It's All Happening : Women In CPG
It's All Happening : Women In CPG is a podcast that explores the challenges and successes of launching and running a consumer packaged goods (CPG) business. Host Danielle Calabrese, a CPG expert, interviews female leaders on topics like branding, sales strategy, and scaling. Each episode offers actionable takeaways and candid conversations aimed at breaking down barriers in the CPG industry.
Episodes
S5 Ep52: Drink Wine Wrong with Sunny Rohner of Little Sun Calimocho
Sunny Rohner is the co-founder of Little Sun Calimocho, a wine-based RTD that dares you to drink wine wrong. Little Sun reimagines the Spanish classic Kalimotxo for a new generation, blending quality California wines and sodas crafted with natural ingredients to create a refreshing and craveably-delicious drink that expands the occasions where wine feels right. Alongside her husband and co-founde
S5 Ep51: Season 5 Premiere: New Guests, Big News & Everything That Should Be On Your Radar
In this ep I am giving you a full breakdown of whats to come in season 5. In addition, we have some fun things coming up that should be on your radar, linked below. Newtopia Now in Denver Aug 18th-20th: August 18th - Women in CPG BrunchAugust 18th - Vibes CPG - Happy Hour Hosted by It's All Happening, Hummingbirds, Express Checkout and Little Nosh ShopLaunch Lab Waitlist September 1st CPG Power H
S4 Ep50: Season 4 Recap & Signing Off To R&R For The Summer
It's the Season 4 finale and we're going out with a bang! In this solo episode, Danielle takes you on a whirlwind victory lap through every single conversation of the season, from cottage cheese dips and heritage grain cake mixes to dirty martinis, designer sponges, and shelf-stable kids' meals you make with just hot water. Sixteen brilliant women in CPG, sixteen brands solving real problems, an
S4 Ep49: CRUNO : The Farmers Market Granola Brand That Got A Major Glow Up
After spending more than a decade in tech helping companies grow and maximize ROI, Yuliya Wilson felt called to build something of her own. Something that aligned with her passion for nutrition, wellness, and creating products that genuinely help people feel their best. What started as homemade granola shared with friends and family evolved into Cruno, a premium granola brand known for its bold f
S4 Ep48: Nomie: The Challenge Of Building A Kids Meal Solution
Roopa Annadatha is the founder of Nomie, a line of organic pantry meals for kids: shelf-stable, complete, and ready in ten minutes with just hot water. The meals don't require a fridge, microwave, or cooking.Before Nomie, Roopa spent 15 years managing operations and supply chain at Apple, Microsoft, and Peloton, bringing new products to market at scale.After her son became a toddler and started e
S4 Ep47: How Purple Drop Is Bringing Peru’s Beloved Chicha Morada to American Consumers
Maria Velasquez is the founder of The Purple Drop, a vibrant beverage brand modernizing Peru’s beloved chicha morada for a new generation. Before entering the beverage industry, Maria spent more than a decade leading marketing and demand generation for enterprise technology and cybersecurity companies, building high-growth programs, global campaigns, and brand strategies across the B2B tech space
S4 Ep46: Birdie Bakes : How two moms are building a brand that solves a real problem
Birdie Bakes Co makes the first easy-to-bake muffin mix with real fruits and veggies in every bite.Founded by two moms, Victoria Tawney and Katie Nugent who know the challenge of feeding kids well while juggling everyday life. Like so many parents, they wanted to get more fruits, veggies, fiber, and protein into their kids’ diets. Muffins were one of the only guaranteed yeses, but the options wer
S4 Ep45: Growing A Cottage Cheese Pudding Brand With The Founder Of Curd
Monica McClellan is the founder of Curd, a modern take on pudding made from real cottage cheese. She started the company during her postpartum period, when she was looking for foods that were both deeply nourishing and genuinely satisfying, but kept coming up short.Frustrated by options that leaned heavily on protein powders, artificial ingredients, or didn’t actually keep her full, Monica set ou
S4 Ep44: Yes Way Rosé Growth Story
