Taste Radio

By BevNET Inc.Business Entrepreneurship

Taste Radio episodes

November 24, 2017 Ep. 85: Honest Tea Co-Founder Barry Nalebuff: 'Focus on Solving a Real Problem'
Barry Nalebuff believes that food and beverage entrepreneurs should focus on solving what he calls “a real problem.” When he co-founded organic beverage brand Honest Tea 20 years ago, that meant delivering healthier bottled drinks to consumers at a time when few such options existed. Nalebuff has since integrated that philosophy into other ventures, including alcoholic kombucha company Kombrewcha and Maker Oats, a new brand of organic overnight oats that he developed in partnership with Quaker Oaks. The
1 hr 5 min
November 17, 2017 Ep. 84: Rocking Out With Halen Brands CEO Jason Cohen
Halen Brands, a privately held operating company that invests in, acquires, and operates food and beverage brands, describes itself as "created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs." It's an appropriate tagline given Halen's leadership team, which is headed by founder and co-CEO Jason Cohen, a highly successful entrepreneur and investor who's grown and sold brands including Mamma Says, Sensible Portions, Rickland Orchards and partnered with the founders of Skinny Pop for a combined total of over $560 million. In an interview featured in this week's episode, Cohen discussed his background in the food and beverage business and why he launched Halen, which in partnership with Clearlake Capital, currently has investments in fast-growing brands including CORE and Chef's Cut Jerky and recently acquired OWYN, a brand of plant-protein drinks and shake powders. Cohen also shared lessons about building successful relationships with retail buyers and the one thing entrepreneurs should avoid if they want to sell their company. Also included in this week's episode: An interview with Ken Plasse, the CEO of Fishpeople Seafood, a leading brand of sustainable and traceable seafood. Plasse spoke about the company's mission to "change consumers' relationship with the sea" and to preserve and support local fishing communities. And in the latest edition of Elevator Talk, we speak with Sarah Hardgrove-Koleno, the co-founder and CEO of KRā, an organic sports drink brand. Show notes: 1:05: It's Automatic: A growing number of high-end automatic coffee and tea machines have come to market, and a few have arrived here at the office. While some might accuse the devices of undercutting the artisanal quality derived from, say, the long steeped cold brew, the ceremony of matcha preparation or the gentle nature of pour-over coffee, manufacturers promote the consistency and convenience of the machines versus traditional tools. The hosts experiment with a few of these countertop appliances and offer their takes. 11:57: Interview: Jason Cohen, Founder, Co-CEO, Halen Brands -- Cohen recently visited BevNET HQ in Watertown, Mass. and spoke with Project NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg and BevNET CMO Mike Schneider about his career as an entrepreneur and investor. As part of the conversation, Cohen implores other entrepreneurs not to get "too attached to your brand if your ultimate goal is to sell it," explains why "competitive friendliness" among other small food makers helped build the fast-growing better-for-you snack set and what he perceives as the differences between the food and beverage industries. 36:37: Interview: Ken Plasse, CEO, Fishpeople Seafood -- Plasse joined Carol Ortenberg for a conversation recorded at the recently held Esca Bona conference in Austin, Texas. He discussed how Fishpeople attempts to build its brand story by drawing a direct line from its fishing partners to consumers and how its e-commerce platform presents an amazing opportunity to communicate directly with -- and learn from -- its customers. 59:05: Elevator Talk: Sarah Hardgrove-Koleno, Co-Founder/CEO, KRā -- A former attorney based in Chicago, Hardgrove-Koleno last year co-founded KRā, an organic sports drink brand. We caught up with Sarah at the NACS 2017 show and connected for this edition of Elevator Talk. Brands in this episode: Ito En, Halen Brands, Mamma Says, Sensible Portions, Rickland Orchards, Skinny Pop, CORE, Chef's Cut Jerky, OWYN, Fishpeople Seafood, KRā
1 hr 3 min
November 17, 2017 Ep. 84: Rocking Out With Halen Brands CEO Jason Cohen
