In this episode of The Startup CPG Podcast, Grace Kennedy sits down with Breanna and Jared Golestani, the co-founders of Kokada, to discuss their journey from a kitchen experiment during the pandemic to launching a nationally distributed brand. As a husband-and-wife duo, they share how their love for food (and each other) led to the creation of their delicious coconut-based spreads and snacks.

Breanna and Jared dive into the origins of Kokada, inspired by Breanna’s experiences playing volleyball for the Jamaican national team and her passion for creating a low-sugar, coconut-based treat. They recount their early days at farmers’ markets, their big break winning the NOSH Pitch Slam, and how they navigated funding, scaling, and building a supply chain—including working with international co-packers.

They also highlight their new product launch, Kokada Dunks, a better-for-you twist on nostalgic snack packs. They discuss retail strategy, the importance of in-store demos, balancing growth with sustainability, and lessons learned in securing financing without compromising their long-term vision.

Tune in now!

Listen in as they share about:

Origins & Inspiration for Kokada
Scaling & Expansion Strategy
Challenges in Supply Chain & Inventory Management
Marketing & Driving Sales in Retail
Funding & Financial Approach
New Product Launch: Kokada Dunks
Advice for Other Founders

Episode Links:

Website: https://kokada.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/breanna-atkinson-golestani-588136b7/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-golestani/

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

The John Lovell Podcast

The Most Important Audit of Our Time | JLS EP82

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts