Episodes

Stew Leonard’s president/CEO Stew Leonard Jr. spoke about the company’s focus on customer interaction and how it has helped create a unique and high-quality shopping experience. He also discussed the evolution of the chain’s food offerings and how it selects brands for its stores, its efforts to stay on top of current food trends, his perspective on leadership, and how Stew Leonard’s is planning for the future.

This edition of Taste Radio Insider features highlights from interviews with six founders, creators and industry experts who joined us on the show during the first half of 2019, including Hint founder/CEO Kara Goldin, venture capitalist Chris Hollod, Recess founder/CEO Benjamin Witte, attorney & investor Ryan Lewendon, MALK founder/CEO August Vega and nutpods founder/CEO Madeline Haydon. This episode is presented by BevSource.

In this highlight episode culled from interviews with six innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs who joined us on Taste Radio during the first half of 2019, we explore the role that innovation plays several for category-leading brands. Our guests include Vita Coco co-founder Mike Kirban, Lifeway Foods CEO Julie Smolyansky, Justin’s founder Justin Gold, Sailor Jerry Rum and Hendricks Gin creator Steve Grasse and WTRMLN WTR co-founder Jody Levy.

On the heels of the 2019 Summer Fancy Food Show, this week’s episode explores new and innovative concepts in the food and beverage industries as viewed through the lens of the annual trade show. We’re also joined by Smári Organics founder/CEO Smári Ásmundsson for a conversation about the yogurt brand’s foray into beverages and how he’s navigated production and distribution challenges along the way.

Nutrabolt CEO Doss Cunningham explained why focusing on premium as the guiding principle of the company’s business strategy was key to its development and that of its anchor brand, C4. He also discussed the mission and focus of his venture capital firm LivWell Ventures and the lessons he hopes to impart to brand owners within its portfolio. This episode is presented by Flavorman, the beverage architects.

In this week’s episode, Sebastian Dreher, the managing director of Dohler Ventures U.S., discussed the firm’s funding philosophy and why he believes that investing in emerging brands is more “art than science.” He also spoke about how he evaluates scalable innovation, why category dynamics are crucial to Dohler’s investment strategy, and why great founders are also great fundraisers.

In a wide-ranging interview, Siggi’s founder Siggi Hilmarsson chronicled his journey from selling his Icelandic-style yogurt on the streets of Manhattan through to the creation and eventual acquisition of the brand in 2018. As part of our conversation, he explained why he urges entrepreneurs to “plan for success,” the important role basketball plays in his life, and why he’s a “maybe, sort-of perfectionist.” This episode is presented by Flavorman, the beverage architects.