In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Caitlin Bricker welcomes Taylor Espinoza, founder of Unicorn Bites, a fast-emerging better-for-you snack brand known for its 100% date-sweetened, allergen-free mini cookies.

Taylor shares her remarkable journey from practicing law to building a brand that’s redefining indulgence with clean, functional ingredients designed to be school-safe and family-friendly.

Throughout the conversation, Taylor discusses how Unicorn Bites evolved from a farmer’s market concept into a shelf-ready product beloved by parents and kids alike. She reveals the product development process—refining hundreds of recipes, responding to direct consumer feedback, and navigating challenges such as ensuring product consistency and durability during warm-weather shipping.

You will also gain insight into Taylor’s retail and growth strategy, her focus on local market expansion in New Jersey and New York, and her long-term vision of landing partnerships with leading natural retailers like Whole Foods and Erewhon. The episode closes with an engaging discussion on the evolving value of certifications, ingredient transparency, and how modern consumers are reshaping the standards of trust and authenticity in the food industry.

Listen now to learn how Taylor Espinoza turned a weekend baking passion into a purpose-driven snack brand.

Listen in as they share about:

• Founder Story & Brand Origins
• Product Development & Innovation
• Branding & Naming
• Retail & Growth Strategy
• Managing Costs and Financial Planning
• Certifications, Transparency & Consumer Trust
• Community & Customer Connection

Episode Links:

Website: https://tryunicornbites.com/
Instagram: @tryunicornbites

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (20K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Caitlin's Linkedin 
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics
  
  

In this solo episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, founder and CEO Daniel Scharff shares the tools he actually uses every day to save time and run his business more efficiently in 2026. None of these are sponsors or partners—just genuine recommendations from tools that have made a real difference in productivity.

Daniel breaks down his toolkit into four key buckets: Core Operating System (Superhuman for email management with snippets and reminders, Notion for project management, and Surfe for LinkedIn outreach automation), Back Office Solutions (Calendly for scheduling and Bill.com for invoicing), Content Creation Tools (Riverside.fm for high-quality recordings and ChatGPT for brainstorming and analytics), and Team & Talent Resources (Upwork for finding specialized contractors, LinkedIn Jobs for hiring, and offshore contractors for cost-effective team building).

Whether you're looking to master inbox zero, automate repetitive tasks, create better content faster, or build a lean team on a tight budget, this episode offers practical, tested solutions that Daniel uses at Startup CPG every single day.

Listen in as Daniel shares:

• Superhuman: email snippets, automatic reminders, and inbox zero strategy
• Notion: project management dashboards and team alignment
• Surfe: automating LinkedIn outreach with personalized message templates
• Calendly: group calendars and eliminating scheduling back-and-forth
• Bill.com: invoicing with automatic credit card fee pass-through
• Riverside.fm: high-quality content recording with AI-generated clips
• ChatGPT: brainstorming, interview guides, and tighter wording
• Upwork: finding specialized contractors for one-off tasks
• LinkedIn Jobs: promoting job posts to find quality candidates fast
• Offshore contractors: building cost-effective teams in Brazil, Philippines, Argentina

None of these are sponsors or partners of Startup CPG, these are actual tools that we use to save time.

To join our slack community, visit startupcpg.com

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com. 

Show Links:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (30K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Daniel's Linkedin 
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics
  
  

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Brian Bustamante-Nicholson, a partner at Greycroft in the consumer brands vertical, to explore what growth-stage investors actually look for in consumer businesses—and how founders can build with intention from day one.

Brian has spent 15 years working alongside founders building consumer businesses, developing a sharp lens for what actually drives durable growth versus what just looks good in a pitch deck. His experience spans deep e-commerce knowledge and evaluating brands at the earliest stages through to scale, giving him a practical, operator-minded view of how products, teams, and metrics evolve over time. At Greycroft, Brian leads a separate consumer investment strategy alongside founding entrepreneurs Catherine Power (Avaline, Burst, Merit) and Eric Ryan (Method, Olly), investing in exceptional growth-stage consumer businesses at inflection points—typically $5-15M in revenue with strong product-market fit signals.