Erica Small and Nikki Huganir are the co-founders of Yes Way Rosé, a modern wine brand rooted in creativity, community, and female friendship. The lifelong friends launched the brand in 2013, first building a highly engaged online audience and lifestyle community before introducing their first wine in 2018. Today, Yes Way Rosé has grown into one of the leading rosé brands in the U.S., with more t
S4 Ep43: How to have a standout launch with Amrit Richmond of Indie CPG
Amrit Richmond is a strategist who studies consumer goods for work and play. You can find her on Instagram at @indiecpg where she creates content and community for humans building brands. Reach out to her when you're launching something new or if you want to meet like-minded founders to collaborate with on your next flavor, product, event or campaign. It's All Happening WebsiteIt's All Happening
S4 Ep42: Building Emma's Snacks with Emma Weeden
Emma Weeden is the founder of Emma's Snacks, a Los Angeles-based snack brand known for its chocolate-covered potato chips made with kettle-cooked chips and high-quality, thoughtfully sourced ingredients. She started the company while working a full-time job, building it from the ground up through grassroots sampling, organic marketing, and early retail partnerships. What sets Emma's Snacks apart
S4 Ep41: Drinking dirty martinis like it's her job - Nikta Mansouri of La Saum
Nikta Mansouri is the Founder and CEO of La Saum, the Los Angeles-based dirty martini brand she launched in 2025. La Saum is built around the idea that the martini is more than a drink, it's a ritual, a mood, and increasingly, a cultural signal. The brand sits at the intersection of taste and intention, for the thoughtful consumer. Before founding La Saum, Nikta spent nearly a decade in entertain
S4 Ep40: The fast launch that put Noodo on the map with Liana Krasnow
Liana Krasnow is the co-founder of Noodo, a better-for-you sauce brand reimagining pantry staples with clean, functional ingredients, featuring bone broth as a core component for added nutrition and depth of flavor. She is building the company alongside her dad, Enzo, combining family roots with a modern approach to food. With a passion for wellness and entrepreneurship, Liana has taken Noodo fro
S4 Ep39: Building Afternoon Toast with Kimmy Pace
Afternoon Toast was founded by Kimmy Pace, a technology audit consultant turned beverage founder whose lifelong health challenges inspired a line of ready-to-drink teas that support digestion and effortless hydration.Crafted from steeped ginger, roasted barley, and water, Afternoon Toast has a slightly nutty, toasty, and warming flavor. Gentle on the gut, it helps ease bloating and supports diges
S4 Ep38: Behind the Scenes : Gina Moore of Pantry Gems
Gina Moore is the founder of Pantry Gems, a modern pantry brand on a mission to solve the very specific, very relatable problem of leftover tomato paste. Pantry Gems creates perfectly portioned tablespoons of organic tomato paste so home cooks can use exactly what they need without wasting the rest. Gina is based in San Diego and is a mom of three young kids. She is building the brand from the gr
S4 Ep37: Dentist & CPG founder : How MITTS is disrupting the sponge category
Daniele Orellana is the co-founder of Mitts, a design-forward brand creating sleek, non-abrasive sponges for delicate glassware and fine kitchen tools. By day, she works full-time as a pediatric dentist and serves as an attending at a hospital in Brooklyn. Alongside her clinical career, she also helps run Mitts, leading efforts across marketing, social media, and partnerships.The daughter of immi
S4 Ep36: Olive Oil Obsession with Sandra Diez of BRISCA
Sandra Diez is the founder of BRISCA, a premium Spanish extra virgin olive oil brand bringing the culture and flavor of Mediterranean olive oil to the American table.Originally from Barcelona, Spain and now based in Portland, Oregon, Sandra created BRISCA after realizing that in the U.S., olive oil is often treated as a background ingredient rather than something to savor. She set out to change t
S4 Ep35: How to Show Up at Expo West & Get Real ROI
In this episode, we break down how to actually get a return on your investment at Expo West — and it’s not just about buyer meetings or badge scans. Using our Expo West itinerary as a guide, we talk through how to approach everything from the Innovation Summit and Pitch Slam to CPG Sisterhood, Ladies Lounge, Anti-Expo, and the after-hours house parties with real strategy and intention. The bigges
