Entrepreneurs on Fire From Tech to Cheese: How to Engineer a Plant-Based Business That Disrupts a Legacy Industry with Kirsten Maitland
Nov 4, 2025
Kirsten Maitland is the founder of Rebel Cheese, known for her innovation in plant-based cheeses. In this chat, she reveals how having a beginner's mindset can spark disruption in industries. Kirsten shares her journey from noticing a gap in vegan cheeses to making skeptics believers through irresistible taste. She emphasizes the importance of vertical ownership for fast innovation, managing demand without sacrificing quality, and using tech for efficiency. Her mantra? Move quickly, test ideas, and embrace customer feedback to fuel growth!
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Beginner's Eyes Are A Strategic Advantage
- Not being an expert can be a competitive advantage because beginners see fresh opportunities experts miss.
- Kirsten Maitland says beginner curiosity fuels industry disruption and relatable learning.
Started Because She Missed Charcuterie
- Kirsten went plant-based and couldn't find artisanal vegan cheese, so she built Rebel Cheese to recreate charcuterie experiences.
- She studied dairy techniques and translated them to plant-based mediums to match flavor and texture.
Make Sampling And Ownership Central
- Encourage people to try your product to overcome skepticism rather than just arguing its merits.
- Own the vertical and iterate quickly so you can keep improving based on feedback.