Throughout the conversation, Brian shares the core pillars he looks at during diligence (velocities, cohort behavior, repeat purchase rate, unit economics, margin structure), why capital efficiency matters more than flashy growth, and how strategics evaluate businesses the same way investors do—making gamesmanship around metrics a losing strategy. He discusses lessons learned from standout portfolio companies like Array (anti-aging hair care), what strong founders consistently get right for long-term success, and how to think about building real defensibility as you grow—particularly the importance of retail distribution as a moat in oversaturated categories like health and wellness, skincare, and beverage.

Brian also shares his perspective on how AI is beginning to meaningfully show up in the consumer space through agentic commerce (AI agents shopping on consumers' behalf), why building digital footprints and distribution today will benefit brands tomorrow, and why being a first adopter in platform shifts creates outsized advantages through better marketplace economics. Whether you're navigating business decisions or fundraising conversations, this episode offers grounded, thoughtful insights on how investors evaluate consumer businesses and what it takes to build enduring brands that compound over time.

Listen in as they discuss:

• Brian's background: 15 years investing from Stripes Group to Sonoma Brands to Greycroft's consumer strategy
• What Greycroft looks for: $5-15M revenue, strong product-market fit, unit economics, margin structure
• Portfolio case study: Array anti-aging hair care and investing at inflection points
• Why capital efficiency matters: strategics see through gamesmanship around margins and growth
• Retail distribution as a moat: differentiation in oversaturated digital-native categories
• How AI is changing commerce: agentic shopping and building trust with AI agents through reviews and digital footprints
• Lessons learned: patience, concentrated strategies, and building enduring businesses with strong fundamentals
• Fundraising process: relationship-building timelines and how many meetings before closing deals

Episode Links:

Brian Bustamante-Nicholson - Partner, Greycroft
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-b-nicholson-a813372/

Greycroft Website: https://www.greycroft.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greycroft-partners/

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com

Show Links:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (30K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Hannah's Linkedin 
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics
  
  

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Caitlin Bricker welcomes Alan Scholnick, founder and CEO of Datefix, for a thoughtful conversation on innovation, wellness, and entrepreneurship in the food industry. Alan shares how his journey from real estate and private aviation to launching a natural food brand was driven by a passion for fitness and clean nutrition.

Alan discusses the inspiration behind Datefix—a simple yet powerful concept that turns one of nature’s oldest fruits, the date, into a convenient, portable energy source. He explains how Datefix bridges the gap between health, flavor, and functionality, serving as both a nutritious snack and a reliable fuel for athletes and busy professionals alike.

They also delve into the nutritional science and versatility of dates, exploring their role as a low-glycemic, fiber-rich source of sustained energy. Alan also reflects on the brand’s authentic approach to marketing and consumer education, emphasizing humor, transparency, and a commitment to bringing natural foods back to the forefront of modern wellness.

You will also hear about Datefix’s growing community—from marathon runners to individuals managing diabetes—who have made the product a trusted part of their daily lives.

Tune in to learn how Datefix is redefining healthy snacking by combining simplicity, authenticity, and purpose.

Listen in as they share about:

• Origins and Concept of Datefix
• Health and Nutrition Benefits
• Sustainability and Zero-Waste Innovation
• Customer Stories and Community Impact
• Retail Growth and Brand Positioning
• Cultural Shift Toward Real Food
• Community and Distribution

  
  

Episode Links:

Website: https://datefix.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-scholnick-70a7061b5/ 

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (20K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Caitlin's Linkedin 
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics
  
  

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Adam O'Connor, founder of Smidge Beverage—a lightly boozy 2.5% ABV vodka soda—and Josh Fischer, VP of Product at Cin7, to explore how early-stage founders can build scalable operations systems that support growth without breaking as they scale.

