Hawa Hassan is the Founder and CEO of Basbaas Sauce , a line of condiments inspired by her country of origin, Somalia. Born in the capital city of Mogadishu, Hawa came to the U.S. as a refugee at the age of 7. After a successful career as a model, Hawa started Basbaas. On this episode of In the Sauce, Hawa tells Alison her incredible story and they discuss the ups and downs of, you guessed it, being in the sauce. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask ...
Jun 24, 2019•49 min•Ep. 40
Allison Marchesani Ackerman is a brand strategy and digital marketing consultant based in New York. After 4 years at Sir Kensington's , she decided to set out on her own to work with small, growing brands in the natural foods industry. On this episode of In the Sauce, Allison and Ali talk about how an emerging brand can build a communications strategy that guides them, speaks to consumers, and doesn't cost 6 months of sales. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listen...
Jun 17, 2019•54 min•Ep. 39
Jordan Salcito is the Founder and CEO of DRINK RAMONA , an organic canned wine spritz with a cult-like following. On this episode of In the Sauce, Jordan and Ali talk about recreating a category, making a product that is both quality and accessible and creating a brand that people love. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, ent...
Jun 10, 2019•48 min•Ep. 38
Sarah Foley is Managing Director at SWAT Equity Partners , an early-stage venture capital firm focused on investing in emerging consumer brands. She sources deals, does diligence, structures investments, and monitors them along the way. On this episode of In the Sauce, Sarah and Ali talk about venture capital: the difference between "rounds," what valuation is all about, and how the landscape of venture may be shifting as we speak. In the Sauce is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at http...
Jun 03, 2019•48 min•Ep. 37
Agatha Kluk is the co-Founder of Kluk Farber , a boutique law firm that represents entrepreneurs, companies, investors and creatives across a variety of industries including consumer products, tech, and hospitality. On this episode of In the Sauce, Agatha talks Ali through the legal stuff: contracts, fundraising, compliance, trademarks and more. Don't miss a live podcast taping featuring Ali (and her special guest Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni's Ice Cream ) and other HRN hosts at Haven's Kitchen on...
May 20, 2019•50 min•Ep. 36
Anita Sheperd is the Founder & CEO of Anita’s Coconut Yogurt . Known for a clean label and proprietary probiotic blend with over 300 billion live cultures per serving, Anita’s is the OG coconut yogurt and has faced its share of challenges as it's scaled to meet growing demand. On this episode of In the Sauce, Anita and Ali talk candidly about the challenges of growing BIG, trying not to compromise and staying real with consumers. In The Sauce is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at ...
May 13, 2019•51 min•Ep. 35
Jess Conroy is the Founder and CEO of Carats and Cake , a wedding planning platform that delivers personal wedding advice to couples. On this episode of In the Sauce, Jess talks Ali through the leadership lessons she's learned since founding C&C in 2013. They discuss Jess' monthly leadership emails which cover everything from the Tyranny of the Urgent to the Casualty of Being too Casual. Leadership isn't quite as intuitive as it may seem. It's a muscle and needs the right exercise. In The Sa...
May 06, 2019•44 min•Ep. 34
Rachel Simons is the Co-Founder and CEO of Seed + Mill , America’s first sesame concept store and producer of a range of products made from sesame seeds, including halva, tahini soft-serve, a range of spices and everyone's favorite tahini. On this episode of In the Sauce, Rachel and Ali flip things around, and Rachel interviews Ali on all things sauce: what's been happening with the team, what some of the challenges have been a long the way, and what's next. In The Sauce is powered by Simplecast...
Apr 22, 2019•52 min•Ep. 33
Becca Parrish is the founder of Becca, the creative marketing agency behind mega brands like Health-ade, Casa Dragones, Le Bernadin, the Polo Bar and many, many more. On this episode of In the Sauce, Becca and Ali explore how a brand makes itself known and stays relevant in a sea of choices. They talk brand DNA, the rules around an elevator pitch, and Becca's biggest pet peeve. In The Sauce is powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at...
Apr 15, 2019•55 min•Ep. 32
Trinity Mouzon Wofford is the Co-Founder and CEO of Golde , a wellness brand that got its start with beautiful pouches of tonic powders and is launching a line of face masks this week. On this episode of In the Sauce, Trinity and Ali discuss sales channels, the power of independent stores, Golde's move into Sephora and why Trinity believes in building with wholesale partners instead of focusing on direct to consumer. In The Sauce is powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/...
Apr 08, 2019•50 min•Ep. 31
Cathryn Woodruff is the Director of Communications at Banza , the chickpea pasta company currently flying off the shelves. On this episode of In the Sauce, Cathryn and Ali break down the elements of communications, PR and marketing. They discuss brand voice, authenticity, storytelling and why, as Cathryn put it, it's critical to "act like a human. Not a brand." In The Sauce is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.c...
Apr 01, 2019•47 min•Ep. 30
John Lawson is the Northeast regional grocery buyer at Whole Foods Market . On this episode of In the Sauce, John tells Ali what he's looking for in emerging brands, what mistakes we can avoid, how to work with buyers to maximize sales and why we should see shelf space as a vote of confidence and an investment, but not the end-goal. In The Sauce is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-inf...
Mar 25, 2019•48 min•Ep. 29
Raquel Tavares is the Founder and CEO of Fourth and Heart , the ghee company that has become a household name since they launched in 2015. On this episode of In the Sauce, Raquel and Ali discuss consumer education, product innovation, selling on Amazon and how Raquel built a killer brand. In The Sauce is powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Mar 18, 2019•41 min•Ep. 28
Grace Lachona is a Supplier Development Manager for UNFI NEXT , the program that mega distributor, UNFI, created to curate and incubate emerging brands. On this episode of In the Sauce, Grace and Ali talk about distribution, the numbers, how and when to open new distribution centers in new regions and how to avoid potential mistakes. In The Sauce is powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-inf...
Mar 05, 2019•47 min•Ep. 27
Michael Kirban is the Founder and CEO of VitaCoco , the brand that brought coconut water to the US in 2004, and is now the global market leader, selling in hundreds of thousands of store here and abroad. On this episode of In the Sauce, Mike and Ali talk about the journey and lessons learned along the way: From selling cases bodega to bodega on his rollerblades, through Coke's acquisition of his biggest competitor, to now, as Vita continues to innovate and grow through acquisitions of other beve...
Feb 26, 2019•49 min•Ep. 26
Homa Dashtaki is the Founder of White Moustache , a yogurt company with a cult-like following and a waitlist of over thirty retailers. On this episode of In the Sauce, Homa and Ali talk about authenticity and scale: Can they coexist? What gets sacrificed when you grow? What about when you don't grow? And again...how it always comes back to an amazing product. Photo Courtesy of Nicole Franzen In The Sauce is powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Pri...
Feb 18, 2019•48 min•Ep. 25
Dawn Techow is Cofounder of Relish Food Project, an outsourced CFO for emerging CPG food companies. On this episode of In the Sauce, Dawn and Ali talk about MONEY: Everything from accounting and bookkeeping, to what you need to know and clean up before you go out and try to raise capital. In The Sauce is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Feb 11, 2019•52 min•Ep. 24
Carmel Hagan and Denise Woodard are the Founders of Supernatural , a clean baking pantry staple company (think natural sprinkles and coconut sugar) and Partake Foods , delicious cookies that also happen to be free from the top 8 allergens. On this episode of In the Sauce, Ali asks Carmel and Denise about their entrepreneurship journeys: Why and How they each founded their own company, lessons they've learned, and how #femalefounders tend to think a bit differently from our male counterparts. In ...
Feb 04, 2019•52 min•Ep. 23
David Mawhinney is the Founder of Franklin+Emily , a design forward children's furniture brand. He's also the former chef at Haven's Kitchen and before that, an accountant. On this episode of In the Sauce, David and Ali talk about taking the leap, following your gut and the things that need to be in place before you go out on your own. In The Sauce is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-...
Jan 28, 2019•48 min•Ep. 22
Gracie Dulik is the Director of Sales at MatchaBar, a Brooklyn-based matcha tea company. On this episode of In the Sauce, Gracie and Ali talk about sales strategy, the process and challenges of opening distribution centers, building the right sales team and more. In the Sauce is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Jan 21, 2019•52 min•Ep. 21
Pat Jammet is a bit of a legend in the world of product marketing. After starting his career at Honest Tea , Pat took on Field Marketing at Sir Kensington's , eventually becoming VP of Marketing there. On this episode of In the Sauce, Pat and Ali talk about what founders should be thinking after the push onto the shelves: There's gotta be a team dedicated to the PULL off the shelves by happy consumers. That means demonstrations, coupons, and sampling wherever a potential consumer can be found. I...