Halen Brands, a privately held operating company that invests in, acquires, and operates food and beverage brands, describes itself as “created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs.” It’s an appropriate tagline given Halen’s leadership team, which is headed by founder and co-CEO Jason Cohen, a highly successful entrepreneur and investor who’s grown and sold brands including Mamma Says, Sensible Portions, Rickland Orchards and partnered with the founders of Skinny Pop for a combined total of over $56
1 hr 3 min
November 10, 2017 Ep. 83: How Saffron Road Excels At Meeting Millennial Mouths; Forto Takes Its Best Shot
Adnan Durrani was once known as "The Suit." A former Wall Street executive, Durrani's first experience at a natural foods show was a clash in styles: a buttoned-up banker dressed in Brooks Brothers amid hippie entrepreneurs clad in raggedy jeans and sandals. Despite the difference in style, Durrani found himself embraced by the community and in particular by Stonyfield Farm co-founder Gary Hirshberg, for whom Durrani served as a board member and investor. Durrani is currently the CEO of American Halal, the company behind halal-certified frozen food and snack brand Saffron Road, which he founded in 2009. In this week's episode of Taste Radio, he spoke about his career in the food and beverage business and how his belief system evolved during his transition from Wall Street into the natural food space. He also explained how he identified a huge growth opportunity for halal foods in the U.S. and why Saffron Road saw millennials as a key consumer demographic during the brand's launch. Durrani also discussed how the company was able to turn a potential PR nightmare into an opportunity and why he's increasingly immersing himself and his brand into political causes. Also in this episode: An interview with Neel Premkumar, the founder and CEO of Dyla Brands, which markets Forto Coffee energy shots and Stur liquid water enhancers. A former CPG executive with stints at Nestlé and Pfizer, Premkumar spoke about his foray into entrepreneurship and his process for identifying white space and marketable innovation in saturated categories. And in this week's Elevator Talk, we spoke with BJ Mccaslin and Jason Trawick, the co-founders of Minute Mixology, a brand of all-natural, single-serve cocktail mixers. This episode is presented by Sovereign Flavors. Show notes: 1:31: Life's a Pitch…: BevNET Live, NOSH Live and Brewbound Session are just weeks away. The hosts encouraged new brand owners and early-stage entrepreneurs attending the events to introduce themselves to the team. They recalled meeting entrepreneurs, before they were big successes with their brands, for the first time at past events, including Janie Hoffman from Mamma Chia and Justin Trout, Dina Trout and Vanessa Dew from Health-Ade. 6:30: Interview: Adnan Durrani, Founder/CEO, American Halal/Saffron Road -- Adnan Durrani is the founder and CEO of American Halal, the maker of Saffron Road, a brand of halal-certified frozen foods and healthy snacks. BevNET editor-in-chief Jeff Klineman met with Durrani at American Halal's headquarters in Stamford, Conn. 40:11: Interview: Neel Premkumar, Founder/CEO, Dyla Brands -- Last month at NACS 2017, BevNET's Ray Latif and Brad Avery met with Neel Premkumar, who is the founder and CEO of Dyla Brands. Dyla is the maker of Forto Coffee, a fast-growing brand of organic, coffee-based energy shots and Stur, a brand of all-natural drink mixes. Premkumar discussed why learning from missteps has been critical to the evolution of Forto, how e-commerce established a critical conduit between the company and its consumers and recent strategic partnerships with The Hershey Co., Peet's and Keurig. 1:02:28: Elevator Talk: BJ Mccaslin & Jason Trawick, Co-Founders, Minute Mixology -- BJ McCaslin is a beverage entrepreneur perhaps best known as the co-founder of Coco Cafe, an espresso and coconut water blend that was acquired by Vita Coco in 2012. His latest project is Minute Mixology, a brand of all-natural, single-serve cocktail mixers. We caught with BJ and his co-founder Jason Trawick in Los Angeles, and connected for this edition of Elevator Talk. Brands in this episode: Mamma Chia, Health-Ade, Saffron Road, Stonyfield Farm, Vermont Pure Spring Water, Forto Coffee, Stur, Coco Cafe, Vita Coco, Minute Mixology For sponsorship opportunities, feedback and suggestions, contact [email protected].