Adam shares his journey launching Smidge Beverage, a premium low-alcohol vodka soda brand in Arizona, starting with self-distribution before transitioning to third-party distributors. With a finance and supply chain background, Adam knew from day one that having proper systems in place—particularly inventory management—would be critical to scaling efficiently. He implemented Cin7 pre-revenue, recognizing that without an end-to-end system to track inventory, lot codes, expiration dates, and invoicing, operations would quickly become unsustainable as the business grew.

Throughout the conversation, Adam discusses the realities of self-distribution in the alcohol industry (navigating three-tier systems, building retailer relationships, delivering and merchandising products himself), why he chose to invest in inventory management before his first production run, and how systems like Cin7 allowed him to focus on growing the business rather than manually tracking ingredients and managing spreadsheets. Josh provides the Cin7 perspective on what founders need to know about inventory management, why the transition from "brand builder" to "operations economist" typically happens around the 12-month mark, and how proper systems enable better inventory forecasting, sales channel expansion, and warehouse efficiency.

Whether you're launching a CPG brand, scaling self-distribution, or wondering when to implement proper back-office systems, this conversation offers honest lessons on why getting infrastructure right early matters, how to avoid common pitfalls when implementing inventory management software, and why founders who prioritize operations alongside brand-building are better positioned for sustainable growth.

Listen in as they discuss:

• Adam's journey: finance background in wine and spirits, launching Smidge Beverage (2.35% ABV vodka soda)
• Implementing Cin7 inventory management pre-revenue: why systems matter from day one
• Self-distribution realities: navigating three-tier alcohol systems and building retailer relationships
• When to transition from self-distribution to third-party distributors
• The three stages of CPG growth: inventory forecasting, sales expansion, operations efficiency
• Why founders shift from "brand builder" to "operations economist" around 12 months
• Setting up SKUs, lot codes, expiration tracking, and integrations (QuickBooks, Shopify, EDI)
• Tips for implementation: focused onboarding, outsource accounting, learn systematically
• Key CPG tech stack: inventory management, accounting, Shopify/EDI

Episode Links:

Cin7:
Get 50% off your first 3 months: https://bit.ly/458bcCY

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cin7/ 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cin7online/?hl=en 
• Josh Fischer - VP of Product, Cin7 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshcfischer/ 

Smidge Beverage: 

• Website: https://www.smidgebeverage.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/smidge-beverage/ 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smidgebeverage/?hl=en
• Adam O'Connor - Founder, Smidge Beverage LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamoconnor-8519201b7/

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com. 

Show Links:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (30K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Daniel's Linkedin 
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Josh Wand and Sean Kelly, General Partners at the Family Fund, to explore what founders actually need to understand when navigating fundraising. The Family Fund is a deeply community-driven investment firm built by former founders who believe the best companies are built through trust, transparency, and long-term partnership.

Josh and Sean bring decades of firsthand entrepreneurial experience and an incredibly deep operator and founder network, which gives them a uniquely practical, grounded perspective on investing at the earliest stages. Throughout the conversation, they unpack why asking the right questions matters just as much as having the right answers, how to truly understand deal terms and power dynamics, and why knowing an investor's focus, incentives, and target stage is critical before bringing them onto your cap table.

The conversation covers the traits that consistently show up in great founders, the difference between early-stage problems (product-market fit, customer love) versus later-stage challenges (team scaling, professionalism, organizational structure), and how to think about alignment as your company grows. Josh and Sean also emphasize the importance of researching investors the same way you would research retail buyers—understanding their allocation strategy, stage focus, and whether they actually invest in your specific vertical and company size before pitching.

Throughout the episode, listeners gain tactical insights on essential questions to ask investors (like "walk me through a time one of your investments struggled and how you showed up"), why raising at too high a valuation can backfire and limit future funding options, critical deal terms to watch out for (liquidation preferences, redemption rights, founder vesting resets), and why founders should optimize for the next five years—not just winning the current round. Whether you're preparing for your first institutional fundraise or evaluating investor partners for a growth round, this conversation offers honest, hard-won insights from two investors who have been in the founder seat themselves.

Listen in as they discuss:

• Josh and Sean's backgrounds: 20+ years as entrepreneurs before co-founding Family Fund in 2022
• What Family Fund is: Early stage investor ($1-5M checks) with 60%+ founder and CEO LPs
• How fund cycles work and what Fund 1 vs. Fund 2 means for founders
• Why researching investors matters: treating it like researching retail buyers at Target
• Essential questions founders should ask investors before accepting capital
• Understanding critical deal terms: liquidation preferences, redemption rights, and founder vesting resets
• Why raising at too high a valuation backfires and limits future funding options
• Traits of great founders and early-stage vs. growth-stage problem differences
• Why the best founders optimize for the next 5 years—not just winning the current round
• Founderland 2026: Family Fund's annual gathering of 7,800+ founders, retailers, and strategics

Episode Links:

Website: https://www.humblegrowth.com/

Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-giannuzzi-6a550b14b/

Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/humblegrowth.com/ 

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com

Show Links:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (30K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Hannah's Linkedin 
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Caitlin Bricker welcomes Houston Buehrle, founder of Little Zing, a premium mustard brand rooted in a century-old Danish family recipe. Houston shares how he transformed his great-grandmother’s handcrafted condiment into a fast-emerging brand in the CPG space, known for its clean ingredients, distinctive flavor, and standout branding.

Throughout the conversation, Houston discusses his commitment to ingredient integrity, his approach to product innovation, and the importance of authentic storytelling in building consumer trust. He also reflects on lessons learned from his previous venture, Bindle Bottle, and how resilience and creativity guided him toward launching Little Zing.

Listeners will gain insights into grassroots brand building, the value of community-driven growth through farmers markets, and how platforms like TikTok Live are reshaping direct-to-consumer engagement. Houston also offers a preview of Little Zing’s upcoming garlic miso flavor, designed to expand the brand’s reach while staying true to its original ethos.

Tune in to learn how Houston Buehrle turned a family legacy into a modern, purpose-driven brand.

Listen in as they share about:

• The Origin of Little Zing
• Product Development
• Branding, Packaging & Differentiation
• Retail Strategy & Market Growth
• The CPG and Condiment Landscape
• Sampling & Collaborations
• Marketing & TikTok Live Strategy
• Collaborations & Future Vision

Episode Links:

Website: https://littlezing.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/houston-max-buehrle-40043a36/ 

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (20K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Caitlin's Linkedin 
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics
  
  

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Michael Brandt, founder and CEO of Ketone IQ, to explore one of the most ambitious category creation stories in modern CPG. Ketone IQ has raised significant capital, secured military research partnerships with the Department of Defense, landed major retail distribution including Target and Sprouts, and achieved mid-eight figures in revenue with a $110 million valuation—all while educating consumers on an entirely new-to-them ingredient.

Michael breaks down what ketones actually are in refreshingly simple terms: a form of energy your body naturally makes that your brain loves to use. When you're fasting, exercising hard, or following a ketogenic diet, your body produces more ketones—and that's when people report feeling sharp, focused, and energized. Ketone IQ bottles that feeling, making it accessible without the restrictive diets or intense workouts. Michael traces his journey from competitive marathon runner (5:57 mile pace) experimenting with biohacks and intermittent fasting to recognizing ketones as the common thread behind peak mental performance.

Throughout the episode, Michael shares the unglamorous realities of creating an entirely new category: early product development when ketones cost $30 per shot, convincing co-manufacturers to produce something they'd never made before, securing Department of Defense contracts to fund R&D, and building initial traction with special operators and elite athletes for whom cognitive performance is life or death. He discusses the strategic decision to start D2C-first to provide rich educational context that brick-and-mortar couldn't offer, how the brand's "nuclear furnace" of DTC business now fuels retail expansion, and why he wishes he'd started building his founder brand on social media earlier.

Whether you're creating a new category, scaling from D2C to retail, or building a brand that requires significant consumer education, this conversation offers honest lessons on stewarding new ingredients to market, maintaining IP moats while developing ecosystems, leveraging partnerships for education at scale, and why the "job's not finished" mentality keeps founders grinding even at eight-figure revenue.

Listen in as they discuss:

• What ketones actually are: your body's natural energy source that your brain prefers
• How ketones differ from caffeine: actual cellular energy vs. blocking sleep hormones
• Michael's origin story: competitive marathon running and biohacking led to Ketone IQ
• The keto diet connection: why low-carb eating produces ketones naturally
• Creating a new category vs. entering existing ones: the Gatorade playbook for electrolytes
• Early product development: when shots cost $30 and no suppliers existed
• Securing Department of Defense contracts to fund R&D with special operators
• Building traction with elite athletes, UFC fighters, and Ironman competitors first
• The strategic decision to start D2C-first for educational context and rich consumer information
• Why 90%+ of future volume will be retail, but D2C is the "nuclear furnace" driving awareness
• Landing Target, Sprouts, and Vitamin Shoppe: the "as seen on Instagram" shelf strategy
• NSF Certified for Sport: building trust and compliance when stewarding new ingredients to market
• The QR code strategy: always-on demos with first shot free via Venmo/PayPal reimbursement
• Preparing for competition: maintaining IP moats while developing category ecosystems
• Why Michael wishes he'd started founder content creation earlier
• The importance of personal brand before launching: building community pre-idea
• Hiring smartly: bringing in Monster Energy leadership for convenience channel expansion
• Reaching $110M valuation at mid-eight figures revenue
• What it feels like to scale: running faster, but never easier—more zeros, same obsession

Episode Links:

Ketone IQ Website: https://www.ketone.com Instagram: @ketone Founder Instagram: @michaeldbrant

Michael Brandt - Founder & CEO, Ketone IQ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldbrant/ Instagram: @michaeldbrant

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (30K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Daniel's Linkedin 
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics

  
  

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Matt Craighead, R&D Manager at Trubar, to explore the real product development process—from initial concept and benchtop formulation to scaled production and everything in between. Matt brings a rare blend of technical depth, operator empathy, and practical insights to what is often the most misunderstood part of the CPG journey: how products actually get created.

Matt shares how Trubar approaches R&D for their vegan, gluten-free, soy-free protein bars with no sugar alcohols, artificial sweeteners, or seed oils—navigating the complexities of formulation, ingredient sourcing, co-manufacturer partnerships, and scaling from home kitchen trials to commercial production. The conversation reveals the unglamorous realities of product development: why some projects take 2-4 months while others stretch to 8+ months, the critical importance of manufacturability over pure flavor perfection, and how small decisions like mixing order, line speed, or ingredient supplier changes can make or break a product.

Throughout the episode, listeners gain tactical insights on managing the R&D process with project briefs and clear timelines, why formula changes should always be the last resort when troubleshooting production issues, how to balance perfection with the 80/20 principle when bringing products to market, and the often-overlooked factors like water activity, allergen control, and equipment compatibility that determine whether a product can actually be manufactured at scale. Matt also discusses when it makes sense to bring R&D in-house versus outsourcing to co-manufacturers, how to navigate SKU proliferation as brands grow, and why communication and planning ahead are non-negotiable for R&D success.

Whether you're launching your first product, scaling formulations from benchtop to commercial production, or troubleshooting manufacturing challenges, this conversation offers honest lessons on what separates successful product development from costly failures—and why R&D is where everything starts.

