The Startup CPG Podcast

The top CPG podcast in the world, highlighting stories from founders, buyer spotlights, highly practical industry insights - all to give you a better chance at success.

The Startup CPG Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 88.

Unknown Host hosts The Startup CPG Podcast, a business show with 0 episodes published.

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  Episode #380

  Partnership Not Ownership: Inside Main Post Partners' Investment Approach

  Oct 3, 202635 minS4

  In this Investor Spotlight, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Tara Hyland, Principal at Main Post Partners, to break down how growth equity differs from venture capital and what founders should understand about building an enduring consumer business. Tara's path to Main Post started in investment banking on a consumer-focused food and beverage team, followed by a move into private equity at Swander Pace Capital. She joined Main Post, a consumer-focused private equity firm known for its "partnership not ownership" philosophy, in 2020, and works primarily with founder-led businesses navigating their first institutional capital raise. Hannah and Tara dig into the key pillars Main Post considers during diligence, why management team strength is so critical to an investment decision, what investors actually mean when they call a company a "lifestyle business," how investors evaluate exit potential, and what separates a great business from one that's truly ready for institutional capital. Listen in as they discuss: How Main Post's growth equity approach differs from venture capital and private equity The firm's investment criteria, check sizes, and its "partnership not ownership" philosophy The Main Post mentorship group, and how the firm supports founders beyond just capital What exit potential really means, and how investors evaluate a business's remaining "white space" The financial benchmarks (growth rate, gross margin, differentiation) common across Main Post's successful exits Why a strong, scalable management team matters as much as the product itself The difference between a strategic buyer looking for portfolio protection versus a true portfolio gap What Main Post looks for in early diligence conversations, from brand differentiation to founder buy-in Why omnichannel presence, not just strong DTC metrics, has become critical for CPG investment today What investors mean by a "lifestyle business," and why it isn't necessarily a bad thing Episode Links: Tara Hyland LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tara-hyland-60a94021 Main Post Partners LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mainpostpartners/home Main Post Partners Website: www.mainpostpartners.com Contact Tara directly: thyland@mainpostpartners.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 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 (40K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Hannah's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-dittman-011b844b Questions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics

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  Episode #379

  Why This Architect is Choosing to Build a National CPG Wellness Brand

  Oct 2, 202631 minS4

  In this Founder Feature, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Jane Kate Wong, founder of Noon World, a cognitive wellness company making dual-layer gummies designed for mind, mood, focus, chill, and sleep. Jane's path to Noon ran through architecture, where she designed urban planning projects, high-end residential and commercial spaces, and cultural centers, before moving into interaction design at Nike, Google, and Apple. After burning out from that work, she built Noon as a culmination of her interests in design, technology, and health, focused on what she believes is the next frontier of wellness: cognition. Her design background shows up everywhere in the brand, from the minimalist, neuro-aesthetic booth that stood out at Expo West 2025 to the scientifically engineered dual-layer gummy format built for better bioavailability. Caitlin and Jane dig into why Noon deliberately avoided conventional grocery retail early on, what led to a nationwide Target rollout instead, how the brand uses UGC and partnerships with names like Valentino and Adidas to build trust without traditional in-store demos, and why she believes patience and integrity, not fast wins, are what will separate lasting wellness brands from the rest. Listen in as they discuss: What Noon World is, and how it's built around cognitive wellness rather than a single use case The neuro-aesthetic thinking behind Noon's standout, minimalist Expo West 2025 booth How Jane's background in architecture and interaction design at Nike, Google, and Apple shapes Noon's product philosophy Why Noon's dual-layer, dual-cast gummy format was engineered for better ingredient loading and faster absorption Why Noon initially failed at conventional grocery retail, and what that taught Jane about her category How Noon's nationwide Target rollout differs from a typical CPG retail launch strategy Why Noon relies on UGC and partnerships (like one with Hummingbirds) instead of in-store demos to educate shoppers The unconventional brand partnerships Noon has built with Valentino, Adidas, Goop, and others The difference between "optimizing" and "calibrating" your mind, and how that shapes Noon's product design Jane's advice to wellness founders: hold onto integrity and long-term thinking in a crowded, trend-driven category Want to connect with buyers, investors, and industry experts in real time? Join our free Slack community with over 40,000 members. Get access to exclusive events and trade shows where you can meet buyers and investors in person, plus free resources and more. Just text CPG to 833-605-7002 and we'll get in touch. Episode Links: Jane Kate Wong LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/janekatewong Noon World LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/noonworld Noon World Website: www.noon.world Noon World Instagram: @itsnoon.world 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 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 (40K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Caitlin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlinbricker/ Questions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics

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  Episode #377

  #268 The Rise of Gymkhana Fine Foods with Gulrez Arora

  Sep 29, 202641 minS4

  In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with his longtime friend Gulrez Arora, founder of Gymkhana Fine Foods, the retail brand born out of London's two-Michelin-star Gymkhana restaurant, to talk about building a global premium Indian food brand from scratch. Gulrez and Daniel first met working together at Mars, where Gulrez spent nearly a decade in strategy roles across Asia Pacific chocolate and later ran an internal innovation and venture studio program. That experience taught him how hard it is to manufacture true founder energy inside a large corporation, and eventually led him to London, where a chance introduction to the founders of JKS Restaurant Group (the team behind Gymkhana) sparked the idea of bringing the restaurant's uncompromising culinary standard into center store. Daniel and Gulrez dig into the year-long process of translating Gymkhana's restaurant recipes into shelf-stable products without cutting corners, the hybrid in-house and co-packed manufacturing model built to protect quality, why the brand has driven outsized category growth and incrementality everywhere it launches, and how lessons from Mars and consulting shaped Gulrez's approach to scaling in both the UK and the US. Listen in as they discuss: How Gulrez's decade at Mars, including running an internal venture studio, shaped his instincts as a founder The serendipitous introduction to JKS Restaurant Group that led to the Gymkhana retail partnership Why the team waited over a year to launch, refusing to bring a product to market they weren't fully proud of The multi-layered, restaurant-style cooking process behind Gymkhana's sauces, and why there are no shortcuts The hybrid manufacturing model, with 40 to 50% of products made in-house and the rest co-packed Gymkhana's current product lineup, from simmer sauces to marinades, and what's coming next Why the brand has driven 900% category growth in the UK, with the majority of sales fully incremental How Gymkhana's in-store activation strategy, especially near meat and poultry, drives trial and repeat purchase The differences between building awareness in the UK versus the US, where Indian food is less culturally embedded Gymkhana's $8.5 million Series A with CAVU Ventures, and how that partnership has shaped the brand's growth Episode Links: Gulrez Arora LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gulrez-arora-2b40208 Gymkhana Fine Foods LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/gymkhana-fine-foods-ltd Gymkhana Fine Foods Website: www.gymkhanafinefoods.com Gymkhana Fine Foods Instagram: @gymkhanafinefoods 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 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 (40K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Daniel's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/danscharff Questions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics

