The Common Threads Of Effective Leaders

This special edition of Taste Radio highlights actionable insights and advice from interviews with six founders, creators and leaders who joined us on the show during the first half of 2022. Our guests include Todd Carmichael, Co-Founder, La Colombe & Loftiwater; Zoe Feldman, GM of Consumer, Momofuku; Adam Bremen, Founder, Keto Krisp; Annie Ryu, Founder/CEO, Jack & Annie’s; Sandro Roco, Founder & CEO, Sanzo; and Kat Cole, President & COO, Athletic Greens.

Show notes: 

0:44: Interview: Todd Carmichael, Co-Founder, La Colombe & Loftiwater – We kick things off with La Colombe co-founder Todd Carmichael who has turned his attention from coffee to sparkling water with his latest venture, Loftiwater. In this clip, pulled from our episode published on January 4, Todd spoke about the origins of the brand name, the value of hard work, how he landed on sparkling water as the basis for his next beverage brand and why he chose to build a production facility rather than work with a co-manufacturer.

10:28: Interview: Zoe Feldman, GM of Consumer, Momofuku – Our next clip is pulled from an episode featured on May 17 and features Zoe Feldman, the GM of Consumer for acclaimed and influential restaurant group Momofuku. Zoe discussed the importance of maintaining perspective, the reason she only hires “Swiss Army knives,”  her emphasis on building contingencies into the company’s operational strategy and why she maintains an “open book, open door” policy.

19:06: Interview: Adam Bremen, Founder, Keto Krisp – We continue with a clip from our episode published on February 1, which features an interview with Adam Bremen, the founder of  fast-growing snack bar brand Keto Krisp. Adam explained the importance of “getting outside of our comfort zones” and how it led to his passion for surfing, why he wasn’t overly concerned about the challenges of entrepreneurship in the food industry and why he always “puts himself in the [retail] buyer’s shoes. 

27:07: Interview: Annie Ryu, Founder/CEO, Jack & Annie’s – Next up is a clip from an episode published on January 11, which featured an interview with Annie Ryu, the founder and CEO of The Jackfruit Company and sister brand Jack & Annie’s. Annie explained the special nature of jackfruit, identifying the right messaging to attract retail buyers and consumers and what she’s learned about entrepreneurship and the value of persistence.

33:01: Interview: Sandro Roco, Founder & CEO, Sanzo – The episode continues with Sandro Roco, the founder and CEO of fast-growing Asian-inspired sparkling water brand Sanzo. In this clip, from an episode published on March 22, Sandro explained the impact of well-known culinary personalities on his decision to start a beverage brand, how he identified addressable white space in the sparkling water category and why “hitting quickly” is important for an early-stage drink company.

41:47: Interview: Kat Cole, President & COO, Athletic Greens – Finally, we hear from Kat Cole, the president and COO of rapidly growing wellness brand Athletic Greens. Cole spoke with us in an episode published on February 15, and in this clip she discussed her funding strategy as an angel investor, why she urges entrepreneurs to find a “minimum viable community” and how she efficiently consumes large amounts of information using a variety of ways and sources.

Brands in this episode: La Colombe, Loftiwater, Momofuku, Sanzo, Jack & Annie’s, Keto Krisp, Athletic Greens, Fly By Jing, Omsom, Nguyen Coffee Supply, Chobani