Taste Radio

Tyler Merrick is attempting to save the world, one pack of gum at a time. A serial entrepreneur, Merrick is the founder and CEO of Project 7, a premium gum, mint and candy brand built around a core social mission. Launched in 2009, the company donates a portion from each purchase to support seven areas of need in the U.S. and across the globe, including hunger, homelessness, clean water, and anti-bullying initiatives. Merrick initially envisioned Project 7 as a "Newman's Own 2.0" brand for commodity goods, including bottle water, coffee and snacks, each aligned with tangible giveback. In an interview included in this episode of Taste Radio, he explained that the bold concept ultimately missed the mark and, in his words, became "the most expensive cause marketing campaign in America." The lessons from its failure, however, provided key insights for Project 7's rebirth and repositioning. "After time, we found out that there wasn't anything special about the products," he said. "It hurt a lot to learn those hard lessons. [We realized] we've got back to a core product, so we focused on gum. And we've got to make it about a product first and foremost." While Merrick may want you to chew more gum, George Bryant would prefer a more Paleo approach to your snacking habits. The founder of Civilized Caveman, a website and blog focused on the paleo lifestyle and diet, Bryant is also the author of New York Times best selling book, "The Paleo Kitchen." Bryant joined us for an interview at BevNET Live Winter 2017 where he spoke about his advocacy for paleo eating and opened up his journey from the military to his current role as a influential voice in the food world. Also included in this episode: a conversation with Genius Juice co-founder and CEO Alex Bayer, who discussed the trials and tribulations of his coconut smoothie brand, which has undergone several pivots since its launch in 2013. In this week's edition of Elevator Talk, we caught up with Laura Jakobsen, the founder and "chief rioter" of Tea Riot, a innovative brand of tea and juice blends. Show notes: 1:26: Green Milk and Crunchy Sauerkraut -- The hosts consume, crunch and confabulate over snack and drink samples sent to the office this week, including BOS Rooibos, Delighted By Dessert Hummus, Seedlip, Farmhouse Culture Kraut Krisps, Iconic Protein Coconut Matcha, Good Citizens Shells and White Cheddar, Sejoyia Coco-Thins, Big Red and Kay's Naturals Pass the Peas. 12:58: Interview: Tyler Merrick, Founder/CEO, Project 7 -- In an interview recorded at NOSH Live Winter 2017, Merrick joined John Craven, Carol Ortenberg and Mike Schneider for a discussion about Project 7 and the brand's genesis, early struggles and relaunch, and how he attempts to align the brand's mission with current ingredient and marketing trends. 36:29: Interview: George Bryant, Founder, The Civilized Caveman -- Mike Schneider and Carol Ortenberg sat down with Bryant at BevNET Live Winter 2017 where he opened up about his life and career and how his struggles with depression and an eating disorder shaped his belief system. Bryant also opined that "people don't buy from brands, they buy from people" and that "the more dehumanized brands are, the less likely they are to survive." 52:51: Interview: Alex Bayer, Co-Founder, Genius Juice -- Alex Bayer is the founder and CEO of Genius Juice, a brand of coconut-based smoothies. We spoke with Alex about his journey as an entrepreneur and how he'd managed the brand's evolution and maintained focus amid constant challenges. 1:05:18: Elevator Talk: Laura Jakobsen, Founder, Tea Riot -- We first met Laura Jakobsen at BevNET Live Winter 2015. She's the founder and "chief rioter" of tea and juice brand Tea Riot and took part in the event's New Beverage Showdown 10 competition. We caught up with Laura again at BevNET Live Winter 2017 where she discussed the genesis, growth and wins for the brand.

