged bakery by filling a market gap for healthy, locally-made bread and integrating New Orleans’s vibrant cultural heritage into her products. Carla also highlights the challenges of scaling a business as a woman of color, including financial constraints and managing growth, and shares her experience overcoming imposter syndrome. The conversation underscores the importance of creativity, taking risks in entrepreneurship, and sharing the untold stories of people of color in the food industry.

EPISODE KEY MOMENTS

Where to connect with Carla on the internet:

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

Plantas Pod Credits

Host: ⁠⁠Daniella Allam⁠⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠Jacqueline Smith⁠⁠

⁠⁠Plantas Strategy website⁠⁠

For episode transcripts, go to the Plantas Pod website ⁠⁠here

If you have any feedback or questions about the podcast, email ⁠[email protected]

In this episode, Daniella sits down IRL with Lauren Haynes, Founder and CEO of Wooden Spoon Herbs. A trained herbalist and 3rd generation entrepreneur, Lauren shares her entrepreneurial journey starting with the genesis of her brand at a farmers market in 2014. She recounts her early experiments with herbal products and how she expanded from local sales to a national presence, recently securing a significant distribution deal with Whole Foods. Lauren discusses how she has evolved and grown as a leader alongside her business, emphasizing the support, resources, and mentorship that have been critical to her success. She highlights the challenges and opportunities of building a successful herbal supplement brand, including the need for a clear vision, focusing on products that truly matter to consumers, and connecting to a deeper 'why' beyond just making money.

EPISODE KEY MOMENTS

Where to connect with Lauren on the internet:

Wooden Spoon Herbs website - Find them at a Whole Foods near you via this store locator

Wooden Spoon Herbs Instagram

Lauren Haynes

PLANTAS POD CREDITS:

Host: ⁠⁠Daniella Allam⁠⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠Jacqueline Smith⁠⁠

⁠⁠Plantas Strategy website⁠⁠

For episode transcripts, go to the Plantas Pod website ⁠⁠here

If you have any feedback or questions about the podcast, email ⁠[email protected]

In this episode, Daniella sits down with Lisa Curtis, CEO and Founder of Kuli Kuli Foods to discuss her journey as a social entrepreneur. Lisa shares how she learned about moringa’s benefits in West Africa and was inspired to bring it to the US market, overcoming challenges such as investor skepticism and low awareness of the plant’s benefits. Lisa highlights the importance of early consumer research and leading with product benefits even as a mission-driven company. Lisa also discusses the importance of sustainable sourcing and farmer relationships, and Kuli Kuli's plans to introduce new products and promote other sustainable drought-tolerant crops beyond moringa. She reflects on the company's growth from a startup to a multimillion-dollar business, and offers sound advice for entrepreneurs: be strategically small, tell your story effectively, and take care of yourself to avoid burnout.

EPISODE KEY MOMENTS:

Where to connect with Lisa on the internet:

Kuli Kuli ⁠Website⁠ | ⁠Lisa Curtis

Use code PLANTAS for 20% off (First time customers only)

PLANTAS POD CREDITS:

Host: ⁠⁠⁠Daniella Allam⁠⁠⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠⁠Jacqueline Smith⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Plantas Strategy website⁠⁠⁠

For episode transcripts, go to the Plantas Pod website ⁠⁠⁠here⁠.

If you have any feedback or questions about the podcast, email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

In this episode, Daniella sits down with Sandra Velasquez, Founder and CEO of Nopalera. Sandra shares her entrepreneurial story and why she decided to disrupt the beauty industry and celebrate her Mexican heritage with the first high-end Latina beauty brand. Sandra also discusses her strategic approach to launching a mission-driven beauty brand, including identifying the target consumer, formulating products to meet clean beauty standards, and differentiating the brand through packaging, pricing, and unique value propositions. The conversation highlights the challenges of scaling consumer brands, managing cash flow, and navigating the entrepreneurial journey as an outsider to the industry. Sandra also provides insight into the challenges of entrepreneurship for founders with money wounds and underscores the importance of addressing these wounds to scale one's business and overcome systemic issues that hinder marginalized founders from accessing resources.

EPISODE KEY MOMENTS:

Where to connect with Sandra on the internet:

Website | Shop Nopalera

LinkedIn

The Credo Clean Standard

PLANTAS POD CREDITS:

Host: ⁠⁠Daniella Allam⁠⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠Jacqueline Smith⁠⁠

⁠⁠Plantas Strategy website⁠⁠

For episode transcripts, go to the Plantas Pod website ⁠⁠here.

If you have any feedback or questions about the podcast, email ⁠[email protected]

Introducing Season 2 of the Plantas Pod: Bold Strategies for Visionary Entrepreneurs. This season, we are highlighting the brilliant women behind some of your favorite CPG brands and diving deep into their stories of entrepreneurship, the challenges and decisions they have faced, and the bold strategies that have propelled their success.

Plantas Pod Credits

Host: ⁠⁠Daniella Allam⁠⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠Jacqueline Smith⁠⁠

⁠⁠Plantas Strategy website⁠⁠

For episode transcripts, go to the Plantas Pod website ⁠⁠here⁠

If you have any feedback or questions about the podcast, email ⁠[email protected]

In this episode, we sit down with Amelia Ahl to discuss alternative business models, what a cooperative is (and isn't), and B Corp certification. We also discuss the importance of a regenerative mindset when building a business and how to avoid burnout as an entrepreneur. Amelia is an expert in regenerative practices for individuals, organizations, and communities in service of an economy that benefits all stakeholders and the planet.

Episode Key Moments:

Where to connect with Amelia on the internet:

⁠Website⁠ | ⁠Hypha Collective⁠

⁠LinkedIn⁠

⁠Cooperative principles

Plantas Pod Credits

Host: ⁠Daniella Allam⁠

Producer: ⁠Jacqueline Smith⁠

⁠Plantas Strategy website⁠

For episode transcripts, go to the Plantas Pod website ⁠here

If you have any feedback or questions about the podcast, email [email protected]

In this episode, we speak with writer and public health dietitian Anjali Prasertong on the importance of anti-racism in the food industry. We talk about what is missing in the conversation about nutrition and wellness, culinary appropriation, and the key things founders should think about when starting food & beverage brands.

Episode Key Moments:

Where to connect with Anjali online:

⁠⁠Website⁠⁠

⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠

Article on ⁠⁠Chef Tunde Wey’s⁠⁠ social experiment

⁠⁠Undoing Racism⁠⁠ Community Organizing Workshop

Plantas Pod Credits

Host: ⁠Daniella Allam⁠

Producer: ⁠Jacqueline Smith⁠

⁠Plantas Strategy website⁠

For episode transcripts, go to the Plantas Pod website ⁠here

If you have any feedback or questions about the podcast, email [email protected]

We know "a picture is worth a thousand words," but investing in quality photos and videos is not usually top of mind for startups in growth mode.  In this episode, we speak with celebrated food and lifestyle photographer Erin Scott about the importance of having high-quality assets from the start and how to maximize

How to connect with Erin online: ⁠Website⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠

⁠Intake Form link⁠

The Remodelista article mentioned in the episode ⁠link⁠

Episode key moments:

Plantas Pod Credits

Host: ⁠⁠Daniella Allam⁠⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠Jacqueline Smith⁠⁠

⁠⁠Plantas Strategy website⁠⁠

For episode transcripts, go to the Plantas Pod website ⁠here

If you have any feedback or questions about the podcast, email [email protected]