S4 Ep34: How a Wedding Cake Obsession Turned Into a Launch at Central Market
Alyssa Fernandez is the founder of Ollin, a cake mix company that is making cakes real again with better grains. She's bringing stone-milled heritage wheat from Texas farmers to your kitchen— because gluten isn't the problem, it's what we did to it.Ollin (pronounced all-in) is a Nahuatl word meaning "movement" or "to come full circle"—which is exactly what Alyssa is doing with baking. She's calli
S4 Ep33: High-Protein, No Compromises: How COTTO Is Changing the Dip Game
Cotto reimagines classic dips with high-protein whipped cottage cheese and clean, simple ingredients to create lighter, fresher versions of nostalgic flavors. Designed to be enjoyed straight from the container, added to everyday meals, or shared with friends, Cotto brings ease, elevated flavor, and clean protein to modern eating.Founded by Kendall Kransdorf, Cotto was inspired by her journey to r
S4 Ep32: Welcome Back To Season 4!
With 16+ years in CPG, Danielle has scaled brands from zero to $40M, revived a legacy brand, guided 100+ brands to $75M+ in sales, and secured hundreds of SKUs with top distributors and retailers.It’s All Happening™ was built for founders who refuse to watch from the sidelines. From the CPG School to the high-touch Brand Catalyst Advisory, everything is powered by the proprietary IAH Launch Formu
S3 Ep31: How Hummingbirds is Turning Everyday Fans into a Marketing Engine
Emily Steele is the CEO and cofounder of Hummingbirds, a venture-backed platform that connects CPG brands with over 30,000 everyday content creators. With a deep belief in the power of authentic partnerships, Emily and team have scaled Hummingbirds to dozens of U.S. cities, helping brands drive shelf-level awareness by matching them with creators eager to try & share their products with friend
S3 Ep30: How Ciao Pappy is Building a Modern Italian Brand That Actually Feels Real
Francesca Pittaluga founded Ciao Pappy in 2022, inspired by her first-generation Italian roots and her love for both the California and Italian coasts. Growing up between these two worlds, she developed a deep appreciation for the beauty of Italian tradition and the laid-back vibrancy of the West Coast. Following a 14-year career in luxury fashion, Ciao Pappy brings those influences together—blen
S3 Ep29: SaladSprinkles Decision To Pause Operations & How They Navigated The Challenge of Product Education
Blakely and Jordan are best friends, creative pros, and food lovers who met in art school fifteen years ago. Jordan is an award-winning designer and entrepreneur with a sharp eye for branding, while Blakely has spent over a decade running creative operations at a top global ad agency. Together, they created SaladSprinkles—born from a shared love of clean ingredients and clever shortcuts, and built
S3 Ep28: Coro Foods Expansion Into Retail with Clara Veinard
Clara Veniard is the co-founder and CEO of Coro Foods, a premium salami brand that marries old world techniques with unexpected flavors like Orange Cardamom and Lemongrass. With a life and career that has taken her all over the globe, it's no surprise that Clara has a deep passion for food and international ingredients. Sharing food is a way of life, whether it’s assembling after school snack plat
S3 Ep27: From Afghan Roots to Pantry Staple: Meet The Tursh Sisters
Sisters Meena and Tabi, first-generation Afghan Americans, founded Tursh to share the bold, soulful flavors they grew up with. Inspired by their mother Furoozan’s cherished recipes, they’ve reimagined traditional Afghan chutneys for the modern kitchen. Every small-batch jar of Tursh is handcrafted with real ingredients, no shortcuts, and a whole lot of heart—bringing tang, tradition, and a taste o
S3 Ep26: The Unfiltered Rise of One Trick Pony
Lucy Dana is the co-founder and CEO of One Trick Pony, a peanut butter company making two-ingredient peanut butter using Argentinian peanuts. Before launching the brand, Lucy worked at Uber and Blue Bottle Coffee, where she honed her skills in operations and ecommerce. She eventually joined forces with her brother and sister-in-law to build a CPG brand rooted in quality, simplicity.One Trick Pony