Sean Lovett had a serious Coke habit -- until he found kombucha. That change had been long in the making. Like many other consumers, Lovett remained a loyal Coke drinker for years, despite creeping concerns about its high sugar and calorie count. Seeking a soda alternative with a healthy halo, he took his first sip of kombucha nearly a decade ago and has never looked back. It was an experience that launched a mission: create a brand that could serve as "the Coke of the kombucha world." In 2010 Lovett founded Revive Kombucha, a Sonoma-based company whose focus is to "sustainably produce the best tasting kombucha you've ever had." Leading with approachable flavors aimed at mainstream consumers, Revive is primarily sold along the West Coast and is also distributed in metro New York; the brand is sold nationally at Trader Joe's. It might not yet be Coke, but Lovett believes he's getting closer to his vision. In a wide-ranging interview included in this episode of Taste Radio, he explained Revive's value as a "kombucha that can get consumers off of soda," and why collaborating with competitors is critical to the category's success. Also included in this episode: a conversation with longtime CPG executive Doug Radi. The current CEO of dairy-alternative brand Good Karma Foods, Radi discussed the evolution of packaged food and beverage over his nearly two decades in the space and how Good Karma is innovating for the future. And in the latest edition of Elevator Talk, we met with Brittany Fuisz is the founder of Malibu Meals, a innovative food brand that markets organic, gluten and dairy-free food blends that are packaged in convenient, shelf-stable pouches. This episode is presented by OWYN. Show notes: 1:13: Sponsors, Here's A Great Way to Rep Your Company -- A quick chat about Repsly's excellent video interview series from BevNET Live Winter 2017. 2:26: "Visiting Hours" -- It's a new year, and with it comes new opportunities -- like making your way to the Northeast for the usual fun, sun and plethora of business opportunities that the region offers. Whether you're planning a trip to the Boston area or if your helicopter simply needs to make an emergency landing, please make us a part of your visit (or near-death experience). Meet with the editorial team; get feedback on your brands and products; talk to us about building awareness and educating consumers about your brand; investors, distributors, retailers -- we want to see you folks, too; check out our wicked cool bah. Also, we'll be in San Francisco this weekend and part of next week for the annual Winter Fancy Food show. Attending the event? Drop us a line. 6:25: Interview: Sean Lovett, Founder/CEO, Revive Kombucha -- Sean Lovett is the founder and CEO of Revive Kombucha, a maker of organic kombucha based in Sonoma County. Recorded at BevNET Live Winter 2017, Sean joined John Craven and Mike Schneider for a deep dive into Revive, including the key decision points behind its creation and efforts build an enduring brand. 28:57: Interview: Doug Radi, CEO, Good Karma Foods -- Doug Radi is the CEO of Good Karma Foods, a maker of plant-based milks and yogurts. Doug is a longtime food and beverage executive and veteran of legacy and upstart companies alike, with experience at Horizon Organic, Rudi's Gluten Free Breads, Silk and Frito-Lay. At NOSH Live Winter 2017, Doug sat down with Project NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg and BevNET assistant editor Marty Caballero for a conversation that included his take on why "brands need to have a core," and controversy surrounding the Dairy Pride Act. 50:15: Elevator Talk: Brittany Fuisz, Founder, Malibu Meals -- We caught up with Brittany, a former Yelp executive, at NOSH Live Winter 2017 where she shared the vision for her brand of pouch-packaged, organic meals. Brands in this episode: Revive Kombucha, GT's Kombucha, Health-Ade Kombucha, Good Karma Foods. iTunes Reference: 217554

A super-premium ice cream brand that got its start slinging sweet treats out of a repurposed, beat-up postal van, Coolhaus is changing the perception of frozen pints, one scoop at a time. Known for its off-beat style and inventive, indulgent flavors -- think Fried Chicken & Waffles and Balsamic Fig -- Coolhaus is certainly not your father's ice cream. But it's not for him. Lauded by food critics and adored by celebrities and social influencers who've championed the Los Angeles-based brand since its 2009 launch, co-founder and CEO Natasha Case sees Coolhaus as "the signature millennial ice cream brand." In an interview included in this week's episode of Taste Radio, Case explained the her belief that Coolhaus, which is represented at thousands of grocery retailers across the U.S. and is sold at company-owned stores and food trucks in Southern California, New York City, and Dallas, has made its mark by positioning the brand as a "point of view and a culture." "The ice cream is our outlet," she said. "The ice cream is our canvas for cool ideas." Also included in this episode: A conversation with Trevor Smith, who's the co-founder of cold-brew beverage brand Secret Squirrel. Starting as a side hustle selling cold brew coffee at farmers markets in L.A., the brand has since emerged at national retailers, including Target. Smith shared lessons from his entrepreneurial journey, from his time with the U.S. Army through to the sale of Secret Squirrel in 2016. And in this week's edition of Elevator Talk, we hear from Eduardo Pentagna, the CEO and Master Brewer of Brazilian-inspired beer brand Novo Brazil. Show notes: 1:45: Review Taste Radio! -- Please do us a solid and review us on iTunes. It'll improve our search rankings on the app and help other folks find Taste Radio. It's a pretty simple process and will take about 2-4 minutes. Thanks! 3:15: That Sh_t is The Bomb, Yo -- Much of the Eastern U.S., including our beloved home of Watertown, Mass., has been recovering from a brutal storm aptly dubbed a "bomb cyclone." It's not a good thing. But while snow and ice ain't our bomb, good food and drinks are. The hosts kick off the episode with a discussion about libations and snacks, including Olivious Daily Olive Oil Shot, GT's Kombucha Pure Love and Ayoba-Yo Biltong South African Jerky, that caught their attention over the past week. 8:55: Interview: Natasha Case, Co-Founder/CEO, Coolhaus -- Project NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg met up with Coolhaus co-founder and CEO Natasha Case at BevNET Live Winter 2017 where they chatted about the inspiration behind the company ("Farchitecture" -- the intersection of food and architecture), Case's perspective that "e-comm is the new food truck" and why Coolhaus is "in the game of one person buying us 1,000 times, not 1,000 people buying us once." 36:11: Interview: Trevor Smith, Co-Founder, Secret Squirrel -- How to stay lean and mean in the early days of your brand? Bootstrapping. Natasha Case talked about it and we also heard it from Trevor Smith, who's the co-founder of cold-brew beverage brand Secret Squirrel. In a conversation recorded last month in Santa Monica, BevNET Managing Editor Ray Latif spoke with Smith about his journey, including the early days of Secret Squirrel ("We weren't prepared for the fundamentals."), why entrepreneurship can often be a "lonely endeavor," and how he defines success. 1:00:07: Elevator Talk: Eduardo Pentagna, CEO/Master Brewer, Novo Brazil Brewing -- Craft beer with a Brazilian vibe made in Southern California. What's not to love? We caught up with the brand's founder and CEO Eduardo Pentagna at Brewbound Session Winter 2017 where Novo Brazil triumphed in the event's Startup Brewery Challenge competition. Just before the big win, Eduardo offered us for a quick introduction to the brand. Brands in this episode: Olivious, Ayoba-Yo, GT's Kombucha, Jameson, Fireball, Gatorade, Essentia, Murray's Bagels, Coolhaus, Secret Squirrel, Novo Brazil

