The Checkout: Grocery Nerds

Errol speaks with Sarela Herrada and Matt Cohen, co-founders of SIMPLi, to discuss their mission to transform the food system through regenerative organic agriculture, transparent sourcing, and nutrient-dense pantry staples.

The founders explain how their commitment to soil health, crop rotation, fair wages, and supporting smallholder farmers drives their business, while sharing third-party testing results that demonstrate the nutritional benefits of their products compared to conventional alternatives. They also discuss the origins of SIMPLi, the challenges of building a premium packaged food brand, and the complexities of sourcing quinoa ethically while protecting the food security and economic well-being of indigenous farming communities.

The conversation explores SIMPLi's retail growth, its evolving marketing strategy, and the importance of communicating tangible consumer benefits like protein, fiber, taste, and nutritional quality rather than relying solely on sustainability messaging.

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Errol sits down with longtime friend and supplier Daniel Goetz, founder of Goodpop, now in its 17th year and still fully bootstrapped. Daniel started the company as a UT Austin student in 2009, inspired by fresh-fruit paletas in Mexico and a family history of pushcart entrepreneurs. He made 18,000 pops for his launch at ACL, the festival turned into a cold, rainy mud pit, and he sold four.

From there, Daniel walks through every invisible link in the frozen supply chain. He covers persuading legacy co-packers to run real fruit on equipment built for sugar water, working with cold storage partners like Lineage, and handling distributors and retailers who often want slotting more than a story. He explains why he keeps non-working trade spend at 10% or less, how Goodpop became the first non-GMO Project Verified brand in its category, and why he chose to go deeper, not wider, with retail partners who actually care.

They close on the Good Food Collective, a food-company advocacy group Daniel helped launch with more than 30 brands, and its QR-code proposal for the FDA’s coming front-of-pack nutrition labels.

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In this episode, Jocelyn Ramirez and Stephanie Garcia Turner share their journeys from industry veterans to founders of Tuyo Foods, discussing their innovative approach to Latin cuisine, challenges faced as women and Latina entrepreneurs, and their vision for building a community-centered, authentic brand.

From Whole Foods to Entrepreneurship  

Stephanie shares her remarkable path from her role as a local forager at Whole Foods to co-founding Tuyyo Foods. Her experience taught her the intricacies of food sourcing, significantly shaping her approach to business.  

"I always had a passion for food, but it really got me into the nitty-gritty of how food gets from farm to fork."  

Her passion for understanding the journey of food was pivotal in her decision to create something new amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic.  

The Pandemic Pivot  

Jocelyn's journey also reflects a significant pivot during the pandemic. With a background as a chef and a published cookbook under her belt, she adapted her business model to enter the CPG space.  

"It was the pivot of a lifetime… I joined a minority-owned fellowship and met Stephanie, which opened up a world of collaboration."  

This transition was not just about survival; it was about thriving in a new environment while supporting each other as women and Latinas in the industry.  

A Collaborative Vision  

The synergy between Stephanie and Jocelyn blossomed into a partnership that emphasizes support and resource sharing. Their collaboration is grounded in a shared vision for their brands and a commitment to uplift one another.  

"How could we support each other as women in the industry, as Latinas in the industry?"  

This question ignited a conversation that led to the formation of Tuyyo Foods, highlighting the importance of community in entrepreneurship.  

Reflecting on Growth  

As we explore their stories, it becomes clear that Stephanie and Jocelyn are not just business partners; they are trailblazers who are reshaping the CPG landscape. Their experiences remind us that with collaboration and resilience, we can navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship.  

For more insights into their journey and the evolution of Tuyyo Foods, listen to the full episode.  

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Stay tuned for our next episode where we continue to explore the innovative minds in the grocery sector!

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Liz Abunaw shares her journey from corporate food sales to founding 40 Acres Fresh Market on Chicago's West Side, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in community-focused grocery retail. This episode explores supply chain strategies, community impact, and the importance of business acumen in independent grocery success.

