Founder Feature: Maxi Heidenblut of Häppy Candy

In this episode of the Startup CPG podcast, Grace Kennedy sits down with Maxi Heidenblut, the founder of Häppy Candy, a better-for-you gummy candy brand with 70% less sugar—without using artificial sweeteners. Maxi shares her journey from working in asset management to launching a CPG startup, tackling the challenges of bootstrapping, cold-calling manufacturers, and navigating the retail landscape. 

She also discusses how Häppy Candy is making waves in independent stores and national retail, leveraging social media, influencer marketing, and trade shows to expand its footprint.

Tune in to hear how Maxi is reshaping the candy industry with a healthier, delicious alternative—all while managing a full-time job in New York City.

Listen in as they share about:

• Overview of Happy Candy
• Product Development and Manufacturing
• Challenges as a First-Time Founder
• Business Launch & Initial Growth
• Retail & Expansion Strategy
• DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) & Social Media Strategy
• Challenges of Bootstrapping & Financial Planning
• Future Goals

Episode Links:

Website: https://haeppycandy.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/haeppy-candy/ 

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 Daniel's Linkedin 
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
• Episode music by Super Fantastics