S3 Ep25: How Losing Her Brand Made Nicole Swartz a Top Trademark Attorney
Nicole Swartz is a trademark attorney in Austin, TX. In 2015, she started a CPG brand that was sold in hundreds of retailers around the world. But there was one BIG problem: She didn’t trademark her brand. One day, she woke up to a cease + desist letter in her inbox. Someone trademarked her brand name and now they owned it. She had to rebrand everything in 30 days. A total nightmare! Nicole became
S3 Ep24: Unpacking Debt Tolerance & CPG Profitability with Sarah Delevan
Sarah Delevan is a Financial Consultant with over 15 years of experience in building and supporting sustainable and regional food systems. As the founder of The Good Food CFO, she works with purpose-driven food businesses—from farmers, ranchers, fishers, and producers— to help them achieve profitability by design. Sarah's career has spanned nearly every corner of the good food movement. From teach
S3 Ep23: Inside Misfits Market: How Jessie Kimsey is Curating the Future of Grocery
Jessie Kimsey is a results-driven merchandising leader with more than a decade of experience across e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail. At Misfits Market, she leads vendor strategy and category innovation, curating mission-driven brands and championing emerging products that are transforming the food system. A passionate advocate for quality, sustainability, and impact in grocery, Jessie help
S3 Ep22: Alli Ball on Cracking the CPG Sales Code
Alli Ball is the founder & CEO of Food Biz Wiz and the creator of Retail Ready®, an online program that has provided strategic support, curated curriculum, and values-aligned community for over 3,000 producers of packaged products in the food industry. As a former grocery buyer-turned-wholesale consultant, Alli has helped thousands of emerging brands understand what it takes to get on the shel
S3 Ep21: A Decade in the Making: The Skinny Dipped Story with Val & Breezy Griffith
Breezy Griffith is the CEO & Founder of SkinnyDipped, a brand she launched with her mom, Val Griffith, from their kitchen table with a shared passion for creating better-for-you snacks with no compromise on flavor. With an adventurous spirit and sharp business acumen, Breezy has led the company to remarkable growth, expanding to three innovative product lines and nationwide distribution in ove
S3 Ep20: The Secret Weapon Behind Fast CPG Launches
Season 3 of It’s All Happening: Women in CPG is here! Host Danielle Calabrese kicks things off with a life and business update—fresh from a summer of travel, reflection, and recharging—and a deep dive into what’s ahead. From the evolution of her Launch Lab accelerator to the powerhouse lineup of founders, operators, and experts joining the show this season, Danielle sets the tone for what’s shapi
S2 Ep19: Jennies House : How Susanna Rizzo is building her artisian bread empire
When I first met Susanna Rizzo at an event, I was immediately drawn to her bold, beautiful packaging. Then I tried her focaccia—and I was instantly obsessed. As someone who seriously appreciates high-quality bread (and is a total foodie), I knew she was onto something special. In this episode, Susanna shares how she launched Jennies House and what it’s been like growing her artisan bread brand—fro
S2 Ep18: Built In Her Restaurant : The Scrappy Rise of Date Better with Michelle Valdez-Wilton
Michelle Wilton, founder of Date Better Snacks, is the definition of a scrappy, resourceful entrepreneur. In this episode, she shares how she launched the brand out of her restaurant kitchen and grew it by personally pitching to small accounts across the country. We dive into how she’s leveraged her husband’s engineering skills to build custom packaging equipment, why she’s just now considering fu
S2 Ep17: How Humm Kombucha got aquired with Founder, Michelle Mitchelle
From farmers markets to national shelves—this is how Humm scaled with soul. In this episode, I sit down with Humm Kombucha’s founder, Michelle Mitchelle to unpack her early-stage regional playbook, the leap into self-manufacturing, and what it really takes to not only land major retail but what she had to do to eventually get Humm aquired. She shares how building a people-first company helped fuel
S2 Ep16: How Good Girl Snacks is building a CPG rocketship. But make it for the Gen Z girlies.
