The Startup CPG Podcast

In this Founder Feature, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Caroline Dai, founder of TofuGo, a savory protein snack made from whole foods tofu with 12 grams of protein, zero sugar, and zero natural flavors.

Caroline grew up eating tofu daily in her Chinese family before moving to Seattle at age 13. After years working in business and finance, constantly snacking on sugary protein bars at her desk, she realized there was nothing savory, whole-food, and additive-free on the market. She launched TofuGo in March 2026, and just two weeks later, a simple living-room video went viral with over 350,000 views. Five months in, the brand is now in over 40 U.S. states and Canadian provinces, with a growing base of repeat subscribers.

Caitlin and Caroline dig into the craveable, ancient Chinese culinary craftsmanship behind the product, why she's intentionally staying savory instead of chasing every trend, how strong sell-through data has changed retailer conversations, and her vision for TofuGo as a nationwide, mainstream snack accessible to vegans, fitness enthusiasts, and families alike.

Listen in as they discuss:

How growing up eating tofu daily in a Chinese household inspired Caroline to build TofuGo
The unscripted, low-production living room video that hit 350,000 views two weeks after launch
Why TofuGo's two current flavors, soy barbecue and spicy chili, were chosen to bridge Asian flavors with mainstream American snacking
The ancient Chinese culinary technique behind removing water content to turn fresh tofu into a shelf-stable snack
Why TofuGo intentionally stays focused on two SKUs instead of expanding the lineup too quickly
How the packaging design, inspired by Chinese red envelopes, became a core part of the brand's identity
Why strong in-store velocity data has helped overcome retailer skepticism about "niche" Asian flavors
How TofuGo built inbound international demand, including an upcoming UK launch, without deliberately pursuing it
What's next for the brand, including an Amazon launch, more flavors, and continued retail conversations
Caroline's advice for early-stage founders on getting comfortable being the face of their brand

Episode Links:

Caroline Dai LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-dai
TofuGo Snacks LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/tofugo
TofuGo Snacks Website: www.tofugosnacks.com
TofuGo Snacks Instagram: @tofugosnacks

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 (40K+ members and growing!)
Follow @startupcpg
Visit host Caitlin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlinbricker/
Questions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.com 
Episode music by Super Fantastics

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Lindzi Shanks, founder and CEO of XO Marshmallow, to unpack how she built an organic social following of 1.4 million across platforms and turned it into real, trackable sales.

Lindzi started XO Marshmallow 10 years ago with a background as an influencer and blogger, designing the brand from day one to be visually shareable. As short-form video took off, she realized the marshmallow-making process itself was perfectly suited to content, from ASMR-style pulling and pouring to behind-the-scenes factory footage. That instinct, paired with a willingness to constantly experiment and adapt, has turned XO into one of the most recognizable brands in confectionery, generating millions in revenue through social content and more than $2 million in TikTok Shop sales alone.

Daniel and Lindzi dig into how each platform (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook) plays a completely different role in her strategy, how she turned a single negative comment into a 26-million-view video and a still-converting ad, why viral views don't always translate to sales, and how she batches content, keeps customers coming back, and now approaches an upcoming retail expansion.

Listen in as they discuss:

Why Lindzi designed XO Marshmallow to be visually shareable from day one, before short-form video existed
How TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube each reward completely different types of content
Why "blame your content, not the algorithm" when something stops performing
How a single negative TikTok comment turned into a 26-million-view video and a still-converting ad
Why viral views don't always translate into sales, and which platforms actually drive purchases
How XO Marshmallow batches content one day a week and uses a freelance editor to scale output
Why reusing years of old B-roll footage can create content that feels brand new
How XO Marshmallow drives repeat purchases and reorder rates through community programs like Troop XO and Camp Cap
Why TikTok Shop customers are hard to retain, and how postcards and discount inserts help win them back
Why XO Marshmallow is redesigning its packaging and shelf life ahead of a retail expansion

Episode Links:

Lindzi Shanks LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lindzi-shanks-6689b6101
Lindzi Shanks Instagram: @lindzi.shanks
XO Marshmallow LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/xo-marshmallow
XO Marshmallow Website: www.xomarshmallow.com
XO Marshmallow Instagram: @xo.marshmallow
XO Marshmallow Facebook: www.facebook.com/xomarshmallow
XO Marshmallow YouTube: xomarshmallow
XO Marshmallow Pinterest: za.pinterest.com/xomarshmallow
XO Marshmallow TikTok: @xo.marshmallow

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 (40K+ 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

In this episode of R&D Radio, host Adam Yee sits down with Drake Nickell, founder of Dimitri's Greek Kitchen, to talk through how he used Startup CPG's Product Developer Database to find the right partner for reformulating his brand's pita chips.

Drake and his sister built Dimitri's Greek Kitchen around traditional Greek and Mediterranean snacks with a modern twist, starting with whipped feta before pivoting into pita chips after finding a manufacturing partner who could bring the product to life. With the chips now in over 300 stores, including all 189 Jewel-Osco locations across Illinois, Drake turned to the Product Developer Database to level up the product with a well-defined scope of work rather than spending months experimenting in his own kitchen.

Adam and Drake dig into how Drake filtered and vetted eight different product developers, why having a clear scope of work upfront made those conversations more efficient, how founders and food scientists can use shared reference points like well-known snack brands to communicate flavor and texture, and what "soft skills" mattered most in choosing the right long-term partner.

