On this episode, we’re joined by Laura Morris, VP of Marketing at Sempio Foods, Korea’s oldest registered food brand.

Sempio was founded in 1946 on a simple promise: never sell a product the founder wouldn’t serve his own family. Today, they’ve grown into a global powerhouse in fermented sauces, noodles, kimchi, teas, and more that’s distributed in 75+ countries.

Before Sempio, Laura led marketing at Kayco, the owner of iconic Kosher brands like Manischewitz and Dorot Gardens.

Now at Sempio, Laura’s helping bridge the gap between Korean authenticity and U.S. consumer behavior.

Laura breaks down how to localize global brands, adapt packaging for a new audience, plan around ambiguous inventory lead times, and why sometimes the right move with retailers is saying “not yet.”

Episode Highlights:
🌏 What it’s like marketing a fully international brand in the U.S.
🧂 Why Sempio stays true to its fermented roots
📦 Packaging tips for balancing authenticity and accessibility
🇰🇷 How to market gochujang without losing its Korean identity
🚢 Why global logistics shape campaign planning
💡 Lessons from the Dorot Gardens rebrand (“Pop, Drop, Done”)
🛒 Retail strategy: when to say yes, when to say “not yet”
📊 Sales tools, aisle violators & using data to win shelves
💥 The product launch flop that became a 10x comeback

Table of Contents:
00:00 – Laura’s Background
01:00 – Sempio Origin & U.S. Expansion
04:00 – Working with a Global HQ
07:00 – Naming & Packaging Strategy
10:00 – What Gets Prioritized in the U.S.
12:30 – Aisle Placement: Ethnic vs. Center Store
16:00 – Tips for Import Brand Marketers
18:30 – Campaign Planning Around Global Transit
21:00 – Dorot Gardens Rebrand Case Study
25:00 – Packaging Strategy Questions to Ask
27:30 – Retail Tools: Decks, Data, and Displays
30:00 – Managing Retailer Requests vs. Margins
32:00 – Learning from a Product Launch Flop
34:30 – Trends Laura’s Watching
36:00 – Where to Follow Laura & Sempio

Links:
Sempio Foods – https://www.sempio.com
Yondu (plant-based umami) – https://www.yondu.us
Follow Laura on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-morris-cpg

Follow Adam on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg

Check out https://www.kitprint.co for CPG production design support.

On this episode, we’re joined by Tyler Mayoras, Managing Director at Manna Tree Partners.

Tyler has spent over 15 years in private equity CPG, partnering with brands like Simple Mills, Health-Ade, New Primal, and Verde Farms. But he’s also been on the operator side, building Cool Beans from scratch, launching into retailers like Sprouts and Wegmans, and learning firsthand how to navigate the frozen aisle, regenerative sourcing, and repeat purchase velocity.

Tyler dives into the reality of regenerative, demo strategies, hero SKUs, what he focuses on when working with management teams, how he evaluates potential investment opps, and how the CPG PE landscape has changed over the past decade or so.

Episode Highlights:
📦 Digital demos vs. in-store: what actually works
📊 Unit economics red flags (and how to fix them)
🔥 Why taste is the #1 investment filter
🧠 What makes a founder “coachable” and a brand a real target for Manna Tree
🛒 The problem with early national rollouts (velocity vs distribution)
💥 How one brutal Expo West conversation changed a founder’s trajectory
🐶 Two categories Tyler “missed”

Table of Contents:
00:00 – Intro & Background
02:00 – Regenerative Ag: Promise vs. Reality
06:00 – Digital Demo Strategy & Social Nature
11:00 – Velocity vs. Distribution: What Founders Miss
16:00 – COGS, Margins & Pricing Power
18:00 – Hero SKUs and Hyper-Focus
27:00 – Investment Criteria & Team Dynamics
34:00 – Why PE Targets $25M–$75M Brands
39:00 – Trends Tyler Missed & What He’s Watching Now
41:00 – Where to Follow Tyler

Links:
Manna Tree (join their newsletter!) – https://www.mannatreepartners.com
Follow Tyler on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/tylermayoras

Follow Adam on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg

Check out https://www.kitprint.co/ for CPG production design support.

On this episode, we’re joined by Ian Montgomery, a sustainable design strategist at EcoEnclose and the former founder of Guacamole Airplane, a studio known for pioneering some of the most creative and technical work in sustainable packaging.

Ian has worked with top-tier brands like Nike, Whole Foods, Allbirds, Dell, and Flamingo Estate, helping them radically rethink how materials, storytelling, and infrastructure intersect. Today, he's helping scale regenerative and circular solutions at EcoEnclose, one of the most innovative packaging suppliers in North America.

Ian shares the messy realities and exciting breakthroughs shaping the future of sustainable packaging - from seaweed polybags and algae inks to the limits of compostables and why infrastructure (not innovation) might be our biggest barrier - and what he’d do with a $500B budget to fix the system.

Episode Highlights:
🌎 What the packaging industry gets wrong about sustainability
♻️ Why flexible plastics are the “final boss” of recycling
🧠 Smart strategies for early-stage brands with tight budgets
🌿 The promise (and pitfalls) of seaweed, mushroom foam & hemp
🔥 Why he's surprisingly pro-plastic—if done right
📉 Compostability vs. recyclability: which path makes sense today?
🏛️ How he’d reallocate $500B to fix end-of-life infrastructure
🔬 Processing tech and non-tree fibers that could change everything

Table of Contents:
00:00 – Ian’s background & EcoEnclose intro
04:00 – State of the sustainable packaging union
10:00 – Breakthrough materials & market shifts
17:00 – Advice for DTC brands scaling sustainably
23:00 – Recyclable vs. compostable: real talk
30:00 – What makes a material “valuable”?
36:00 – What Ian’s changed his mind about
38:00 – If Ian had $500B to move the world to 100% sustainable packaging

Links:
EcoEnclose – https://www.ecoenclose.com/
Follow EcoEnclose on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ecoenclose/?hl=en
Follow Ian on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-montgomery-414a0964/

Follow Adam on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg
Check out https://www.kitprint.co/ for CPG production design support.