Today I’m talking with the fearless co-founders of Good Girl Snacks, Leah and Yasamin—you might know them for their viral hit, Hot Girl Pickles. These two dove headfirst into CPG with no prior industry experience and are somehow pulling it off like pros. We get into how they started, what they’ve learned, their recent fundraise, and how they’re rolling out new retailers and innovations at full spe
S2 Ep15: How Cure Got into retail (and Stayed There) : A Go-To Market Playbook with Lauren Picasso
How do you scale a wellness brand without burning out—or burning cash? In this episode, we talk with Cure Hydration’s founder, Lauren Picasso about the real work behind funding a fast-growing brand, getting on shelves nationwide, and going to market with intention. She gives us the tea on how she raised capital as a solo founder and launched in CVS at the height of COVID—in a hydration category th
S2 Ep14: Self Manufacturing & Crowdfunding. Why Caroline Brain of Kif is Sticking to Regional Growth
Today I sit down with Caroline Brain, founder of @kifandco — and let’s just say, this one’s packed with gut instinct and growth energy. We dive into how she’s building a brand rooted in gut health from the ground up — literally — including her regional play, why she chose to self-manufacture, and the vision behind the Gut Hut (yes, it’s as cool as it sounds 😎). PLUS: she just launched a crowdfund
S2 Ep13: The Sweet Path to Sustainable Growth with Kim & Brittney Cook of Something Sweet
Just dropped a fresh episode with mother daughter duo Brittany & Kim Cook, half of the team behind @somethingsweetdough. We dive into how they’ve grown their cookie dough brand with intention — keeping things simple, regional, and family-run. This isn’t a story about rushing to scale — it’s about building a solid foundation, leveraging their local community, and using the strengths of their ow
S2 Ep12: Wellness That Works: How Jane Wong of NOON Built a Profitable Product at the Intersection of Design and Cognitive Health
Today, I chat with Jane Wong, the visionary founder of NOON, a brand that’s redefining how we think about wellness, one beautifully designed mushroom gummy at a time. Jane shares how she’s merging aesthetic minimalism with cognitive health, creating products that not only support your brain but look good on your shelf, too. We dive into her design-led approach, the science behind the formulas, and
S2 Ep11: From The Brink To Breakthrough: How Erica Groussman Rebuilt TRUBAR
Today I sat down with the powerhouse behind TRUBAR, Founder & CEO Erica Groussman—and let me tell you, she brought it. We talked about how she’s taken TRUBAR nationwide (and she’s just getting started), what it really looks like to juggle work, life, a growing team, and constant innovation. Oh—and did I mention she pulled the company out of $7 million in debt? Her journey is raw, real, and pac
S2 Ep10: Erewhon Collabs & Smart Scaling : How Sydney Karmes-Wainer is Building French Squirrel on her own terms
I sat down with French Squirrel founder Sydney Wainer to talk about what it really takes to grow a values-driven CPG brand. We got into the nitty gritty—unit economics, scaling smart, and building strong retail relationships . Plus, she shared the personal health journey that inspired it all. It’s honest, inspiring, and full of takeaways for any founder on the rise. If you've been sitting on idea
S2 Ep9: Luxury, Layers & Legacy: The Caker, Jordan Rondel Story
Question: Do you know what a total badass Jordan Rondel is? If not, let me introduce you. Her creativity isn’t just inspiring—it’s effortlessly cool. If you’re a female founder (or dreaming of becoming one), this convo is a must-listen. Jordan keeps it real, sharing the highs, the lows, and everything in between with honesty and heart. I walked away from this chat so inspired, and I think you’re g