Cold brew won't save the world. Just ask Chris Campbell. The co-founder and CEO of Chameleon Cold-Brew, Campbell is well aware of cold brew's vaunted status as one of the hottest trends in food and beverage. He's also extremely proud of Chameleon's commitment to quality, its devoted consumer base and its leadership position within the space, all of which were key elements to its recent acquisition by Nestlé. Yet, in a conversation included in this episode of Taste Radio, Campbell stressed that a healthy sense of humility has helped steer the ship and been critical to the company's success. "There's nothing being sold or developed here that is necessary for life," Campbell said. "We're all going to be fine without it. These are all things that are additive to our lives. [We keep] that in perspective: what we do is we sell coffee, deliver a little smile for the moment in the day. And that kind of humility has been incredibly helpful for us, and it's pervasive in our company." But, Chris, what about beer? Isn't beer necessary for human existence? Meg Gill might be up for that debate. She's the co-founder and president of Golden Road Brewing, who, like Campbell, sold her fast-growing beverage startup to a global conglomerate. Gill, a young and ambitious entrepreneur who in 2014 was recognized as part of Forbes' annual "30 Under 30" list, joined us for a conversation about the launch, development and eventual sale of her Los Angeles-based craft beer company to Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2015. Also included in this episode: the latest edition of Elevator Talk, which features Tribali Foods founder Angela Mavridis, who joined us for a chat about her upstart brand of organic and grass-fed meat patties. Show notes: 1:16: A Dirty, Zesty, Spirited Holiday -- The hosts riff on a sparkling partnership between Dirty Lemon Beverages and Vogue, how Zest Tea is taking on energy drinks with its new line of canned, "high-octane" teas, and Townshend's Tea Company's innovative take on distilled spirits. 6:24 Interview: Chris Campbell, Co-Founder/President/CEO, Chameleon Cold-Brew -- Just about a month after Nestle USA announced its acquisition of Chameleon Cold-Brew, we sat down with the co-founder and CEO of the insurgent coffee company, Chris Campbell. In an interview recorded at BevNET Live Winter 2017, Chris spoke with BevNET's Ray Latif and John Craven about Chameleon's launch in 2010 and how it established itself as a leader in the fast-growing cold-brew coffee segment. He also explained the role of innovation in the brand's development, why Austin has been hotbed for entrepreneurship in food and beverage in recent years and offers up his thoughts on new cold brew brands entering the fray. 34:50: Interview: Meg Gill, Co-Founder, Golden Road Brewing -- Like Chris Campbell, Meg Gill is familiar with selling an upstart beverage company to a global conglomerate. She's the co-founder of Golden Road Brewing, a Los Angeles-based craft beer company that launched in 2011 and was acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev just four years later. In an interview with Brewbound editor Chris Furnari and BevNET CMO Mike Schneider, Gill spoke about the brand's rapid growth and path to acquisition. She also explained how Golden Road, which has become Anheuser-Busch's fastest growing craft brand, is competitive among other brands within A-B's portfolio, and plans to press on the gas in 2018. 1:00:50: Elevator Talk: Angela Mavridis, Founder/CEO, Tribali -- Tribali Foods, a maker of organic and grass-fed meat patties, was the winner of the Pitch Slam competition at NOSH Live Winter 2017. During the event, we caught up with the company's founder Angela Mavidris, who spoke about the origins of Tribali and how it differentiates itself from competing brands, in this edition of Elevator Talk. Brands in this episode: Dirty Lemon, Zest Tea, Townshend's Tea, Brew Dr. Kombucha, Chameleon Cold-Brew, GT's Kombucha, Golden Road Brewing, Oskar Blues Brewing, Tribali Foods