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  Episode #378

  R&D RADIO: The Real Science Behind Sugar Replacement with Icon Foods' Thom King

  Sep 28, 202631 minS4

  In this episode of R&D Radio, host Adam Yee sits down with longtime friend Thom King, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Icon Foods, for a deep dive on sweetener systems from a food scientist's perspective. Thom founded Icon Foods in 1999 (originally as Steviva Brands), becoming one of the first companies to import stevia glycosides into the US. After partnering with Quest Nutrition on their first bar, the company shifted fully into ingredient supply, eventually rebranding to Icon Foods and expanding into rare sugars, fibers, and polyols. Thom holds a Master's degree in Food Science from Cornell and has spent decades helping brands solve one of the industry's toughest problems: removing sugar without sacrificing taste, texture, or consumer acceptance. Adam and Thom break down the eight functions of sugar beyond sweetness, why fiber stacking (as seen in brands like Olipop) helps avoid gut discomfort while boosting mouthfeel, and how sweeteners like erythritol, allulose, and tagatose each behave differently in formulation. They also dig into supply chain timing, tariffs, and Thom's practical advice for founders working with a formulator versus experimenting solo in the kitchen. Listen in as they discuss: The eight core functions of sugar that formulators have to account for beyond sweetness Why fiber stacking, like Olipop's approach, helps avoid GI discomfort while replicating sugar's viscosity A breakdown of common alternative sweeteners, including erythritol, allulose, and monk fruit, and where each works best Why stacking sweeteners (like erythritol with allulose and a high-intensity sweetener) often beats using just one How monk fruit and stevia combined can actually mask each other's bitter off-notes What tagatose is, how it’s made from lactose, and why it scorches faster than other reducing sugars in baked goods Why allulose not being accepted at Whole Foods may matter less than founders think, and why Target can be a stronger retail runway Why vegetable glycerin is an underrated tool for preventing bars and baked goods from going stale or crumbly How protein-based sweetness modulators like thaumatin work, and why they need a sweetener backbone to succeed The supply chain outlook for monk fruit, stevia, allulose, tagatose, and erythritol, including when to buy monk fruit and why to start planning 2027 purchases now Why founders should work with a professional formulator rather than scaling a kitchen recipe directly Episode Links: Thom King LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/iconicthom Icon Foods LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/icon-foods-ingredients Icon Foods Website: www.iconfoods.com Icon Foods Facebook: www.facebook.com/iconfoodsingredients Contact Thom directly: thom.king@iconfoods.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 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 (40K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Adam's LinkedIn Questions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics

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  Episode #374

  How "Taste to Retain" Built a Billion-Dollar Supplement Brand

  Sep 26, 202642 minS4

  In this Operator Spotlight, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Hye Rin (Juliet) Choi, VP of Product at Grüns, to unpack the product philosophy and process behind one of the fastest billion-dollar acquisitions in CPG history. Hye Rin (Juliet) started her career in brand management at Johnson & Johnson's consumer health division, working on brands like Neutrogena and Tylenol, before pursuing her MBA at Stanford, where she met Grüns founder and CEO Chad Janis. She joined as employee number nine and the company's first product hire, helping build the product function from the ground up as Grüns scaled to over 130 employees and was acquired by Unilever roughly three years after launch. Hannah and Hye Rin (Juliet) dig into the "taste to retain" philosophy that drives Grüns' product decisions, the rigorous, multi-stage testing process behind every formula, why bringing R&D and science/regulatory in-house was one of the company's biggest unlocks, and what it actually takes - sometimes 30 to 40 iterations - to bring a new gummy to market. Listen in as they discuss: How Hye Rin (Juliet) went from brand management at Johnson & Johnson to becoming Grüns' first product hire The "taste to retain" philosophy behind Grüns' approach to product innovation Why solving for daily adherence, not just efficacy, was the real unlock behind Grüns' success How Grüns collects and acts on customer feedback throughout the entire development process Why 30 to 40 iterations are often needed to land a more complex gummy formulation The multi-stage testing process, from lab-scale research to third-party labs, that ensures product efficacy Why bringing R&D and science/regulatory functions in-house transformed Grüns' quality and speed The unique manufacturing challenges of working with gummies, from texture to shelf-life stability How Grüns evaluates whether a new product category or line extension is worth pursuing Hye Rin (Juliet)'s advice on documentation, version control, and protecting IP as a brand scales Episode Links: Hye Rin (Juliet) Choi LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/julietchoi Grüns LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/Gruns Grüns Website: www.Gruns.co Grüns Instagram: www.instagram.com/Grunsdaily 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 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 (40K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Hannah's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-dittman-011b844b Questions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics

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