How I Built This with Guy Raz Noosa Yoghurt: Koel Thomae
81 snips
Nov 25, 2024 
Koel Thomae, founder of Noosa Yoghurt, shares her journey of bringing a unique Australian yogurt to the U.S. Inspired by a life-changing taste in Australia, she navigated the dairy industry while forging a long-distance partnership. The conversation reveals the hurdles of scaling production and the importance of community engagement. Koel discusses the excitement of moving from small batches to national distribution, highlighting the moments of struggle and triumph that led to Noosa becoming a $200M brand loved by yogurt enthusiasts.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
The Yogurt That Started It All
- Koel Thomae's idea for Noosa Yogurt came from a life-changing yogurt experience during a trip to Australia.
- She was determined to recreate the creamy, honey-infused, passion fruit yogurt in the US.
The Yogurt Obsession
- Back in Colorado, Koel Thomae became obsessed with finding a similar yogurt but couldn't find anything comparable.
- This fueled her desire to bring the unique Australian yogurt to the American market.
The Deal
- During a 2007 Australia trip, Koel Thomae proposed licensing the yogurt recipe to the Matthewsons.
- Over lunch and beers, they agreed to license the recipe, invest, and provide yogurt-making expertise.
