Predicting The Turn W/ Dave Knox

In the ever-evolving landscape of spirits, The Pathfinder Hemp and Root emerges as a groundbreaking non-alcoholic alternative, not merely mimicking traditional spirits but carving its own niche with a unique blend of bitterness, sweetness, and complexity. I sat down with Co-founder Chris Abbott to learn more about their journey through the inspiration, challenges, and strategic decisions that led to the creation and successful launch of this distinctive spirit.

Unlike many of her peers in Venture Capital and Private Equity, Melissa Facchina comes from a background in Operations with a focus on food and beverages. Today, Facchina is the Co-Managing Partner of Siddhi Capital, which was born from a joint venture between her operating firm, Siddhi Ops, and the family office of her co-founding partners Steven and Brian Finn.  I sat down with Facchina for a comprehensive look into the complexities of CPG investing, offering practical advice and strategic considerations for entrepreneurs navigating this dynamic landscape.

DEUX has the lofty goal to offer a healthier alternative to iconic food brands like Nestle.  I sat down with Sabeena Ladha, founder of DEUX, a better-for-you snack brand of edible cookie dough,donut holes and dessert spreads, to share her journey from extensive experience in big CPG, McKinsey, and venture capital to disrupting the consumer category.  We discussed her strategic approach to product innovation, marketing, and navigating various retail channels that has shaken up the refrigerated baked goods section in grocery stores.

Soley is the fastest-growing natural fruit snack brand in the US and their unique approach saves 1.6 million pounds of fruit per year. I sat down with Solely's founder, Simon Sacal, to discuss this extraordinary journey from attempting a fat-free potato chip to pioneering a unique and sustainable vertical supply chain for disruptive fruit-based products. Sacal reflects on the challenges, successes, and future innovations of Solely, emphasizing the brand's commitment to long-term growth and providing wholesome, clean alternatives in the food industry.

Over the past five years, the collectibles world of sport and trading cards has seen a massive resurgence as a new generation of collectors have discovered the “Hobby”. This growth has led to innovative new business models like Loupe with box breaking and Goldin with auctions. But perhaps the biggest beneficiary has been Professional Sports Authenticator, better known as PSA, which authenticates and grades collectibles. I sat down with PSA President Ryan Hoge to discuss the hobby’s growth, how PSA has evolved in recent years, and how his background as a Technology Product Leader has helped him in his role.

Coming out of the global pandemic, consumers have increasingly been searching for non-alcoholic alternatives. Hop Water has been one of the fastest growing categories, with sales up nearly 200% in the past year. The market leader in this space is HOP WTR, a sparkling hop water crafted with a proprietary blend of stress-busting hops, adaptogens (ashwagandha) and nootropics (L-Theanine). I sat down with Jordan Bass, CEO and Co-Founder of HOP WTR, to learn about his entrepreneurial journey and where the category will be headed in the years to come.

Inspired by their own morning routines, Hannah Mendoza and Roger Coppola co-founded Clevr Blends. As pioneers in the better-for-you coffee category, Hannah and Roger have reshaped classic cafe-style drinks like Matcha, Chai, and Coffee lattes, and infused them with adaptogens, functional mushrooms, and better-than-barista ingredients. Along the way, they have been named one of Oprah's Favorite Things two years in a row and brought in notable celebrity investors. I sat down with Hannah to learn more about her journey as an entrepreneur, what inspired Clevr, and how the challenges of a CPG entrepreneur have changed in recent years.

Jason Wright set out to create a first-of-its kind nutrient-dense protein chip for nutrition-conscious snackers. As the founder of WILDE, he’s done just that by using chicken breast, egg whites and bone broth in a familiar chip format. I sat down with Jason to learn more about his journey with WILDE, why he chose to manufacture in his own facility in Kentucky, and what is next for the business.

In the world of business, many acquisitions fail to live up to lofty growth expectations. But with Rao’s, Sovos Brands has created a playbook of what works, growing the brand over 9x since acquiring it in 2017. I sat down with Yuri Hermida, the Chief Growth Officer of Sovos Brands, to discuss the company's journey to building Rao’s into a billion-dollar brand, the importance of maintaining an unwavering commitment to quality, and how they are driving awareness and household penetration.

Before the founders of Magic Spoon tackled the cereal aisle, their first startup was a line of protein bars using cricket protein called Exo. While the business was eventually sold, it taught them the importance of product-market fit and the difficulty of building a category from scratch. I sat down with Gabi Lewis, co-founder of Magic Spoon to discuss his journey as a CPG entrepreneur, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and why Magic Spoon had to raise nearly $100 million to bring change to the breakfast cereal aisle.

Over the past few years, TRUFF has partnered with brands ranging from Hidden Valley Ranch and Taco Bell to Super Mario Brothers and Warren Lotas.  Despite the diversity of these partnerships, all have a common authenticity that unifies them.  I sat down with co-founder Nick Ajluni to talk about their journey building the brand and why they have made partnerships a central part of their brand building.

Since launching on the campus of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Mad Rabbit has changed the game in the tattoo aftercare market. They are doing so by bringing change to an industry that is thousands of years old but one that has been largely resistant to innovation until recently. I sat down with Oliver Zak, co-founder of Mad Rabbit, to talk about their journey, community-driven product development process and unique retail strategy that allows them to take a different approach to brand building.

Over a decade ago, Charlotte’s Web created the CBD category and despite a roller coaster in the market, they remain the category leader today. As the category leader, they view it as their job to educate the industry and the general public on the benefits of CBD.  In pursuit of this mission, at the end of 2022, Charlotte's Web became the first “Official CBD of Major League Baseball.”  I sat down with co-founder and COO Jared Stanley, to discuss this partnership, the market as a whole. Since our interview, the FDA has concluded that a new regulatory pathway for CBD is needed and said they are prepared to work with Congress on this matter. Charlotte’s Web has been pushing for regulation for years and believes regulation from the FDA is vital to the continued growth and acceptance of CBD. We deep dive on all this and more. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants across the country encountered a situation that they never imagined. But thanks to the CookUnity, chefs were able to turn to a new platform to get their recipes and food onto kitchen tables across the country.  And for many of them, they have found a new source of revenue that allows them to reach more people than they ever thought possible. I sat down with Mateo Marietti, CEO & Founder of CookUnity, to learn more about what inspired him to launch CookUnity, how they attracted chefs to the platform, and why they decided to rebrand recently.

If there is one staple of nearly every household with children, it is a pantry with boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese (or maybe Annie’s). But Jen Zeszut and the team at Goodles are out to change that, while making it ok for adults to admit that boxed mac and cheese doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure.  I sat down with Zeszut, the CEO and Co-Founder of Goodles to learn more about the launch of the brand a year ago, why they tackled a space with such large competitors, and how they are differentiating themselves to make a product loved by adults and kids alike.

On Shark Tank, BeatBox secured a $1 million investment from Mark Cuban, one of the largest dollar raises in the history of the show. But in the explosive growth that followed, the brand learned the hard lesson of scaling too fast without having the fundamentals figured out. I sat down with Justin Fenchel, CEO and Co-Founder of BeatBox to talk about these lessons and how some timely pivots in their product and distribution strategy led the brand to reach new heights of growth a second time around.

When Dan Lourenco and Ryan Hughes started GHOST, they wanted to build something with authenticity at its core, not a fake version of fitness. Today, GHOST is one of the fastest growing brands in the industry across a multitude of categories. I sat down with Dan and Ryan to learn about their unique approach to brand building and how GHOST convinced brands like Chips Ahoy to work with them early on. 

Aimee Yang has crafted her entire career around the pursuit of one day being an entrepreneur. Today, the CEO and Founder of BetterBrand has taken those building blocks to redesign traditionally non-nutritious foods that we crave into delicious, guilt-free versions of themselves. I sat down with Yang to discuss the inspiration behind BetterBrand and her launch of ‘The Better Bagel’ in Whole Foods Market.

After two decades as one of the leading innovators in the world of music and entertainment, Jonas Tempel was trying to figure out what was next. An off-handed comment to his friend Bradley Roulier about making popcorn cool led them to Opopop. I sat down with Tempel to learn more about Opopop, the pivot the company made during COVID, and the first question he asks any entrepreneur.

Over the past decade, Patrick Schwarzenegger has been one of the most impactful investors in Consumer Products. After the success of his first investment, Blaze Pizza, Schwarzenegger has gone on to be an early check in breakout successes like Super Coffee, Olipop, and Liquid IV. In his latest investment, he’s turned to the role of founder, partnering with his mother Maria Shriver to launch MOSH, the Brain Brand. I sat down with Patrick to discuss how he started investing in consumer products and why launching MOSH was always the ultimate goal for him.