How a Syrup Brand like Torani Became a Global Flavor Empire with CEO, Melanie Dulbecco

What if scaling your business didn’t mean sacrificing your values?

In this powerful episode of The Conscious Capitalists, hosts Timothy Henry and Raj Sisodia sit down with Melanie Dulbecco, the trailblazing CEO who led Torani from a small, family-owned syrup maker to a global flavor powerhouse—while keeping people, purpose, and culture at the heart of everything.

Over her 34 years as CEO, Melanie redefined what it means to lead with intention. From embedding purpose into the company’s DNA to pioneering people-first practices like employee ownership, strategic learning journeys, and ethical supply chains, her approach shows how conscious leadership creates lasting impact—for both business and society.

Melanie also opens up about the early life experiences that shaped her leadership style and the emotional rewards of growing a company where people genuinely love to work.

Listeners will gain insights into:

• How Torani scaled from a small family business to a global company while staying rooted in its values
• The role of purpose-driven culture in business longevity and innovation
• What “automate and elevate” looks like in a modern workplace
• How investing in people fuels both retention and performance
• Building resilient supplier and community relationships
• Using strategic learning journeys to cultivate leadership across the company
• Why emotional fulfillment and business growth can go hand-in-hand

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For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com

This show is presented by Conscious Capitalism, Inc. (https://www.consciouscapitalism.org/) and is produced by Rainbow Creative (https://www.rainbowcreative.co/) with Matthew Jones as Executive Producer, Rithu Jagannath as Lead Producer, and Nathan Wheatley as Editor.

Thank you for your support!

- Timothy & Raj

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction and Personal Reflections
00:59 Welcome to The Conscious Capitalists
01:41 Introducing Melanie Delco
03:00 Melanie's Journey with Torani
04:32 Early Challenges and Growth Strategies
07:23 Building a Resilient Company Culture
10:08 Leadership Evolution and Milestones
15:39 Purpose and Value Creation
31:01 Transformation as a Team Sport
33:13 Reflecting on the Cafe Era
33:33 Embracing the Learning Journey
34:07 Adopting New Strategies
35:30 Commitment to Community
36:54 The Big Move: Challenges and Decisions
38:33 Navigating the COVID-19 Move
39:15 Valuing Intangible Assets
43:31 Supplier Relationships and Mutual Success
46:27 Entering the Experience Era