Listen in as they discuss:

• Matt's background: 8 years in R&D and co-manufacturing, now leading R&D at Trubar
• What Trubar is: vegan protein bars with no seed oils, sugar alcohols, or artificial sweeteners
• The R&D process timeline: 2-4 months for formulation, up to 1-2 years for full commercialization
• Major R&D milestones: concept, benchtop trials, ingredient sourcing, line trials, and scaled production
• Why manufacturability matters as much as flavor: the honey formulation cautionary tale
• The 80/20 mindset: balancing perfection with getting products to market
• What makes R&D go well: planning ahead, communication, and documentation
• Common pitfalls: focusing too much on functionality without considering production realities
• Why formula changes should be the last resort when troubleshooting production issues
• Small decisions with big impacts: mixing order, line speed, cooling tunnel capacity, and temperature
• Ingredient supplier changes and how protein powder sources affect finished products
• Managing the cross-functional dance: R&D, packaging, marketing, and timeline constraints
• When to bring R&D in-house vs. outsourcing to co-manufacturers
• Choosing the right co-manufacturer: communication, food safety, allergen control, and equipment
• How to manage custom formulation processes with co-manufacturers
• SKU rollout strategy: starting with 2-4 core flavors and expanding with seasonals
• Project briefs as the foundation: flavor profile, timeline, cost targets, and macro goals
• Why water activity and allergen control are critical for ready-to-eat bars
• The importance of process control documentation and detailed production notes

Episode Links:

Trubar Website: https://www.trubarinc.com Instagram: @trubar.brands LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trubar

Matt Craighead - R&D Manager, Trubar LinkedIn: [Matt's LinkedIn URL]

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (30K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Hannah's Linkedin 
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Stephanie McGregor, founder of Ringa—a moringa and apple cider vinegar infused beverage with no added sugar, no sugar substitutes, and no natural flavors. After 20 years as an operator in food and beverage working on brands like Red Bull, Glacéau Vitaminwater, and others, Stephanie was ready to leave the industry until an Airbnb host in Baja, Mexico wouldn't stop talking about the moringa tree growing on her property.

Stephanie shares her journey from winding down a previous company in 2022 to launching Ringa as a mission-driven brand committed to radical ingredient transparency. The conversation explores the decision-making behind formulating with only real, pronounceable ingredients—from organic moringa tea and raw apple cider vinegar to real cucumber juice and ginger—and why "unapologetically tart" is both a product philosophy and a long-game strategy in a market addicted to sugar.

Throughout the episode, Stephanie discusses the challenges of educating consumers about what "natural flavors" really means (and what manufacturers aren't telling you), why microdosing moringa in a delicious format beats the "plug your nose and gulp it down" supplement approach, and how Ringa landed a feature in Whole Foods' 2026 trend report predicting vinegar as the next big functional ingredient. She also shares her experience as a self-proclaimed "Startup CPG groupie," attending nearly every Grocery Run and trade show opportunity to accelerate retailer discovery at a fraction of traditional costs.

Whether you're launching a better-for-you beverage, navigating ingredient sourcing for functional foods, or building a self-funded brand with operator experience, this conversation offers honest lessons on playing the long game, learning to say no, staying patient while trends catch up, and building extreme loyalty over viral growth.

Listen in as they discuss:

• Stephanie's 20-year operator background: Red Bull, Vitaminwater, and winding down a business in 2022
• The Baja, Mexico Airbnb moment that introduced Stephanie to moringa and inspired Ringa
• What moringa is: a complete plant protein with all nine essential amino acids, drought-tolerant, and nutrient-dense
• The decision to formulate with no added sugar, no sugar substitutes, and no natural flavors
• Why "natural flavors" aren't always natural—and how proprietary blends hide ingredient transparency
• The philosophy of being "unapologetically tart" and playing the long game on consumer taste education
• How real cucumber juice creates a completely different flavor experience than cucumber "natural flavor"
• Microdosing moringa: making functional ingredients delicious and palatable for daily consumption
• Landing in Whole Foods' 2026 trend report: vinegar as the "OG functional food"
• Why fiber is the macro people actually need (90% of us don't get enough)
• Attending every Startup CPG Grocery Run event: accelerating retailer discovery at a fraction of trade show costs
• Operator advice: learning to say no, staying nimble, and building a good business over chasing hockey stick growth
• Why going slow and building loyalty beats viral growth for long-term brand success

Episode Links:

Website: https://www.drinkringa.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkringa/ 

Stephanie McGregor - Founder, Ringa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieleemcgregor/

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (30K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Caitlin's Linkedin 
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics