The Startup CPG Podcast

Alex Malamatinas, founder of Melitas Ventures, is a VC backing better-for consumer brands. Alex Michaelsen, co-founder and CEO of Leisure Hydration, scales beverage brands into major retail. They unpack fast 10-minute investor meetings, what founders must know about velocity and contribution margin, the CPG triangle of margin-velocity-cashflow, and how in-person networking and prep shift fundraising outcomes.

Ryan Williams, founder of Northhall and former CPG CFO with investment banking roots. He unpacks CPG-specific finance topics in short, engaging segments. Hear breakdowns of gross-to-net revenue, chart of accounts, channel-level economics, and the three-stage accounting lifecycle. He also covers reconciling online payouts, when to add software, and fundraising readiness like capital efficiency and growth priorities.

Kun Yang, co-founder of Pricklee and pharmacist-turned-founder, builds a natural hydration drink from prickly pear. He talks product evolution, the live reveal of Pricklee 2.0, and how science-driven iteration and repositioning to “natural hydration” unlocked product-market fit. The conversation covers packaging choices, education challenges, and plans for distribution and growth.

Practical playbook for winning at a massive trade show with tips on pre-show targeting and proactive buyer outreach. Simple booth design advice and product-first sampling hacks, including temperature tricks for beverages. Smart volunteer use, lead-collection alternatives to scanners, and tested logistics so you avoid last-minute gear runs. Real-time LinkedIn tactics and follow-up timing to turn booth time into retail momentum.

Taylor Davis, a market and product trends expert at Comet, and Hannah Ackermann, a clinical RD focused on prebiotic fiber, dive into why fiber is exploding across CPG. They highlight the rise of prebiotic sodas, mocktails and unexpected categories like jams and bone broth. They also discuss consumer format preferences and how arabinose-based fiber is easy to formulate and gentle on digestion.

Brian Bernstein, an investor at Rich Products Ventures with a background in investment banking and food operations, discusses corporate venture in CPG. He covers product-first diligence, the fund’s hybrid financial-plus-strategic approach, metrics that matter like velocity and margin bridges, and the practical “Toledo test” for mainstream scalability.

Chef V (Vasudeva Rama Subramanian), a Culinary Institute-trained chef who turned founder after losing and regaining taste post-COVID, builds Alchemy of Food around real ingredients. He talks about discovering honey as a base, validating products at farmers markets, scaling from restaurant to CPG, sourcing local ingredients, and landing retail wins like Sprouts and Shelfie recognition.

Leana Salamah, Head of Marketing at the Specialty Food Association who curates Fancy Food shows. John Lane, Product Innovation Manager at Raley's running the Get Curious scouting initiative. They recap Winter Fancy Faire's city integrations, show floor redesign, Startup CPG section buzz, buyer-to-brand ratio, trending themes like SenseMaxing and Protein 2.0, and why retailers and emerging brands find Fancy shows high-value.

Hayden Williams, Partner at BrandProject who backs pre-launch CPG and consumer health brands, breaks down how investors bet on ideas before product or revenue. He discusses the Wonderbelly-to-P&G story, the three pillars of pre-launch conviction, why levity helps destigmatized categories, and what makes a brand attractive for strategic acquisition.

Kartik Das, founder of Doosra and a classically trained chef, built a modern Indian snack brand in New York from farmers' markets to retail. He talks about blending sweet and spice, the meaning behind Doosra, hands-on product testing at markets, playful branding and packaging evolution, and a community-first growth approach focused on sampling, relationships, and intentional scaling.