The Startup CPG Podcast

The top CPG podcast in the world, highlighting stories from founders, buyer spotlights, highly practical industry insights - all to give you a better chance at success.

The Startup CPG Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 88. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The Startup CPG Podcast, a business show with 0 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #355

  Honey 101 for CPG Brands: Trends, Formulation Tips & Resources with Keith Seiz of The National Honey Board

  Aug 19, 202611 minS4

  In this mini episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Keith Seiz of the National Honey Board to unpack why honey has become one of the most in-demand ingredients in food and beverage right now - and what that means for brands and formulators looking to work with it. Keith has spent 17 years working with the National Honey Board, traveling the country to talk with food manufacturers, distillers, brewers, and bakers about how to formulate better products with honey. In that time, he's watched the conversation shift - what used to be a handful of questions about honey itself has grown into an equal mix of curiosity about honey and the honeybees behind it, as consumers pay closer attention to where their ingredients actually come from. Daniel and Keith dig into the data behind honey's rapid growth, the new product categories it's showing up in, the functional (not just flavor) benefits formulators are leaning on, and the free resources the National Honey Board offers CPG brands - from troubleshooting to ready-made product concepts. Listen in as they discuss: Why honey has become one of the hottest ingredients in food and beverage right now The consumer shift toward traditional and natural sweeteners over zero-sugar alternatives INOVA data showing a 16.7% increase in new products launched with honey in 2025 How honey has expanded well beyond baked goods into beverages, snacks, frozen foods, dairy, and confections Why brands are proudly featuring honey (and honeybees) on front-of-package, unlike most other sweeteners The shift from single-purpose synthetic ingredients toward multi-functional natural ones like honey Honey's functional roles beyond sweetness, including binding in bars and emulsification in dressings Why honey's 24 different carbohydrates make it such an effective flavor masker for nutrient-fortified products What the National Honey Board offers CPG brands, including troubleshooting, innovation support, and consumer data How emerging brands can get free product development support, including ready-to-use honey product concepts from the National Honey Board's innovation team Interested in learning more? Check out www.honey.com or follow along on IG @honey4pros for more tips and updates from The National Honey Board. Or, you can email Keith directly today at keith@honey.com . Episode Links: Keith Seiz LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/keithseiz National Honey Board LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/national-honey-board National Honey Board Website: www.honey.com National Honey Board Instagram: @honey4pros 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 (35K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Daniel's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/danscharff Questions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics

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  Episode #357

  #262 - Beverage Manufacturing Lessons with BevSource's Bob Williams

  Aug 18, 202641 minS4

  In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Bob Williams of BevSource - a beverage industry veteran Daniel calls "the beverage Oracle" - to unpack the most common (and costly) manufacturing mistakes beverage brands run into with co-packers. Bob has spent over 25 years in the beverage industry, most of it around co-packing, quality, and manufacturing operations. He's built out eight high-speed can lines and spent his career getting called in when something has already gone wrong - troubleshooting everything from mysterious can leaks to failed micro tests. Daniel, who previously ran a beverage brand himself and worked with Bob directly, brings his own founder experience to the conversation, pulling real examples from his time scaling into thousands of retail doors. Daniel and Bob dig into why "leakers" are almost never actually a can problem, what really happens when a co-packer cuts corners on pasteurization, how to properly vet a manufacturing facility before you sign anything, and what documentation every brand should be asking for - before and after something goes wrong. Listen in as they discuss: Why brewery-turned-co-packers often struggle with the regulatory and equipment shift into non-beer beverages The real root cause behind most can "leakers" - and why it's almost never actually the can What seam check reports are, why they matter, and how outdated equipment can produce unreliable results A real case where a co-packer skipped tunnel pasteurization entirely - and what happened as a result Why brands should never sign a co-packing agreement before physically touring the facility What to look for on a co-packer site visit, from RO systems to master sanitation programs Real warning signs Bob has seen on-site, including uncalibrated equipment and neglected water filtration systems Why full documentation - batch records, QA reports, maintenance logs - should never be treated as proprietary What to expect (and not panic about) during your first production run and taste-matching process Why shelf life and stability testing should start the moment your formula is finalized, not after launch Episode Links: Bob Williams LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-williams-88ba5312/ BevSource LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/bevsource BevSource Website: www.bevsource.com BevSource Instagram: @bevsource 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 (35K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Daniel's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danscharff/ Questions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics

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  Episode #352

  R&D RADIO: How to Audit a Co-Packer: The Food QA's Hermi Galstian Explains

  Aug 17, 202628 minS4

  In this episode of R&D Radio, host and food scientist Adam Yee sits down with Hermi Galstian, founder of The Food QA, to break down the real difference between food safety and quality - and what founders should actually be looking for when they walk into a co-manufacturer's facility. Hermi's path into food safety wasn't a straight line. She started as a business major on track for law school, worked in HR recruiting, and only discovered food science after training for a marathon as a vegetarian sparked her interest in nutrition. She helped build her own graduate program in food science before spending years at Follow Your Heart, a vegan food company later acquired by Danone, and eventually launched The Food QA to help CPG brands navigate food safety, quality, and manufacturing partnerships. Adam and Hermi dig into the core difference between food safety and quality, how to properly vet a contract manufacturer, what third-party audits like SQF and BRC actually mean, and exactly what to look for (and ask about) during a facility tour - from pest control and employee hygiene to ingredient sourcing and pre-op equipment checks. Listen in as they discuss: The core difference between food safety and quality, with real product examples Hermi's winding path from pre-law to food science to 15 years in the field Why referrals are the best first step when vetting a co-packer Why founders should never assume a manufacturer takes full responsibility for their product What third-party audits like SQF, BRC, and GFSI actually tell you What to do if a manufacturer won't share audit reports or allow a tour What to look for during a facility walkthrough, from corners and hot spots to pest control Why employee hygiene, handwashing stations, and equipment nooks matter more than founders think How ingredient sourcing and substitutions can quietly compromise safety or quality How certifications and product claims (non-GMO, kosher, seed oil free) shape what gets tested Episode Links: Hermi Galstian LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/hermineh The Food QA Company LinkedIn: www.linkedin.comcompany/thefoodqa/ The Food QA Company Website: www.thefoodqa.com The Food QA Company Instagram: @thefoodqa 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 (35K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Adam's LinkedIn Questions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics

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  Episode #356

  Why Investor Ryan Ball Wants You to Pivot Fast and Fundraise Smart

  Aug 15, 202633 minS4

  In this Investor Spotlight, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Ryan Ball, founder of Sperian Ventures, to unpack the data, mindset, and founder qualities he looks for before writing a check into an early-stage CPG brand. Ryan's path into investing started almost by accident, coordinating a group investment while getting his MBA at the McCombs School of Business. That first deal evolved into Sperian Ventures, an angel network that pools capital into individual deals. Ryan brings a founder's perspective to every evaluation - he's started a spice company of his own and now runs a freight logistics company that gives him a front-row seat to the operational realities CPG brands face day to day. Hannah and Ryan dig into the metrics and data Ryan needs to see before considering an investment, why he sees pivots as a good sign rather than a red flag, the founder qualities that consistently stand out in a pitch, and what founders across different CPG subcategories should expect when it comes to fundraising. Listen in as they discuss: Why Ryan almost always requires sales velocity data - especially pre-, during-, and post-promo - before considering an investment Why Ryan sees pivots as a positive signal rather than a red flag The revenue range and business maturity Sperian typically looks for in a CPG brand How Ryan's own founder and logistics experience shapes his diligence conversations The founder qualities that get Ryan excited, from listening skills to staying level-headed under pressure What "give the investor no reason to say no" means in practice when preparing to raise Why LTV and category-specific limitations (like kids products founders age out of) matter to investors The consumer trend Ryan is most drawn to right now: simple, clean-label products with few ingredients What a special purpose vehicle (SPV) is and how Ryan's angel network structures individual deals How to get in touch with Sperian Ventures if you're raising or interested in joining the investor network Episode Links: Ryan Ball LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-ball7 Sperian Ventures LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sperian-ventures/about/ Sperian Ventures Website: sperianventures.com 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 (35K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Hannah's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-dittman-011b844b Questions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics

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  Episode #353

  How Quincy Is Reinventing the Dirty Martini, One Perfect Jar at a Time

  Aug 14, 202630 minS4

  Host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Halli Sigel, co-founder of Quincy, to talk about how a jar of olive brine turned into a category-defining mixers and garnishes brand. Quincy's mission is simple - build brand love for the other half of the glass by redefining mixers and garnishes for the modern consumer. Before Quincy, Halli spent nearly a decade inside high-growth, venture-backed startups like Casper and Chief, working at the intersection of operations and member experience - she was employee number seven at Chief. That mix of scaling businesses and building community stuck with her, and it planted the seed for what would eventually become Quincy. The idea itself came from her own fridge - after making a batch of dirty martinis for friends, she realized the brine ran out long before the olives did, and no one was making a jar built specifically for people who actually drink martinis. The conversation covers Quincy's origin story and the "why" behind the name, how the brand built three distinct revenue channels across retail, on-premise, and food service, what actually goes into a jar of Quincy, and how the brand has positioned itself to grow alongside both the alcohol and non-alcoholic markets. Halli also shares what's next for Quincy's single-SKU strategy and what she learned from her first Summer Fancy Food Show as an exhibiting brand. Listen in as they discuss: Why Quincy chose Spanish queen olives over the trendy Castelvetrano The real story behind the name Quincy - and the actual person it's named after How a "beertini" collab with a Brooklyn brewery became Quincy's first co-branded product Building three separate revenue channels: retail, food service, and on-premise bar accounts Why Quincy views the sober-curious and NA movement as a tailwind, not a threat What's actually inside a Quincy jar - the ratio of brine to olives, and why it's flipped from a typical olive jar How buyer feedback at larger retailers is shaping Quincy's expansion plans Lessons from exhibiting at Summer Fancy Food for the first time How Halli and co-founder Shelby Sims reconnected in 2023 after a false start in 2020 Halli's go-to at-home recipe, featuring a dill-infused gin Episode Links: Halli Sigel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/halli-sigel-1b436395/ Quincy Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/drinkquincy/ Website: https://drinkquincy.com/ Instagram: @drinkquincy 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 (35K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Caitlin's LinkedIn Questions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics

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