Listen in as they discuss:

How Drake and his sister built Dimitri's Greek Kitchen around whipped feta and pita chips
Why a viral TikTok moment around spicy whipped feta helped validate the product idea
How Drake used Startup CPG's Product Developer Database to find and filter relevant experts
Why having a clearly defined scope of work made his vetting conversations far more efficient
What matters most when choosing a product developer beyond price, including communication style and personality fit
Why quick follow-up and pricing transparency were strong signals in choosing the right partner
How food scientists use a "gold standard" reference product to reverse-engineer texture and flavor
How Drake described mouthfeel and flavor using widely available snack brands as a shared reference point
Why founders shouldn't take early "no's" from experts personally, even when they sting
What's next for Dimitri's Greek Kitchen, including new pita chip flavors and a whipped feta relaunch

Episode Links:
Drake Nickell LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drake-nickell-267b54161
Dimitri's Greek Kitchen Website: www.dimitrisgreeksnacks.com
Dimitri's Greek Kitchen Instagram: @dimitrispitachips  

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 (40K+ 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

In this Investor Spotlight, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Ellen Gorra of Whole Foods Market, who leads the retailer's equity investment and warrant partnership programs, to unpack how one of the industry's most influential retailers evaluates, invests in, and supports emerging brands.

Ellen's path to Whole Foods wound through equity research at Piper Sandler, buy-side coverage of hedge funds and private equity, and a stint at L Catterton in Asia, where she helped lead an $80 million investment in K-pop entertainment company YG Entertainment. After a brief detour into music at Live Nation, she found her way back to consumer - this time in food - and has been investing in and partnering with emerging brands at Whole Foods ever since.

Hannah and Ellen dig into how Whole Foods' equity and warrant programs actually work, how the warrant program ties brand sales to charitable giving through the Whole Foods Market Foundation, what trends are shaping the perishables category right now, and what founders should understand about underwriting a return before pitching an investor.

Listen in as they discuss:

How Whole Foods' equity investment program differs from its warrant partnership program
Why proceeds from Whole Foods' equity stakes are donated to the Whole Foods Market Foundation when a brand exits
What stage and category of brands Whole Foods typically targets for equity vs. warrant deals
Emerging trends in perishables, including branded produce varieties and flavor-forward breeding
What Whole Foods looks for when evaluating a brand's exit potential before entering a warrant partnership
How founders can "underwrite" their own return for potential investors, including EBITDA benchmarks and typical return multiples
Why revenue thresholds for a strategic acquisition have risen in recent years
What Ellen wishes founders understood about communication and transparency with their Whole Foods merchant
Ellen's advice on getting noticed by investors, including keeping outreach short and having a clear product roadmap
Ellen's career lessons, from cap table math to navigating LinkedIn's highlight reel culture

Episode Links:

Ellen Gorra LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ellengorra
Whole Foods Market LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/whole-foods-market/home
Whole Foods Market Website: www.wholefoods.com
Whole Foods Market Instagram: @wholefoods

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: http://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-dittman-011b844b/
Questions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.com
Episode music by Super Fantastics

In this Founder Feature, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Harri Magaldi, founder of My Neighbor's, a regenerative tallow and vegan skincare brand manufactured in-house in the Hudson Valley.

Harri left nine years on Wall Street after her daughter developed eczema as a baby. Unable to find anything that worked, she started making beef tallow balm at home in a crock pot using suet from a local farm, initially just to help her own daughter and as gifts for friends. After encouragement from other moms, she launched at the Hudson Farmer's Market in May 2024, selling $4,000 worth of product on day one. Four months later, she was picked up by Anthropology and Terrain, catapulting the brand into wholesale. My Neighbor's is now in over 500 retailers, on track for 1,500 doors by March 2027, and manufactures everything in-house just steps from the same farmer's market where it all began.

Caitlin and Harri dig into the real difference between grass-fed and grass-finished, why sourcing and rendering suet locally matters so much for both quality and community impact, the $30,000 the brand invested unprompted in microbial, stability, and heavy metal testing, and how a chance encounter while pumping breast milk at Expo West led to a major new retail partnership.

Listen in as they discuss:

How Harri started making beef tallow balm at home to treat her daughter's eczema
Selling $4,000 in product on day one at the Hudson Farmer's Market
How being picked up by Anthropologie and Terrain four months in changed everything
The real difference between grass-fed and grass-finished, and why it matters for both meat and skincare
Why suet sourcing, local rendering, and naming the actual farm matters more than most tallow brands admit
The 12 Hudson Valley farms My Neighbor's partners with, and how the relationship benefits both sides
Why the brand invested $30,000 unprompted in microbial, stability, and heavy metal testing
How partnering with QVC pushed the brand to raise its own safety and testing standards
Meeting a major buyer while pumping breast milk at her booth at Expo West
Why Harri cares more about "regenerative" than "organic," and what that means for sourcing claims

Episode Links:

Harri Magaldi LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/harrimagaldi
My Neighbor's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/my-neighbors
My Neighbor's Website: www.myneighbors.co
My Neighbor'sInstagram: @myneighbors.co

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: www.linkedin.com/in/caitlinbricker
Questions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.com 
Episode music by Super Fantastics