The Good, Bad & Ugly Of Mission-Driven Brands
Taste Radio
Can a brand built on purpose survive when its mission is put at risk? The hosts dive into the escalating conflict between Ben & Jerry's and its parent company over funding cuts to the ice cream maker's philanthropic foundation, debating whether a brand so closely tied to a social mission can preserve its identity after acquisition and how the dispute could influence consumer loyalty in an increasingly competitive premium ice cream category. The discussion also examines how founders should approach purpose-driven branding, with early-stage sparkling water brand Atomico serving...
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Pitching An 'Empire' Builder: Hover, Purple Drop, Atomico, Ola Mate & ChamCham
Taste Radio
The latest episode of Taste Radio’s Elevator Talk spotlights innovative leaders from Hover, Purple Drop, Atomico, Ola Mate and ChamCham. The founders and operators introduce their brands and share recent company updates and milestones. This week’s special co-host is Rebecca Bernard, the founder and CEO of Empire City Brand Builders, a sales and marketing broker focused on growing brands in the New York Metro area. Rebecca offers insightful questions, thoughtful feedback, and strategic perspective alongside regular host Ray Latif, editor and producer of the Taste Radio podcast. Early-stage...
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Why The Next Big Thing—In Booze Or Beyond—Is Often Borrowed
Taste Radio
CPG's next big ideas often emerge in unexpected places. In this episode, we explore what founders across food and beverage can learn from the rapid rise of hard sodas and hard sports drinks, as alcohol brands borrow from health, wellness and functionality to connect with younger consumers. The Taste Radio team is joined by Brewbound reporter Zoe Licata to discuss why familiar flavors, better-for-you positioning and shifting consumer behaviors are fueling these fast-growing categories—and whether they're poised for long-term success or destined to become another fleeting trend. They...
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How Curious Elixirs Built An Eight-Figure Brand Without Outside Investors
Taste Radio
He built an eight-figure brand without raising a dollar of outside capital. Now he's sharing exactly how he did it. J.W. reveals the playbook behind one of the adult non-alcoholic category’s earliest success stories. He explains why he bet on the sober curious trend years before it became mainstream, how direct-to-consumer sales fueled profitable growth from day one, and why relentless product refinement – not rapid expansion – has been the foundation of the brand's success. J.W. also discusses customer acquisition, retail strategy, premium pricing and the long-term vision that's...
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AI Is Changing How Brands Are Built. It Can't Build Yours.
Taste Radio
AI is rewriting the rules of product discovery, and brands that aren't optimized for algorithms risk becoming invisible. The Taste Radio team explores how AI is reshaping retail and marketing, unpacks a proposed class action lawsuit over protein labeling claims, and explains why early-stage founders should build with mainstream consumers – not just niche audiences – in mind. Show notes: 0:20: Fourth & Over. Don’t Let Claude Do All The Work. You Need A Lawyer. Think Big. Ahh, That Was Nice. – After some lighthearted banter about summer already being over, the team explores how...
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OIipop/Graza Investor Tom Spier Rides The Elevator With Four Food Founders
Taste Radio
The latest episode of Taste Radio’s Elevator Talk spotlights innovative leaders from Bakeful, Scoops, Luv & Yum and DOU. The founders and operators introduce their brands and share recent company updates and milestones. This week’s special co-host is Tom Spier, the founder and managing partner of BFG Partners, a venture capital firm that holds stakes in Olipop, Graza, Mid-Day Squares, AG and other fast-growing CPG companies. Tom offers insightful questions, thoughtful feedback, and strategic perspective alongside regular host Ray Latif, editor and producer of the Taste...
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What Did It Take to Make MadeGood Great?
Taste Radio
Most founders want to grow fast. Nima Fotovat says that's exactly how brands get into trouble. In this episode, the MadeGood co-founder explains how a disciplined, long-term approach helped transform the company from a lunchbox solution into one of the world's leading better-for-you snack brands. He discusses why taste – and not MadeGood’s allergen-friendly reputation – has always been the brand's greatest competitive advantage and why the company invested in its own manufacturing. Nima also talks about how MadeGood navigated the financial strain of its early years, and why putting...
