Podcast
Emerging Brands Podcast
Hosted by Kelly Bennett · EN
Welcome to Emerging Brands Podcast® with Kelly Bennett
This is the podcast where you'll discover the stories behind your new favorite CPG brands. Each episode dives into the brand and founder journey—how they launched, what sets them apart, and the strategy behind going to market. We talk plans for growth, practical advice for emerging founders, and where to shop the products making waves in food, beverage, wellness, and beyond.
You'll also hear from industry experts—brand builders, investors, and operators—who should absolutely be on your radar if you're growing a CPG brand today.
Whether you're building something of your own or love supporting what's next, you're in the right place.
36episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Bowl & Kettle
Apr 2000:28:42Tap to summarizeFor husband-and-wife team Sarah and Brett Bowlin, years of long-distance hiking and remote travel led to a frustrating realization: the beauty of the landscape rarely matched the quality of the food in their packs. Tired of nutritionally empty, overly processed meals that felt disconnected from the joy of a shared table, they founded Bowl & Kettle. Based in Colorado, the company is redefining outdoor nutrition by bringing culinary intention and whole ingredients to the freeze-dried category. Since its launch in 2024, Bowl & Kettle has evolved from a scrappy founder-led experiment into a nationwide community of adventurers. Sarah joins us to discuss how they carefully adapt real dishes to the freeze-drying process without sacrificing taste or nourishment. It is a conversation about the philosophy that meaningful moments in the outdoors deserve food that feels just as thoughtful and alive as the places where it is eaten. Inside the Episode: Sarah's professional background in consumer research and how it provided the ideal foundation for identifying market gaps and building a brand that truly resonates with the modern adventurer. The technical and creative process of taking real, whole-ingredient recipes and adapting them for freeze-drying while maintaining bold seasoning. Why Bowl & Kettle remains hands-on with production and recipe development while scaling to meet the needs of a loyal community of travelers. Shop here! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Try it free for 30 days at tryglimpse.com/trial.
Transcribe →Deep Brands
Apr 1300:31:24Tap to summarizeIn 2018, Kiernan Laughlin co-created Deep Indian Kitchen, scaling it into the #1 frozen Indian brand in the U.S. and reaching over 26,000 stores. Building on that success, he created and launched Deep Brands in 2026, a family of cuisine-focused brands dedicated to increasing accessibility for global flavors. As General Manager, Kiernan brings 20 years of CPG leadership from giants like Unilever and Gorton's Seafood to a platform that prioritizes authenticity above all else. Deep Brands, a subsidiary of the three-generation family company Deep Foods Inc, operates with a unique "one cuisine per brand" philosophy. This allows brands like Deep Indian Kitchen and the newly launched Tem Toa (the first frozen brand dedicated exclusively to Thai cuisine) to represent their cultures with bold, restaurant-quality flavors. In this episode, we discuss the commitment to making products from scratch using traditional recipes and how every purchase supports the Deepkiran Foundation to provide education for children in rural India. Inside the Episode: The operational complexity of using traditional recipes and high-quality ingredients to replicate a true restaurant experience at home in minutes. Kiernan's strategic roadmap used to take Deep Indian Kitchen from a 2018 launch to the top-selling frozen Indian brand in America. A look at the 2026 launch of the first frozen food brand dedicated exclusively to Thai cuisine and the challenge of bringing those specific flavors to the freezer aisle. Shop Tem Toa here! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Try it free for 30 days at tryglimpse.com/trial.
Transcribe →Bake Me Healthy
Apr 1300:28:16Tap to summarizeWhen Kimberle Lau became lactose and egg intolerant and faced a high risk for breast cancer, she didn't give up on her love for treats; she reinvented them. As an Asian American mom of two, Kimberle turned her personal health journey into a mission-driven business. Today, Bake Me Healthy is a leader in the allergy-friendly space, proving that indulgent baking can be both inclusive and sustainable. By utilizing upcycled ingredients, Kimberle is fighting food waste while ensuring her mixes and cookies are gluten-free, vegan, and free from the top 9 allergens. In this episode, we discuss the courage it takes to pivot careers for a passion project and how Bake Me Healthy is bringing the joy of a delicious, worry-free bite to kitchens everywhere. Inside the Episode: How Kimberle's personal health challenges inspired her to leave the traditional path and build a brand centered on wellness. Why Bake Me Healthy incorporates upcycled ingredients to create a more sustainable food system while maintaining premium flavor. Lessons learned while scaling a brand that reflects her values as a parent and a health advocate. Shop here! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Try it free for 30 days at tryglimpse.com/trial.
Transcribe →Biologica
Apr 1300:33:02Tap to summarizeWhen Liz Zwillinger and her co-founder Joey Zwillinger looked at the supplement industry, they saw a glaring gap in how women's health was being addressed. Most products offered a one-size-fits-all approach, ignoring the profound ways a woman's nutritional needs shift across different life stages. This realization led to the birth of Biologica, a wellness brand dedicated to creating science-backed formulations tailored specifically to reproductive years, perimenopause, and post-menopause. By focusing on the biological realities of hormonal health, Liz is helping women navigate their wellness journeys with clarity and precision. In this episode, we dive into the entrepreneurial journey of building a mission-driven supplement brand and why targeting specific life stages is the future of the women's health category. Inside the Episode: Why Liz and Joey decided to move beyond generic multivitamins to create products that reflect the actual physiological changes women experience over time. The challenges and rewards of developing science-backed formulations in a crowded and often confusing supplement market. Why personalization is no longer a luxury but a necessity for women looking to optimize their long-term health and human performance. Shop here! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Try it free for 30 days at tryglimpse.com/trial.
Transcribe →Nara Organics
Apr 600:23:01Tap to summarizeWhen Esther Hallam couldn't find a clean, organic formula option for her own daughter, she didn't just settle for what was on the shelf; she used her decades of product management expertise to build a better one. With a career spanning giants like Google, Gilt, and Travelocity, Esther applied the same rigorous problem-solving approach to the nursery. Today, as the Founder and CEO of Nara Organics, she is setting a new global benchmark for what we feed our children. Nara Organics is a pioneering brand featuring the first-of-its-kind USDA-certified organic whole milk formula. By ditching the standard fillers like palm oil, soy, and corn syrup in favor of whole milk fats and naturally occurring MFGM for brain development, Esther is providing parents with a Clean Label certified alternative that actually mimics nature. In this episode, we discuss her journey from Y Combinator to the forefront of the infant nutrition revolution and how she's supporting over 1 million parents through the Nara Baby ecosystem. Inside the Episode: How Esther's background at Google and Jetblack prepared her to navigate the highly regulated world of infant formula. Why Nara is manufactured in Germany to meet the highest safety and quality standards, including over 2,000 tests for purity and an FDA registration. Why Esther refused to settle for industry-standard shortcuts, leading to a formula with no palm oil, no soy, and no corn syrup. Shop here! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Try it free for 30 days at tryglimpse.com/trial.
Transcribe →Good Bacteria
Jan 26Tap to summarizeAnabel González, an ex-Parsons creative and founder of Good Bacteria, transformed her personal postpartum healing journey into a mission to fix a major flaw in the wellness industry: the lack of microbial diversity in traditional probiotics. Recognizing that static supplements often fall short, Anabel collaborated with a scientific advisory board from institutions like Johns Hopkins, Oxford, and Stanford to bridge the gap between clinical research and daily gut health. The result is Good Bacteria, the first daily probiotic system designed to rotate weekly to mimic the variety of a fermented-food-rich diet. Formulated by Dr. Leigh Frame, this 28-day rotation cultivates a broader range of beneficial bacteria than standard supplements, moving beyond simple digestion to support immunity, mental clarity, and whole-body resilience. Inside the Episode: Anabel's personal journey from health challenges to founding a science-first wellness company. The science behind mimicking a fermented-food-rich diet and why weekly shifts are the key to a resilient gut. How Anabel collaborated with experts from Johns Hopkins, Oxford, and Stanford to ensure efficacy and clinical innovation. Shop here! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Try it free for 30 days at tryglimpse.com/trial.
Transcribe →