1 hr 8 min
November 10, 2017 Ep. 83: How Saffron Road Excels At Meeting Millennial Mouths; Forto Takes Its Best Shot
Adnan Durrani was once known as “The Suit.” A former Wall Street executive, Durrani’s first experience at a natural foods show was a clash in styles: a buttoned-up banker dressed in Brooks Brothers amid hippie entrepreneurs clad in raggedy jeans and sandals. Despite the difference in style, Durrani found himself embraced by the community and in particular by Stonyfield Farm co-founder Gary Hirshberg, for whom Durrani served as a board member and investor.
Durrani is currently the CEO of American Hala
1 hr 8 min
November 03, 2017 Ep. 82: Soylent Co-Founder Coogan: 'A Voracious Appetite for Data Served Us Very Well'
A former software engineer, John Coogan says that programmers are often pondering ways to "automate ourselves out of a job." Coogan, who in 2013 co-founded fast-growing meal replacement products brand Soylent, has a similar perspective when it comes to entrepreneurship. In a recent interview featured in this week's episode of Taste Radio, Coogan, who recently stepped down as Soylent's CTO, said that "as entrepreneurs, we should be thinking about how we can manage ourselves out of a job." Amid the brand's ongoing expansion from direct-to-consumer sales and into retail stores, Coogan explained that it was important for Soylent, "to find people that are essentially the right tool for the job… and that have seen these challenges before." In recent months the company has brought on several experienced CPG executives, including former KeVita chief strategy officer Bryan Crowley as president, to support its retail expansion. Coogan also discussed how Soylent's e-commerce-only model enabled the company "to start collecting data on who our customer was, as well as get product in their hands much faster." Perhaps most importantly, the business strategy presented Soylent with a streamlined path to retail. "You'll have customers that can actually go and drive adoption at retail stores because they've heard about you online," he said. Also included in this episode: a conversation with influential food and lifestyle blogger Olivia Ku. Ku, who has a following of nearly 200,000 users on Instagram, spoke about how brands can best interact with influencers and why successful partnerships require a true sense of "added value" for both parties. And in this week's Elevator Talk, we spoke with Shayne Malone, who is the founder and CEO of Zavu, a brand of cold-pressed, HPP juices made from indigenous Brazilian fruits. Show notes: 2:24: WEED Deal: The hosts discuss the Constellation Brands' recent acquisition of a 9.9 percent stake in cannabis producer Canopy Growth Corporation for $191 million. Constellation, which makes and markets a variety of well-known beer, wine and spirits products,d that the deal is aimed at developing and marketing cannabis-infused beverages that do not contain alcohol. John Craven notes that Constellation is preparing for the gold rush into legal marijuana, assuming relaxed regulation is forthcoming. Jon Landis discusses how current cannabis-infused beverage brands are wading into the market and educating consumers about dosages. 11:15: Interview: John Coogan, Co-Founder, Soylent -- John Coogan is a co-founder of Soylent and served as Soylent's CTO until stepping down a few months ago. He recently sat down with John and Mike for a conversation about his role with the company and how Soylent, which until recently has been as been sold exclusively online, is positioning itself for massive growth at retail. For new brand owners, listen to why Coogan views direct-to-consumer as "super important for early-stage food and beverage companies." 39:18: Interview: Olivia Ku, Founder, LoveHealthOK: Mike Schneider recently met with highly influential food and lifestyle blogger Olivia Ku. In a conversation recorded at the offices of Califia Farms in downtown L.A., Ku explained her path to becoming a social media guru and offered advice on how brands can most effectively engage influencers. 59:45: Elevator Talk: Shayne Malone, Founder/CEO, Zavu: Shane Malone is the founder and CEO of Zavu, a brand of cold-pressed, HPP juices made from indigenous Brazilian fruits, including caju, acerola and cupuacu. Shane spoke with the Taste Radio team at Expo East 2017 about his upstart brand and the opportunities and challenges that lay ahead. Brands in this episode: Dixie Elixirs, Soylent, Califia Farms, Zavu For sponsorship opportunities, feedback and suggestions, contact [email protected].
