“It's been a journey. Our conversations this season have been incredibly inspiring, and they've left me hopeful for the future of food… Thank you for a great season!” —Justine Reichman

What an incredible ride this season has been!

To our devoted listeners, your unwavering support and engagement have fueled our mission from the very start. And to our esteemed guests, your willingness to share your personal journeys, innovative ideas, and visionary perspectives has been truly inspiring.

Together, we've embarked on a transformative exploration of the food landscape— uncovering challenges, celebrating triumphs, and catching glimpses of a future where nourishment, sustainability, and community converge.

Join our host, Justine Reichman, for a look back at the most inspiring moments from the past few months. Hear from founders, experts, and visionaries who are redefining the future of food— from startups tackling health and wellness, to the conscious drinking movement, to moms building better choices for their families.

As we close the curtain on Season 8, we are overflowing with gratitude for the privilege of walking this path alongside all of you. The road ahead is paved with promise, and we can't wait to embark on the next leg of this remarkable journey.

Onward to Season 9!

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Episode Highlights:

00:17 The Importance of Start Ups

05:20 Stories for Inspiration

08:12 Conscious Drinking Series

10:21 Making the World a Sweeter Place

13:43 Upcycling

15:17 It’s Been a Journey

“The flavor and the taste of our regions, as soon as you start industrializing it… it strips the flavor of the grain. It might be good as a crop that will bring in money, but it's not going to have that same soulful value that the type of flour that is stone-milled.” —Jennifer Lapidus

From the farmers who nurture the grains, to the millers who coax out their complex flavors, to the bakers who transform these flours into loaves that nourish the soul, these artisans play a crucial role in preserving the unique tastes of their regions.

Jennifer Lapidus founded Carolina Ground, a small flour mill that aims to revive traditional milling practices and strengthen the connection between farmers, millers, and bakers. With a passion for history and a deep appreciation for the art of sourdough bread-making, Jennifer has spent over 30 years championing the use of locally sourced, stone-milled flour to create exceptional baked goods that nourish both body and soul.

Join the conversation as Justine and Jennifer talk about the importance of following your passions even if the path is not straightforward, how collaboration and support help the baking community thrive, the power of preserving tradition in the age of rapid industrialization, the benefits of focusing on the quality over quantity, and the value of finding the right balance for a mission-driven business.

Meet Jennifer:

Jennifer (she/her) is a baker, a miller, an author, a wife, a mother and stepmom, a sister, a fan of beagle mutts, bitter foods, long walks, and Belgian road bikes. She’s forklift certified and her favorite musical is A Chorus Line (though Hamilton is a close second).

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Episode Highlights:

00:40 Baking as a Mark in History

05:21 Making Sourdough More Nutritious and Flavorful

09:16 The Farmers-Millers-Bakers Community

13:16 The Benefits of Growing Laterally

16:39 More than Just Sugar and Egg

“I traded my life in WallStreet for the world of WellStreet, and I became an entrepreneur.” —Shizu Okusa

The wellness industry has experienced a remarkable transformation in recent years, as consumers increasingly seek natural, holistic solutions to address their health and well-being. This shift reflects a broader societal trend towards a more integrative understanding of health, one that recognizes the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and environment. As this intersection continues to evolve, innovative companies are poised to capitalize on this growing market, offering consumers a new generation of wellness products and services that prioritize prevention, personalization, and overall well-being.

Founded by serial entrepreneur Shizu Okusa, Apothekary offers a range of herbal remedies, functional foods, and educational resources to empower people to take a more proactive approach to their health. As a respected voice in the wellness industry, Shizu continues to develop innovative products and experiences that help people live healthier, more balanced lives.

Listen in as Shizu shares her inspiring entrepreneurial journey, from her time on Wall Street to her passion for herbal medicine and holistic healing. Justine and Shizu also discuss the growing intersection of wellness, healthcare, and food as medicine, the importance of using your gifts to create solutions that benefit others, their personal morning routines for better skin and mental health, and the importance of knowing your numbers, having a clear business plan, and being strategic about fundraising.

Meet Shizu:

Shizu Okusa, is a Wall Street alum-turned-wellness entrepreneur. After leaving an intense finance career, she became inspired to live a more balanced lifestyle and revisit her Japanese roots and passion for herbal medicine. Shizu set out to help others regain their holistic health using traditions she grew up with and ones she learned along the way. Now, she proudly leads Apothékary in our mission to deliver natural herbal remedies that get to the root cause of health issues rather than masking the symptoms.