Jan 14, 2019•51 min•Ep. 20
Lauren Jupiter is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of AccelFoods , an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in consumer products. On this episode of In the Sauce, Lauren and Ali talk about how, why, and when companies should raise outside capital, what investors are looking for, and how founders can build a smart foundation so that when they go out to raise money, their financial ducks are in a row. In the Sauce is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and ...
Dec 17, 2018•52 min•Ep. 19
Hannah Bronfman is a multi-hyphenate DJ, wellness guru, founder of HBFit , and now, author. In this episode of In the Sauce, Ali and Hannah talk about non-traditional routes to building businesses — how to take your stengths and the things that give you joy and build on them — to create brands and experineces that people want and need. In the Sauce is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-in...
Dec 10, 2018•49 min•Ep. 18
Sierra Tishgart and Maddy Moelis met at summer camp 20 years ago and are now the Co-Founders of Great Jones , a kitchen company that launched a line of cookware two weeks ago. In this episode of In the Sauce, Ali, Maddy and Sierra talk about how to start a business with a friend: What to look for in a partner, how to organize the workload, and most importantly, how to preserve the friendship. In The Sauce is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California P...
Nov 27, 2018•59 min•Ep. 17
Chris Psuik is Vice President at Dora's Naturals, a DSD (direct store delivery) distributor that distributes brands like GT Kombucha, Remedy Organics, Matchabar and Harmless Harvest. In this episode of In the Sauce, Ali and Chris talk about how a brand can work more effectively with its distributor and what mistakes growing food companies should try to avoid — They're joined by Sean (also from Dora's) and Courtnie (Haven's Market Manager) to talk about grocery buyers, categories, promotional sch...
Nov 19, 2018•54 min•Ep. 16
Amy Stern is the Director of Operations at Chloe's Fruit , a frozen snack brand found in 10,000 grocery stores nationwide. In this episode of In the Sauce, Ali and Amy talk about supply chain and operations — what Amy refers to as "making the pops and moving the pops" — Amy shares advice about working with suppliers, having a deep understanding of your ingredients, and how to choose a co-packer. In The Sauce is powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California...
Nov 05, 2018•37 min•Ep. 15
Jesse Derris is the founder and CEO of Derris , a full-service brand strategy and communications agency headquartered in New York City. He is also the founder and managing member of Amity Supply, which invests in and supports early-stage consumer brands, and an advisor-in-residence at the Columbia University Entrepreneurship Program. Jesse and Ali talk about purpose: Why a company exists beyond making money and how that WHY gets translated into branding and communications. In The Sauce is powere...
Oct 29, 2018•48 min•Ep. 14
Scott Norton is the Co-Founder of Sir Kensington's , the condiment company that took the world by storm in 2010 and was acquired by Unilever last year. In this episode of In the Sauce, Scott and Ali talk Culture: Why it's more than a ping pong table and some bean bags; why people are at the heart of all great businesses; how to create value for your team, and how even if you haven't formally codified your company's values, be mindful, you are communicating them. In The Sauce is powered by Simple...
Oct 15, 2018•54 min•Ep. 13
Alex Ingalls is the Founder of Pilot Kombucha, a business she founded in 2015. Alex has leapt from a one-woman making, bottling and delivering process to a full production facility and three distributors. All to keep up with rapidly growing demnd. In this episode of In the Sauce, Ali and Alex talk about distinguishing yourself in a growing category, responsible expansion, and the balancing act of entrepreneurship. Plus, Ali finally learns what a SCOBY is. In the Sauce is powered by Simplecast . ...
Oct 01, 2018•51 min•Ep. 12
Gertrude Allen is CEO of Pet-Plate, a direct to consumer pet food business, as well as an investor, brand-builder and operator. In this episode of In the Sauce, Ali and Gertrude get down to brass tacks about all things fundraising. Gertrude breaks down when it's time to move from friends and family to angels and early stage institutional investors, the key metrics those investors will be looking for as they evaluate your business, and what founders should be looking for as they evaluate opportun...
Sep 24, 2018•47 min•Ep. 11