Everyone's heard "15 minutes could save you 15 percent or more in car insurance." Well folks, we don't know much about the business of insuring your 2009 Honda Accord, but we can tell you that taking 15 minutes to listen to this special edition of Taste Radio could be a game-changer for you and your company. Culled from 50 episodes published over this past year, Taste Radio's Best of 2017 features a select collection of quips and quotes from interviews with some of the brightest minds in the food and beverage industry. In television they might call it a "clip show," but accompanied by commentary from Taste Radio hosts, it's a can't-miss episode comprised of the most indispensable advice on business strategy, team building, branding, marketing, data and innovation we've heard all year.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to break into the food and beverage business… but it doesn't hurt. Just ask Kurt Seidensticker. A former NASA aerospace engineer, Seidensticker is the founder and CEO of Vital Proteins, a fast-growing brand immersed in a hot trend: ingestible collagen. An avid runner who was drawn to the recovery benefits of collagen, his path from space shuttles to grocery store aisles was two decades in the making, bisected by a successful career as a digital strategy consultant. Seidensticker joined us for an interview included in this episode of Taste Radio and explained how lessons from his experience at NASA provided a critical conduit to his work building e-commerce platforms for Fortune 500 companies and investment banks. His expertise in e-commerce in turn laid the groundwork for the launch of Vital Proteins, which began as a direct-to-consumer brand. "I recognized early on… that e-commerce was a really viable solution to build a brand around before you went into retail stores," he said. "If you build a brand ahead of time, you go into retail stores, people know who you are [and] it's much easier to expand the brand nationally." As part of the wide-ranging conversation, Seidensticker also discussed how he assessed the market potential for an ingestible collagen brand and Vital Proteins' attempt to position itself as "an overall wellness company for beauty and fitness." Collagen has been promoted as key component of another trendy ingredient: bone broth. In recent years, we've seen a few beverage plays in the nascent space, including BRU Broth, a brand of bone broth and cold-pressed juice blends. Included in this episode is an interview with company's co-founder and CEO Soo-Ah Landa, who spoke about the launch and development of the company. And in the latest edition of Elevator Talk, we ask if basil seed an ingredient to watch in 2018. Shakira Niazi thinks so. She's the founder of Basil Seed Works, the maker of ZenBasil, a brand of basil seed-infused beverages. Niazi shared her vision for the brand and discussed some of the functional benefits of the basil seed. Show notes: 1:08: Is It a Food? Is It a Beverage? Does it Matter? -- Five years ago this month, PepsiCo chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi said that "a way to grow the beverage business is to take foods and drinkify them." The concept was rooted in her belief that a confluence of demand for convenience and nutrition would drive consumption trends over the next decade. Amid rising interest for protein-heavy smoothies, drinkable soups and bottled yogurts, it turns out that she was onto something. Yet a question persists: how do these brand best market themselves as snacks and vice versa? The hosts discuss. 11:11: Interview: Kurt Seidensticker, Founder/CEO, Vital Proteins -- It's been a breakout year for ingestible collagen and one of the leading brands in the space, Vital Proteins. A maker of collagen-based foods and supplements, Vital picked up national placement at Whole Foods and Vitamin Shoppe and added $19 million in new funding from venture capital firm CAVU. Founder and CEO Kurt Seidensticker joined us for a conversation about the company and how Vital has positioned itself as a leader in the nascent collagen space. 37:08: Interview: Soo-Ah Landa, Co-Founder/CEO, BRU Broth -- We spoke with Landa about her decision to leave behind a comfortable corporate career and make the leap into the rough-and-tumble beverage business. She also discussed why merchandising innovative products like BRU is "a past problem, a present problem and likely a future problem" and her concern that "it's still hard to find women investors and advisors, specifically in this space." 55:22: Elevator Talk: Shakira Niazi, Founder, ZenBasil -- ZenBasil is an upstart brand of basil seed-infused beverages. We spoke with Niazi at BevNET Live Winter 2017, where she participated in New Beverage Showdown 14 and made it to the final round of the competition.

