Dan MacCombie is the co-founder and former Co-CEO of Runa, an Amazonian social enterprise and beverage company supporting indigenous farmers sustainably growing guayusa tea in the rainforest.

 He and the Runa team developed relationships with indigenous farmers and built a supply chain into nationwide distribution in Whole Foods and other U.S. chains.

Starting in 2009, it has been a fun, challenging adventure. Dan tells us how they got to where they are today:

• A” listening tour” in Ecuador
• Introducing an unknown food (guayusa) to the U.S. market
• Highlights of their growth
• On strategic relationships
• How they stayed on the shelves
• Musings on the food industry
• Keys to sampling your product
• Analyzing the social investment landscape
• Bonus: Matt and Dan rant on “New Vendor Packets”

It all started 12 years ago in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Today, it is a nationwide brand based out of Southern California.

Christian Bunte started Cabo Chips in college and has been doing it ever since. In 2012, he made the decision to focus on the natural retail channels. A pivotal shift that changed everything.

He is very savvy on the food industry, production, sales and marketing. We tell his story:

• Why Christian decided to launch Cabo Chips
• Launching a business in Mexico versus the U.S.
• Comparing conventional vs natural channels
• The 2012 company shift
• How he works with his mentors
• Managing production - quality control
• Dealing with a seasonal product
• Tips for hiring
• On hiring a C.E.O. to run his company
• The biggest mistakes Christian
• How has the industry changed since you started?

Doing research for this interview, I quickly realized that this is no ordinary baby food. It utilizes start of the art technology. And adults love it too!

Cassandra Curtis is a nutrition fanatic foodie with an extensive background in the health and wellness spheres.

Her deep understanding of business operations, nutrition and food, combined with the experience of being a mother to two little ones, led her to pursue her ultimate passion: to create a one-of-a-kind HPP baby food line that would become the gold standard in childhood nutrition.

In this episode, we talk all things nutrition, health, caffeine and more:

• Experiences at the Optimum Health Institute
• Moving from a kitchen startup to a co-packer
• How Matt would react if he was diagnosed with cancer
• Did drinking copious amounts of soda as a child ruin my adult health?
• How nutrition affects mood and psychology
• Two things you can subtract from your diet for a healthier, better life.
• What is epigenetics?
• Packaging tips -- Phthalate and BPA free
• The Magic HPP - High Pressure Processing (photos below)
• The dangers of "shelf stable" food
• Matt’s 3-day coffee rule
• Sourcing produce from the West Coast
• Michael Pollan's Rules of Food
• Packaging tips

As promised: HPP Machine - High Pressure Processing:

 

E

Douglas Coombs decided it was time for a change.

He left a tech startup in a South American city of 9 million people and moved to a small college town in Oregon to start a brewery. Why and how did he do it?

We have a fun conversation about his journey and current venture: Alesong Brewing & Blending. They are focused on small batched beers aged in oak barrels, out of Eugene, Oregon.

Alesong recently took home a couple medals last weekend at The Best of Craft Beer Awards. Bronze for Saison du Vin '16 and GOLD for Shake Your Tree!

Working with his chemist brother (Brian Coombs) and a brew master (Matt Van Wyk), they have a strong, complimentary team. Listen and learn:

• When did Doug realize that it was time to start a brewery in Oregon?
• Why his brewery hours feel different than his past employee hours
• Life is Oregon, "what is it like man?"
• Going from solo founder to co-founder
• What do people beer lovers not know about starting a beer company?
• Matt the brewmaster, how do you channel his creativity?
• Changing the way craft beer is viewed
• What did you tell the people that invested in your company?
• Keys to high end wine + beer marketing
• "I’m not just buying the beer i’m buying a story."
• What is sour beer?
• Building a following; interacting with customers?
• Their mid-term and long-term goals