Marissa Dobbins and Courtnie Beceiro are the General Manager and Brand Director at Haven's Kitchen. With Ali on vacation this week, the two of them take over ITS to talk about their experience leaving Fresh Direct to build a start up, their management styles, and how to work with a...

Dan Frommer is the founder and editor in chief of The New Consumer, a publication about how and why people spend their time and money. On this episode of ITS, Dan walks Ali through a new survey (published today!) on consumer shopping habits and behaviour, his analysis of what's changed...

Ali Bonar is founder and CEO of Kween, the organic, nut and allergen-free granola butter that tastes like a creamy version of cinnamon Teddy Grahams, but is actually good for you. On this episode of ITS, Ali and Ali talk about the challenges and opportunities, both from a production and...

Emmett Shine is Co-founder at Pattern Brands, a family of brands with the mission of finding more enjoyment in daily life. In 2019, Emmett and his team closed their iconic branding agency, Gin Lane (think Sweetgreen, Quip, Harry’s, and Care/Of) and created Pattern, where they set out to build their...

Natalie Smid is Growth Manager at Lunar Solar Group, an e-commerce and digital growth consultancy that works with brands on their digital strategy. On today's episode of ITS, Natalie and Ali trace back their working relationship to the day after Expo West was cancelled and the Haven's team realized the...

Ben Goodwin and Eli Weiss are the Founder/CEO and the Customer Service Director of Olipop, the low sugar, prebiotic, fiber-rich healthy soda alternative that is, as they say “Killing it!” On this episode of ITS, they talk with Ali about the difference between customer service and customer experience, how expanding...

Chuck Cotter leads the Food, Beverage, and Consumer Products industry group at the Law Firm Holland and Hart, advising companies of all sizes and stages. On this episode of ITS, Chuck breaks down the differences between LLCs and C-Corps, how to talk to your team about equity, what to think...

Kerrigan Behrens is the Co-CEO and Co-founder of Sagely Naturals, a CBD wellness company that sells in 10 thousand stores, including Ulta, CVS and Sprouts. On this episode of ITS, Kerrigan and Ali talk about the foundation that Sagely has been built on: A clear reason to exist, an underserved...

Sandro Roco is the founder of Sanzo, the 1st Asian-inspired sparkling water. On today's episode of ITS, Sandro explains why CPG businesses should be built on empathy and curiosity. They also talk about launching in a way that makes sense for your product, how you can save money by digging...

Over the summer, consumers called out food companies for racist imagery, names, and political positions. We saw a wave of hashtags, open letters, and boycotts – and in many cases, companies were pressured to make changes. For our season eight opener, we step into the tumultuous landscape of food branding...