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In this episode, we explore the labor issues at Mother's Market, a natural food store in California, through the perspectives of Omar, a worker, and Andrew, a union organizer. We discuss unionization efforts, management challenges, and what it takes to improve workers' lives in the retail food industry.

labor rights, unionization, grocery store workers, private equity, labor organizing, workers' rights, Mother’s Market, labor struggles, employee rights, union campaign

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In this week's episode of Grocery Nerds, we dive deep into the mission of Farm to People, a company dedicated to revolutionizing how we shop and eat by connecting consumers directly to local and regional food systems. Michael Ray Robinov, the founder, shares insights into their innovative approach to grocery delivery while emphasizing the importance of supporting small farmers.

Farm to People operates like an online farmers market, allowing customers to shop from over three hundred small farmers and makers right from their homes. The produce is carefully curated, ensuring freshness and transparency regarding its sourcing. Michael highlights the difference in quality between fresh, locally-sourced food and mass-produced supermarket items.

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In this episode, Seth Goldman and Les Szabo discuss the Purpose Pledge, a framework for defining and operationalizing purpose-led business practices. They explore how this initiative promotes stakeholder capitalism, internalizes externalities, and aims to shift business norms towards sustainability and social responsibility.

As Chief Strategy & Impact Officer at Dr. Bronner's, Les Szabo works across organizational planning, philanthropy, international markets, and e-commerce to support mission-aligned growth and long-term impact. He also serves on the company's Board of Directors.

Seth Goldman is former Beyond Meat Executive Chair and the current Co-founder of JUST Ice Tea, a mission-driven company offering organic, real-brewed, just sweet enough tea. Their commitment to organic and fair trade helps provide a more just, healthier way of life for our farmers and our planet, and healthier options for consumers. JUST Ice Tea was created after learning of the discontinuation of Honest Tea, which he co-founded and led to global scale.

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In this episode, Kara Rubin shares her extensive experience in the grocery industry, from her start at Whole Foods to her work supporting emerging brands and developing supply chains. She discusses the evolution of food retail, category management, talent development, and the importance of community and mutual support in the industry.

Kara is driven by a fascination with food and how it is grown, raised and distributed; a deeply held desire to bring better, cleaner food to more and more people; and nearly 15 years of strategic and operational food retail experience. Kara has deep roots guiding retail strategy and working with brands ranging across the category spectrum.

Kara is a food and retail industry veteran who is the Vice President of Brand & Product Strategy at JUST Goods, Inc., producer of sustainably packaged and responsibly sourced consumer products, including JUST water. Prior to joining JUST, she spent a decade leading one of the largest regional business units for Whole Foods Market in the United States. Kara has also done independent strategic advisory work with clean-label brands and natural-channel retailers.

Holding degrees from both Duke University and the University of Michigan Business School (now the Stephen M. Ross School of Business),Kara serves on the Corporate Advisory Council of Just Capital, a nonprofit that measures corporate performance based on the public’s definition of just behavior. She’s been an advisor to the Rockefeller Foundation on the topic of food waste and she is a guest lecturer at the NYU College of Food, Nutrition and Public Health and the Institute for Culinary Education.

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In this episode, Andrea Abel, Executive Director of Farm Share Austin, discusses the organization's efforts to improve food justice in Austin, Texas. She highlights the challenges of funding cuts, the importance of local farming, and innovative programs to increase food access for underserved communities.

Andrea joined Farmshare Austin as executive director in January 2017, but her hands have been in the soil and her heart in food and agriculture for most of her life. Throughout Andrea’s career, she has focused on creating community sustainability in a variety of nonprofit and government positions. Farmshare unites Andrea’s passions for ensuring that food is a human right by implementing community-driven, collaborative problem-solving and leveraging collective impact. In addition to her role at Farmshare, Andrea currently is an appointee to the Austin Travis County Food Policy Board and has been deeply involved in the creation and implementation of the 2024 Austin-Travis County Food Plan.

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Ann Larson shares her journey from grocery store worker to author, revealing the hidden realities of the grocery industry, labor struggles, and potential reforms. Discover insights on corporate power, worker solidarity, and how consumers can support change.

Ann Larson’s writing on education, debt, and low-wage work has appeared in The New Republic, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Fast Company, and The Nation, among other publications. She is author of Cleanup on Aisle Five: Essential Work, Poverty Wages, and the View from Behind the Supermarket Register, and coauthor of Can’t Pay Won’t Pay: The Case for Economic Disobedience and Debt Abolition and is a fellow with the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.

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