Distributors called her a "relentless bitch," but Sharelle Klaus paid little mind to their insecurities. She was too busy building a business. Instead, Klaus, the founder and CEO of DRY Soda, a Seattle-based maker of premium carbonated soft drinks, wore the slur as a badge of honor. Standing at the forefront of the emerging craft soda segment since the launch of DRY in 2005, Klaus acknowledges that she is indeed relentless — and deeply passionate about her vision to deliver better soda to American consumers. "I have an expectation, and it has to get done," she said in an interview included in this episode of Taste Radio. "In beverage, you've got to get that product on the shelf. It has to be executed correctly. I do demand a lot from everybody -- you just have to." Beginning with DRY's early days as a regional startup through its rise to a nationally distributed brand, Klaus shared war stories from the journey and revealed the one lesson she believes entrepreneurs need to learn if they intend to be successful. This episode also includes a lively chat with Russell Barnett, CMO of My/Mo, a fast-growing brand of mochi ice cream sweeping through freezers aisles across the U.S. Don't miss Barnett's explanation of why "marketing is never right; [just] varying degrees of wrong." We also caught up with Max Baumann and BJ McCaslin, co-founders of Bear Squeeze, a brand of ketogenic meal shakes that triumphed in BevNET Live's New Beverage Showdown 14. Rounding out the episode is the latest edition of Elevator Talk featuring Tugger Balcom, the founder of Sports Juice, a brand of organic, cold-pressed juices designed for athletes. Show notes: 1:09: Get a Life(style): All of the folks interviewed in this episode represent brands with a lifestyle component and engage with consumers beyond their core focus or function. The hosts discuss what makes for an effective lifestyle brand and how companies can best articulate their messaging. 6:27: Interview: Sharelle Klaus, Founder/CEO, Dry Soda -- In this interview, recorded from the Taste Radio studio at BevNET Live Winter 2017, Klaus shared her vision for the culinary-inspired soda brand and the impetus for its launch. She also discussed how she's persevered through her dozen years in the beverage business and why she implores entrepreneurs to "not be afraid to look stupid." 29:56: Interview: Russell Barnett, CMO, My/Mo -- In this interview with Project NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg, Barnett discussed the rapid emergence of My/Mo and why keeping the brand "weird and quirky... presents a really great opportunity for an experiential moment." Barnett also shares lessons learned from his two decades as a marketing exec, which has included roles with Mike's Hard Lemonade, PopChips and KeVita. 48:52: Interview: Max Baumann & BJ McCaslin, Co-Founders, Bear Squeeze -- Baumann and McCaslin joined us on the mics shortly after claiming the crown of New Beverage Showdown 14 and taking home the competition's $10,000 prize. The pair discussed the company's business strategy and McCaslin remarked on his second Showdown win, the first being with Coco Cafe in 2011. 59:53: Elevator Talk: Tugger Balcom, Founder, Sports Juice -- A semifinalist in New Beverage Showdown 14, we caught up with Balcom in Los Angeles a few weeks back when he joined us for this edition of Elevator Talk. Brands in this episode: Rockstar, Red Bull, Dry Soda, My/Mo, Bear Squeeze, Mixwell, Sports Juice For sponsorship opportunities, feedback and suggestions, contact ask@tasteradio.com.

Stephen Williamson, the co-founder and CEO of organic plant-based food and beverage company Forager Project, embraces a non-traditional approach to innovation. "We are great believers in 'Ready. Fire. Aim.'" he said in a recent interview included in this episode of Taste Radio. "We have tried to leverage anything where we've seen success." Launched in 2013, the San Francisco-based company has built a brand platform that extends from juices to smoothies to snacks and yogurts, all based around the principle of making great-tasting, healthy and minimally processed foods and beverages. Speaking with BevNET assistant editor Martin Caballero, Williamson and co-founder J.C. Hanley discussed how the company works to align innovation with current trends while staying true to its core mission. Williamson, who is a former chairman and CEO of Odwalla, and Hanley also spoke about their origins in the food business and why "learning from food" is a key piece of Forager's business philosophy. Also included in this episode: A conversation with Brandon Partridge, the Senior Vice President of Industry Development at American Frozen Food Institute and the founder of Ibex Yogurt, an innovative brand of organic drinkable yogurts that was discontinued in 2014. Partridge discussed learning lessons from his journey as a beverage entrepreneur and reflected on stumbling blocks and pitfalls. This week's Elevator Talk features Maggie Patton and Alex Buckley are the co-founders of Bitsy's Brainfood, an organic food company that makes allergen-friendly and vegetable-based snacks and cereals. Show notes: 1:01: Insights from Brewbound Session, NOSH Live and BevNET Live -- The hosts discuss news, trends, new products and speakers from the three conferences. Included in their banter: Novo Brazil's triumph in Brewbound Session's Startup Brewery Challenge 9; Saffron Road founder and CEO Adnan Durrani's stirring presentation at NOSH Live; the magic of oat-based granola brand Woats; the genius of Califia Farms' Greg Steltenpohl and Arnold Ventura; why new sparkling juice brand Hubble could be an Orangina-killer. 