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Inside Fancy Food: The Brands, Products & Trends That Stood Out
Taste Radio
From breakthrough startups to category-defining innovations, the 2026 Summer Fancy Food Show gave the Taste Radio team plenty to talk about. The hosts recap their favorite discoveries from the annual event, highlighting standout brands, globally inspired flavors, premium non-alcoholic beverages, inventive snacks and convenient pantry staples. They also discuss the themes that emerged across the show floor and why this year's event reflected a growing emphasis on quality, creativity and accessible innovation. Show notes: 0:20: Good Show, SFA. Spicy, Convenient, Premium. Get A Kloo....
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Wandering Bear Almost Lost It All. Then It Brewed A Second Act.
Taste Radio
A $7,000 startup. A business that nearly vanished. A brand that's still growing 12 years later. In this episode, Wandering Bear co-founder and CEO Matt Bachmann shares the hard-earned lessons behind building one of cold brew's original success stories, from surviving the collapse of its office business during the pandemic to reinventing the company through e-commerce and strategic retail expansion. He also discusses the thinking behind the brand's latest innovations, how to time new product launches, and why staying relentlessly focused on consumers has been the key to long-term...
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Time To Rethink THC… And DTC?
Taste Radio
One brand is preparing for a regulatory shakeup. Another just landed in Target with $24 million in fresh capital. The Taste Radio hosts discuss BRĒZ’s bet on a future beyond THC, Stars & Honey’s leap from DTC success to a nationwide Target launch, and how brands are reinventing Shirley Temples, protein bars, and Rice Krispie treats for a new generation of consumers. Show notes: 0:20: Fancy Talk. Strategizing For A Ban. E-Comm Insights. Why Buy? Shirley A Hot Trend. Aye, Captain. – Ray highlights the upcoming Summer Fancy Food Show and Taste Radio’s Elevator Talk series...
info_outlineCan a brand built on purpose survive when its mission is put at risk?
The hosts dive into the escalating conflict between Ben & Jerry's and its parent company over funding cuts to the ice cream maker's philanthropic foundation, debating whether a brand so closely tied to a social mission can preserve its identity after acquisition and how the dispute could influence consumer loyalty in an increasingly competitive premium ice cream category.
The discussion also examines how founders should approach purpose-driven branding, with early-stage sparkling water brand Atomico serving as an example of a young company that integrates its mission into its business without overshadowing the product itself.
The hosts also sample and review a variety of emerging products, including South Chicago Packing's Wagyu Beef Tallow Spray, Cozy's refrigerated snack bars made with grass-fed butter, Bakeful's better-for-you brownies, muffins and donuts, MixMix THC beverage stick packs, and Muffits protein mini muffins.
Show notes:
0:20: On Tap. Social Scoops No More? Space Age Sparkling Water. Tallow & Butter. Munchin’ On Muffins. The hosts preview two upcoming community events: the Taste Radio Chicago Meetup at Pilot Project Brewing on Aug. 13 and a Nombase webinar featuring executives from Goodles and Culture Pop on July 28. They then explore whether a purpose-driven brand can preserve its identity after being acquired, and how changes to its philanthropic commitments could reshape consumer perception. As a counterpoint, they spotlight an emerging functional sparkling water brand that supports STEM education through NASA Space Camp scholarships. Later, Melissa highlights a beefy cooking spray, Ray shares a pair of brands—one making better-for-you yet indulgent snack bars and another reimagining Hostess-style treats for today's consumers. Mike stirs things up with powdered drink mixes, and the episode wraps with a discussion of protein snacks—because, of course, it does.
Brands in this episode: Goodles, Culture Pop, Nantucket Nectars, Annie’s, Ben & Jerry’s, Stonyfield, Jeni’s, Van Leeuwens, Salt & Straw, Tillamook, Atomico, Spindrift, South Chicago Packing, COZY, Bakeful, MixMix, Muffits