S2 Ep8: Building Ghia: How Melanie Masarin is Redefining Social Drinking
To kick off Season 2 of my Founder Series, I sit down with Melanie Masarin, the visionary founder of Ghia, to talk about how she’s shaking up the drinking culture—no booze required. 🍸✨ Melanie takes us behind the scenes of building her wildly popular non-alcoholic aperitif, from the spark of inspiration to the gritty realities of product development, manufacturing and breaking into retail and thei
S1 Ep7: Collabs That Count: How Lydia Lee uses Influencers to Grow brands on a budget
Lydia is a digital marketing maven, with over 15 years experience in the Social Media and Influencer Marketing Field across many industries. She has experience building brands from conception to acquisition. Lydia is a data driven marketing professional who has built up brands to be on the Inc 5000's fastest growing private companies list. She has experience in developing efficient, high-impact ma
S1 Ep6: Publicity on a Budget: How to DIY Your Own PR Strategy with Bridget Sicsko
Bridget Aileen Sicsko is the co-founder of Visibility on Purpose, a media training school established in 2023 alongside publicist Lydia Bagarozza. As a former publisher turned speaker, Bridget has delivered impactful presentations to over 5,000 individuals across the U.S. and Europe, covering topics such as human optimization, the athlete mentality, wellness, and lifestyle. Her dynamic speaking st
S1 Ep5: Spread the Love: The Pistakio Startup Journey with Francine Voit
Francine Voit is the co-founder of Pistakio, a company dedicated to reimagining pistachios for a new generation of enthusiasts. Pistakio introduced the OG Pistachio Spread, a versatile, sweet, and drizzable spread made with real pistachios and natural ingredients. Francine’s innovative approach aims to make pistachios more accessible and enjoyable beyond their traditional in-shell form. Her commit
S1 Ep4: Behind the Posts: Building a Winning Instagram Strategy with Social Media Expert Kelly Meyer
Kelly Meyer has a Bachelors and Masters of Science in Marketing, and has spent her career working in digital marketing, specializing in social media strategy. After experiencing both the in-house and agency side of things, she combined her expertise and decided launch Muse Digital Strategies, a micro social media agency. Find Kelly at https://www.musedigitalstrategies.com/It's All Happening Websit
S1 Ep3: The Power of Purpose: Elevating CPG Brands through PR with Rachel Krupa
Rachel Krupa is the founder of The Goods Mart, a mission-driven convenience store offering better-for-you snacks and essentials. With a background in public relations, she has been instrumental in promoting health-conscious brands and fostering community engagement. Rachel’s innovative approach to retail has garnered attention for its focus on sustainability and social responsibility. Through her
S1 Ep2: The CPG Brand Whisperer: Kelly Bennett's Secrets to Standing Out
Kelly Bennett is a CPG food & beverage brand strategist in New York City. She works with brands to differentiate in the marketplace, discover unique selling points, and create buzz with strategic partners, consumers, retailers & industry. Clients featured in LA Times, Forbes, and CNN. And recently collaborated with top Trademark attorney Nicole Swartz to launch Bread & Butter; a Tradem
S1 Ep1: Welcome to the table: Women, Business, and Breaking the Mold with Danielle Calabrese
Danielle, founder of It's All Happening, a community and agency for CPG founders and brand experts, has been helping CPG businesses scale for over 16 years. Her passion is to help founders turn their ideas into a lucrative reality, navigate difficult problems, nail their strategy, and accelerate. From founding her own small business to working for an agency that takes brands to market, to serving
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