13:14: Interview: Stephen Williamson and JC Hanley, Co-Founders, Forager Project -- Forager is a maker of organic, plant-based food and beverages, including cold-pressed juice, nut milks, dairy-free yogurt and vegetable-based chips. In this interview, recorded via Skype, Williamson and Hanley discussed the company's mission and innovation philosophy, its transition from a focus on cold-pressed juice to multi-pronged portfolio of food and beverage and how "learning from food" allowed the company to leverage its expertise in cashew milk production to create a new line of dairy-free yogurts. 37:56: Interview: Brandon Partridge, Founder, Ibex -- Partridge is the founder of Ibex Yogurt, an innovative brand of organic drinkable yogurts founded in 2011 and was discontinued in 2014. In our conversation, recorded at NOSH Live Winter 2017, he discussed why the brand may have been a victim of "right place, wrong time" and the notion that young companies like Ibex often "live at the edge of success and extinction." 1:02:49: Elevator Talk: Maggie Patton & Alex Buckley, Co-Founders, Bitsy's Brainfood -- Patton and Buckley are the co-founders of Bitsy's Brainfood. Moms and former educators, the pair discussed how and why they launched the organic food company, which makes allergen-friendly and vegetable-based snacks and cereals. Brands in this episode: Novo Brazil, Honey Mama's, Woats, Califia Farms, Odwalla, San Pellegrino, Hubble, Vive Organic, Bija Bhar, Mother Beverage, GT's Kombucha, Health-Ade Kombucha, Brew Dr. Kombucha, Better Booch, Forager Project, Ibex, Bitsy Brainfood For sponsorship opportunities, feedback and suggestions, contact ask@tasteradio.com.

Back to the Roots, which markets indoor gardening kits and organic breakfast cereal, has come a long way. Having started out making mushrooms out of coffee waste, the company has evolved into an ambitious sustainable food brand that envisions a future when it's recognized as "The Pixar of Food." In this week's episode of Taste Radio, co-founder Nikhil Arora discussed how Back to the Roots is positioning itself to achieve that lofty goal through a consumer-centric approach to innovation and working hand-in-hand with key retailers. "People ask, 'how'd you go from mushrooms to aquaponics to cereal?' he said. "It was talking to our consumers and being able to have that opportunity. Whole Foods was a huge part of that." Ahora noted that strategic planning always starts with "what problem are you solving for consumers," and pointed to the company's indoor gardening kits as a way for urban dwellers with limited yard space to grow their own food. In CPG, Back to the Roots cereals, formulated with four ingredients or less, are designed to be healthy alternatives to sugar-laden legacy brands, while "connecting kids back to real food." Also included in this episode: an interview with Mark Young, who is the founder and CEO of BeerBoard, a beer management platform that enables breweries, restaurants and bars to make real-time marketing decisions about their beer selection. And this week's Elevator Talk features Kareem Elhamasy, the co-founder of Nitro Beverage Co., a upstart maker of nitro coffee and kombucha. Show notes: 1:00: Prepping Your Protein -- Protein is one of the hottest ingredients in food and beverage and is being marketed in a dizzying array of forms and formats. Milk-based drinks, pea-based protein powders, meat jerky, whey-infused waters, nut-based bars, whole bean snacks. We see this stuff come into the office every day; the hosts discuss how they wade through the ever-increasing options for protein consumption. 9:20: Interview: Nikhil Arora, Co-Founder/Co-CEO, Back to the Roots -- Project NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg met with Arora at the Produce Marketing Association's 2017 Fresh Summit in New Orleans for a wide-ranging conversation that includes discussion about the origins of Back to the Roots, how close relationships with Whole Foods and Amazon accelerated its development and how the company has navigated the foodservice business in NYC schools. 36:02: Interview: Mark Young, Founder/CEO, BeerBoard -- Young explained how BeerBoard improves inventory control by reducing overpours, underpours and "unauthorized comps." He noted that the company's emergence comes as the beer industry is "getting more educated about technology in ways that they can benefit from it." 1:01:56: Elevator Talk: Kareem Elhamasy, Co-Founder, Nitro Beverage Co. -- Elhamasy recently visited BevNET HQ and introduced us to Nitro Beverage Co., which he co-founded with three friends in Asbury Park, NJ. Brands in this episode: Nothing But The Fruit, OWYN, Back to The Roots, Love Beets, BeerBoard, Nitro Beverage Co. For sponsorship opportunities, feedback and suggestions, contact ask@tasteradio.com.

Barry Nalebuff believes that food and beverage entrepreneurs should focus on solving what he calls "a real problem." When he co-founded organic beverage brand Honest Tea 20 years ago, that meant delivering healthier bottled drinks to consumers at a time when few such options existed. Nalebuff has since integrated that philosophy into other ventures, including alcoholic kombucha company Kombrewcha and Maker Oats, a new brand of organic overnight oats that he developed in partnership with Quaker Oaks. The ultimate goal, he says, is to transform an industry laden with unhealthy ingredients and formulations. "If you think about what people have put in our foods, do you think they've actually made us healthier?" he asked. "I'd like to be able to trust in my food companies. I want to make things that you can trust. I want to appeal to people who read labels." In this week's edition of Taste Radio, Nalebuff joined us for a wide-ranging conversation about his career as an entrepreneur and investor, including why premiumization has been an effective path to innovation, lessons learned from early missteps at Honest Tea, and how he views Maker Oats as fitting into Americans' daily routines. Also included in this episode: An interview with Will Willis, co-founder of Boston-based craft distillery Bully Boy Distillers. Willis, who launched Bully Boy in 2011 with his brother Dave, discussed his journey in the fast-growing business of craft spirits, including their initial foray into the space, how the industry has evolved over the past six years and what he's learned along the way. And in the latest edition of Elevator Talk, we sit down with Ryan Close, the creator of Bartesian, a countertop machine described as the "Keurig for Cocktails." Show notes: 'Cause I'm Eating on a Jetplane: In just a few days, the team will be heading out to Santa Monica for BevNET Live, Brewbound Session and NOSH Live. Most of us will probably make a beeline to the In N' Out near LAX as soon as we land. But how, pray tell, will we nourish ourselves during the journey? The hosts discuss some go-to snacks and drinks when flying, including Barnana, Biena Snacks, Monfefo, Temple Turmeric and Terra Chips. Interview: Barry Nalebuff, Co-Founder, Honest Tea, Kombrewcha, Maker Oats -- Nalebuff recently joined BevNET CEO John Craven and Project NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg at BevNET HQ for a wide-ranging conversation about his career as an entrepreneur and investor. Nalebuff, who's also a professor of management at Yale University, explained his innovation philosophy, beginning with Honest Tea and later with Kombrewcha and Maker Oats, how entrepreneurs can empower designers to best align branding and packaging with their visions and why it's critical for him to work with people that he "totally trusts." Interview: Will Willis, Co-Founder, Bully Boy Distillers -- As the market for craft spirits continues to develop, we've stayed curious about the segment and its parallels to emerging categories in food and non-alcoholic beverages. So when we were invited to visit Bully Boy Distillers, an urban craft distillery located in Boston, we figured it was a good opportunity to chat about the business with folks in the trenches. John and Ray recently checked out Bully Boy and met with co-founder Will Willis. Elevator Talk: Ryan Close, Co-Founder, Bartesian -- Close is the co-founder of Bartesian, a Keurig-type machine that makes cocktails on demand. We met up with Close last month in L.A. and recorded this edition of Elevator Talk. Brands in this episode: Barnana, Biena, Monfefo, Temple Turmeric, Terra Chips, Honest Tea, Kombrewcha, Calicraft, Maker Oats, Bully Boy, Bartesian For sponsorship opportunities, feedback and suggestions, contact ask@tasteradio.com.