1 hr 2 min
November 03, 2017 Ep. 82: Soylent Co-Founder Coogan: “A Voracious Appetite for Data Served Us Very Well”
A former software engineer, John Coogan says that programmers are often pondering ways to “automate ourselves out of a job.” Coogan, who in 2013 co-founded fast-growing meal replacement products brand Soylent, has a similar perspective when it comes to entrepreneurship. In a recent interview featured in this week’s episode of Taste Radio, Coogan, who recently stepped down as Soylent’s CTO, said that “as entrepreneurs, we should be thinking about how we can manage ourselves out of a job.”
Amid t
1 hr 2 min
October 27, 2017 Ep. 81: How a Tech Perspective Helped Hint's Kara Goldin Build a $100 Million Brand
A tech executive-turned-beverage entrepreneur, Kara Goldin has incorporated many of the lessons from her career in Silicon Valley into the development of Hint, an unsweetened, flavored water brand that she launched in 2005. In this week's episode of Taste Radio, we spoke with Goldin about how her experiences in the tech world helped shape the business strategy for Hint, which markets a variety of still and sparkling water products and is nearing $100 million in annual sales. Goldin also explained how she overcame early challenges of a food and beverage industry long dominated by legacy brands, Hint's development of an highly successful e-commerce platform and her belief that a company's "ability to stay close to the customer and understand what the customer thinks about your product is really the key" to winning. Also included in this episode: a conversation with Billy Bosch, who is the co-founder and CEO of protein drink brand Iconic. Bosch discussed his journey as an entrepreneur, offering insight into lessons learned and key takeaways from the past six years. And in this week's Elevator Talk, we spoke with Mikaela Ray is the CEO of Mikaela's Simple Devine, a maker of gluten-free biscotti cookies. This episode is presented by Sovereign Flavors. Show notes: 0:55: Gassed From NACS: Jon and Ray recently returned from Chicago where they attended the annual National Association of Convenience Stores show. Packed to the walls with the usual plethora of energy drinks, salty snacks, soda, and jerky, the hosts talked about some of the new products and brands that caught their eyes, including a few from the deluge of new coffee products exhibited at the event. 7:47: Interview: Kara Goldin, Founder/CEO, Hint -- Goldin discussed her path from a career in tech to the remarkable success of Hint. Included in the conversation are words of wisdom from her 12 years as an entrepreneur, including why brand owners shouldn't "spend too much time around the naysayers and instead "focus on getting traction." She also talked about Hint's powerful direct-to-consumer platform and what she sees as the future for a brand that's nearing $100 million in sales. 40:02: Interview: Billy Bosch, CEO/Co-Founder, Iconic Protein -- Billy Bosch is the co-founder and CEO of Iconic, a protein drink brand launched in 2011. In our interview, Billy discussed the trials and tribulations of a brand immersed in a fast-evolving market for protein drinks. 1:00:04: Elevator Talk: Mikaela Ray, CEO, Mikaela's Simple Devine -- a maker of biscotti cookies that are gluten-free, kosher, Non-GMO and baked with all natural ingredients. We met up with Mikaela at Expo East 2017 and talked about the launch and development of her business. Brands in this episode: Starbucks, Monster, Dunkin' Donuts, La Colombe, High Brew, HeyDay Cold-Brewed Coffee, Bowery Coffee, Califia Farms, La Colombe, Forto, Stok, Caffe Agave, BodyArmor, Aquahydrate, +Red Elixir, Hint, Iconic Protein For sponsorship opportunities, feedback and suggestions, contact [email protected].
1 hr 4 min
October 27, 2017 Ep. 81: How a Tech Perspective Helped Hint’s Kara Goldin Build a $100 Million Brand
A tech executive-turned-beverage entrepreneur, Kara Goldin has incorporated many of the lessons from her career in Silicon Valley into the development of Hint, an unsweetened, flavored water brand that she launched in 2005. In this week’s episode of Taste Radio, we spoke with Goldin about how her experiences in the tech world helped shape the business strategy for Hint, which markets a variety of still and sparkling water products and is nearing $100 million in annual sales.
Goldin also explained how she
1 hr 4 min
October 20, 2017 Ep. 80: GT's Kombucha Founder: "Successful Businesses Come From a Pure Place"
Earlier this month the Taste Radio team met with GT Dave, the founder of best-selling kombucha brand GT's Kombucha. In an interview recorded for this episode, Dave discussed the origins of GT's, a brand he created 22 years ago and its pioneering role in the fast-growing and high-profile kombucha category. Recorded at the company's headquarters in Los Angeles, Dave explained his belief that most "successful businesses come from a pure place" and stressed that brands should attempt to connect with consumers on a personal, intimate level. He also discussed why the company is constantly innovating and attempting to improve. "Complacency is a part of human nature, but I believe it's also a version of corporate cancer," he said. "As soon as you feel like you're coasting, you've done enough or you're great is when you start fail." Also included in this episode: a conversation with SnackNation founder and CEO Sean Kelly, who discussed the company's approach to optimizing office culture through better-for-you snacks and aspirational brands. In the latest edition of Elevator Talk, we spoke with Lilly Wunsch is the co-founder and COO of 4th & Heart, a maker of ghee-based foods. This episode is presented by Sovereign Flavors. Show notes: 1:20: We're Loko About These Four Things: The hosts chat about their current crushes in food and beverage, including alcoholic seltzers, Sunday night meal prep, innovative cocktail ingredients and new kombucha offerings at Trader Joe's. 12:00: Interview: GT Dave, Founder/CEO, GT's Living Foods -- Dave discussed explained how the brand and company have evolved over the past two decades while remaining independent and staying true to its core values. 43:02: Interview: Sean Kelly, Founder/CEO, SnackNation -- SnackNation is a company that delivers boxes of healthy snacks to business across the U.S. In our conversation, Kelly explains the company's mission to create happier, healthier and more productive people. He also discusses the company's efforts to be known for thought leadership and why he believes a company's core purpose is not birthed, it's "discovered." 1:02:09: Elevator Talk: Lilly Wunsch, Co-Founder/COO, 4th & Heart -- Lilly Wunsch is the co-founder and COO of 4th & Heart, a maker of ghee-based oils, butters and spreads. We met Lilly at Expo East 2017 and discussed the company's mission to "modernize ancient pantry staples." Brands in the episode: Good Wolf Kefir, Vermont Village, Hudson Standard. Drink Maple, GT's Kombucha, Health-Ade Kombucha, Revive Kombucha, Capital Kombucha, Brew Dr. Kombucha, Nauti Seltzer, White Claw Seltzer, Clif Bars, Krave Jerky, Skinny Pop For sponsorship opportunities, feedback and suggestions, contact [email protected].
1 hr 5 min

About Taste Radio

From the publisher's feed

The top podcast for anyone building a business in food or beverage, BevNET's Taste Radio features interviews with the leaders and rising stars of our fast-evolving industry. The shows also include discussion on emerging trends, innovation and news of the week from our regular cadre of hosts from the BevNET and NOSH teams.