Welcome to the
Brand Alchemist Podcast
The Brand Alchemist podcast dives deep into what makes the world’s most sought-after brands tick, trip, and triumph.
Meet the Host
Taja Dockendorf
Join Taja, Founder and Creative Director of Pulp+Wire, as she interviews top brand owners forging their path forward and making magic happen along the way.
Listen to the Latest Episode
All Episodes
In the latest episode of the Brand Alchemist Podcast, Taja Dockendorf interviews Sara Cullen, the Founder and CEO of GEM, about how she transformed her…
In the latest Brand Alchemist Podcast episode, Taja Dockendorf welcomes Junea Rocha, the CMO and Co-founder of Brazi Bites, to talk about how she scaled…
Tune in to this episode of the Brand Alchemist Podcast as Taja Dockendorf hosts Mike Glick, the Co-founder and CEO of Goode Health, who talks…
In today’s episode of the Brand Alchemist Podcast, Taja Dockendorf chats with Hector Saldivar, the Founder of Tia Lupita Foods, about building a CPG brand…
In the latest Brand Alchemist Podcast episode, Taja Dockendorf welcomes Mike Schanbacher and Nicholas Kheny of Blobs to discuss how their brand fulfills childhood memories…
Tune in to this episode of the Brand Alchemist Podcast as Taja Dockendorf chats with Chitra Agrawal, the Founder of Brooklyn Delhi, about her journey…
In today’s episode of the Brand Alchemist Podcast, Taja Dockendorf welcomes Gardar Stefansson, Co-founder and CEO of GOOD GOOD, to speak on the process of…
Welcome back to the Brand Alchemist Podcast as Taja Dockendorf interviews Alex Sorenson, the Founder of Blank Slate Kitchen, about his brand-building story. Alex talks…
In this episode of the Brand Alchemist Podcast, Taja Dockendorf welcomes Ashley Nickelson, the Founder and CEO of B.T.R. Nation, to talk about the brand’s…
In today’s episode of the Brand Alchemist Podcast, Taja Dockendorf returns to interview Jenna Liut, the Chief Commercial Officer and Co-founder of Kiddiwinks, about building…
Derek Wallace is Co-founder of Kalamata’s Kitchen, a multimedia platform that encourages children to explore the world through food. Inspired by an episode of Chef’s…
Chris Kirby is the Founder and President of Ithaca Hummus, the leading fresh-crafted hummus brand. After launching a lemon garlic hummus made with fresh ingredients,…
Nicole Cardone is the Co-founder and CEO of Fruitful Brands, the umbrella company of SorBabes and Fudgy Pop. SorBabes offers artisanal, flavor-dipped sorbet bars and…
Daniel Del Coro is the Head of US Business Development at Secret Island Salmon and its parent company Salmones Austral, which specializes in sustainable seafood.…
Stefanie Garcia Turner is the Founder and CEO of TUYYO, a modern line of Hispanic food and beverages made with natural ingredients. With nearly two…
Alison Cayne is the Founder of Haven’s Kitchen, which produces globally-inspired fresh-made sauces. After teaching home cooking for over two decades and owning a cooking…
Alison Evans and Chloe Bergson are the Co-founders of Sayso, a premium cocktail company offering tea bag cocktails. After meeting at Harvard Business School and…
Charlie Weisman is the Founder of Staff, which reimagines household items with bold colors, unique materials, and pleasing characters. After being stuck in a tiny…
Saskia Sorrosa is the Founder and CEO of Fresh Bellies, which produces savory snacks focused on combating childhood obesity. By offering vegetables without added sugar…
Kaitlin Mogentale is the Founder and CEO of Pulp Pantry, an upcycled food brand transforming fruit and vegetable juice pulp into nutritious, convenient snacks. With…
Adam Brown is the Founder and President of Sircle Media, a social media strategy firm. In his role, he works with CPG, beverage, and spirit…
Briana Warner is the CEO of Atlantic Sea Farms, which creates innovative products from sustainably-farmed sea greens. In 2022, the brand received the Fast Company…
Ashley Albert is the Founder of The Matzo Project, an artisanal cracker company manufacturing traditional Jewish snacks. As the 10th-best female shuffleboard player in the…
Sarah Wallace is the Founder and CEO of The Good Bean, a female-owned business making tasty and nutritious bean protein snacks. Through the acquisition of…
Kevin McCray is the Co-founder and COO of Kevin’s Natural Foods, a line of healthy entrées, sauces, and seasoning blends making clean eating taste delicious…
Steve Thorp is the Co-founder and CEO of Before Self Care Company, which manufactures custom, dentist-approved toothpaste made with clean ingredients and packaged in a…
Hailey Swartz is the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Actual Veggies, a brand that’s redefining the plant-based protein industry with its line of veggie-only burgers. The…
Sheena Russell is the Founder and CEO of Made with Local, a B-Corp Certified snack company. As a social entrepreneur, she creates real food bars…
Jake Karls is the Co-founder and Rainmaker at Mid-Day Squares, which manufactures functional chocolate bars. Over the past four years, Jake and his team have…
Ayeshah Abuelhiga is the Founder and CEO of Mason Dixie Foods, the first and only clean-label ready-to-bake line of frozen biscuits focused on providing fresh,…
Jenny Bonchak is a national award-winning barista and the Founder of Slingshot Coffee Company — offering cold brew black coffee — and Bright Side Beverage…
Katie Wilson is the Co-founder of BelliWelli, the first gluten-free, probiotic-packed, low FODMAP, vegan snack bar for people suffering from gastrointestinal conditions. As someone who…
Serina Hanlon is the Owner of The Pharmacy Lab, a compounding pharmacy specializing in non-sterile compounds. The Pharmacy Lab creates and helps customers personalize medications…
Bob Burke is the Principal of Natural Products Consulting, a consulting firm specializing in bringing natural, organic, and specialty products to market across all channels.…
Andrea Popova is the Co-founder and CEO of the Consumer Packaged Goods Directory, a hub for emerging consumer brands and the resources to build them.…
Amrit Richmond is the Founder of Indie CPG, which supports sustainable indie brands through community, content, and connections. She is also the Founder of Supermercato,…
Jess Caven is the Co-founder and Principal of Generation CPG, an agency that helps launch the next generation of CPG products in food, beverage, and…
Zach DeAngelo is the Founder, CEO, and Investor at Rodeo CPG, a product and services firm designed to help innovative brands in the CPG space…
Alex Bayer is the Co-founder and CEO of Genius Juice, the world’s first all-organic plant-based smoothie made from coconuts. After a friend offered him an…
Amy Cohn has a hybrid of experience building new businesses and growth for global brands and hyperlocal high-growth startups. She has run online product innovation…
Logan Mahoney is the Director of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at Atomic Coffee Roasters, a North Shore-based coffee roaster, wholesaler, and retailer. In his…
Cygne Cooper is the Co-founder and Chief Brand Officer at hiyo, a brand producing stress-relieving social tonics crafted with natural adaptogens, nootropics, and functional botanicals.…
Brittany Lo is the Founder and CEO of Beia, a beauty wellness brand that empowers women to indulge in self-care through a diverse line of…
Emanuel Storch is the CEO of Blackbird Foods, a plant-based food company producing wholesale and retail seitan, frozen pizza, and plant-based meat. His passion for…
Jennifer Liao is the Co-founder of Xiao Chi Jie (XCJ), a direct-to-consumer food company specializing in authentic Chinese street food. As a second-generation Asian American,…
Taja Dockendorf is the Founder, Owner, and Creative Director at Pulp+Wire, a female-founded, award-winning, full-service, CPG branding and marketing agency. Pulp+Wire specializes in helping natural…
Nick Grossenbacher is the Founder and Chief Product Formulator at REÅLEA Skincare, which delivers potent, topical solutions rooted in global traditions of medicinal alchemy. He…
Raina Kumra is the Founder of Spicewell, the world’s first nutrient-dense, Ayurvedic line of pantry essentials. As an operational leader, investor, and advisor, she is…
Nina Damato is the Managing Partner at Blue Circle Foods, a company that provides consumers with clean, nutritious, 100% traceable seafood using best sustainability practices.…
Hawa Hassan is the CEO and Founder of Basbaas Foods, an authentic, packaged line of Somalian hot sauces and chutneys. The brand has been featured…
Jeff Weaber is the Owner of Aqua ViTea, a Vermont-based brand that brews authentic kombucha. Previously, he was a Brewer at Lucky Labrador Brew Pub,…
Nabeel Alamgir was born in Bangladesh and moved to Kuwait seven years later, then to Queens, New York, seven years after that. He began his…
Abraham Kamarck is the Founder and CEO of True Made Foods, a brand that reinvents America’s favorite condiments using real fruits and vegetables instead of…
Amy Zitelman is the CEO of Soom Foods, a supplier of globally-inspired premium tahini pantry foods. The company has been featured in publications such as…
Matt Weiss is the Founder and CEO of RIND Snacks, a healthy snack brand focused on whole fruit nutrition. RIND’s mission is to help consumers…
Ramon Vela is the Founder of CommerceFocused Media, which produces The Story of a Brand, a podcast that features DTC, CPG, and omnichannel brands. The…
Laureen Moyal is a Founding Partner and Creative Director at Paperwhite Studio, a multi-disciplinary design consultancy. Paperwhite collaborates with clients to build identities and grow…
Luis Gramajo is a Co-Founder and Partner of Wunderkeks, a consumer-packaged cookie brand. He is responsible for the company’s product development, sales, and customer relationship…
“It’s fun for brands to sit around and write their big manifestos of what they believe in. It’s a whole other nightmare trying to execute…
“I wanted to shape the story myself.” – Laurel Orley Join Taja as she sits down with the founder of Daily Crunch, Laurel Orley in…
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