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Episode Highlights:

01:10 From WallStreet to WellStreet

08:27 Empowering Consumers with Natural Healing Solutions

12:42 Morning Routine for Skin and Mental Health

16:55 Managing Workload

21:28 Fundraising Challenges and Tips

26:42 The Founder’s Role

“The individual decision is the difference maker.” —Becky Selengut

Our local markets and farms are brimming with a diverse array of ingredients. Yet, many of us pass them by because of their peculiar appearance or because we may be unsure of how to incorporate them into our cooking. But, by moving past our assumptions of how food should look like and embracing the unique qualities of these “ugly” and “misunderstood” vegetables, we can unlock a world of delicious, nutritious possibilities and transform our palates and perspectives while forging a deeper connection to the land.

Becky Selengut is an author, chef, and educator who has dedicated her career to inspiring home cooks to embrace overlooked, locally-sourced ingredients. Through her books, cooking classes, and advocacy work, Becky encourages people to look beyond the familiar and explore the diverse array of produce available in their own communities.

Join the conversation as Justine and Chef Becky highlight specific examples of overlooked local ingredients, the reasons these ingredients are often misunderstood, the importance of curiosity, experimentation, and a willingness to try new things when it comes to expanding our culinary repertoire, the impact of individual food choices, the divide between eating organically versus domestically, and how eating locally contribute to sustainability and improved local food systems.

Meet Becky:

Becky Selengut is an author, instructor, podcaster, and chef based in Seattle. Her books include: Misunderstood Vegetables, How to Taste, Shroom, Good Fish, and Not One Shrine. Selengut is the co-host of the local foods podcast Field to Fork. When Selengut is not the chef aboard the M/V Thea Foss, she forages, makes a mean Manhattan, and shares her life with her wife April Pogue, their lovably loony pointer mix Izzy and their semi-feral gray floof Jinx.

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Episode Highlights:

00:34 Misunderstood Vegetables

07:29 “Ugly Vegetables” for Global Problems

13:14 Eating Locally and Sustainably

19:38 Organic vs Local

23:00 Individual vs Systemic Change

28:55 Reduce Plastic

“Everything in the world is about how you're connecting to other people.” —Wade Johnson

From the women farmers cultivating coffee beans in remote regions to the baristas crafting specialty drinks in bustling cafes, coffee brings people together. But more than an everyday beverage, coffee also offers cultural and economic significance. It provides livelihoods for millions while fueling creative and business endeavors. However, coffee production faces growing threats from climate change and fluctuating prices.

Exploradora Coffee is a socially conscious coffee roaster co-founded by Wade Johnson, her mother Alison, and her sister, Hollis. By exclusively sourcing from women farmers and reinvesting in programs for coffee growers, Exploradora Coffee promotes food security as well as economic and social empowerment. The family-run business strives to uplift women coffee producers while securing a sustainable future for this culturally and economically significant crop.

Listen in as Justine and Wade open up about their experiences in navigating family business dynamics and growth strategies, the importance of mentorship, collaboration, and creating efficient tools and processes, the impact of regenerative agriculture practices and building long-term relationships with coffee farms, Exploradora’s future growth plans, and more.

Meet Wade:

Wade Johnson is the co-founder of Exploradora Coffee, a coffee roastery that sources exclusively from women farmers around the world. With a background in politics, executive recruiting, and coffee, Wade brings diverse experience to building Exploradora Coffee. Wade is passionate about empowering women in coffee-producing countries and donates company proceeds to support mothers through the Springboard to Opportunities nonprofit. Under Wade's leadership, Exploradora Coffee has expanded its restaurant and cafe partnerships while committing to long-term relationships with coffee farms. When not running the day-to-day operations of Exploradora Coffee, Wade enjoys mentoring other entrepreneurs and advocating for sustainable agricultural practices like regenerative farming.

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Episode Highlights:

01:35 Building a Family-Owned Roastery

09:08 Empowering Women in Coffee Production

15:46 Evolving Leadership Roles

19:31 Giving Back as Entrepreneurs

26:16 How Regen Ag Impacts Coffee Production

“The industry responds to the consumer. If we would stop buying all of the processed foods, they would change. We have the ability to change the industry by where we put our dollars.” —Dr. Heather Stone

For many people, certain foods can trigger uncomfortable and sometimes debilitating symptoms. However, identifying the culprit foods isn't always straightforward. Through traditional trial-and-error elimination diets, it's possible to pinpoint sensitivities over time. But, by taking a holistic view of the body's systems and how they interact with diet and lifestyle, it is possible to uncover and address underlying imbalances that may be exacerbating sensitivity reactions.

Dr. Heather Stone is a functional medicine practitioner who helps clients overcome food sensitivities and autoimmune conditions by identifying and correcting imbalances in a holistic manner. By focusing on nutrition, lifestyle factors, and reducing inflammation, she empowers people to take control of their health and minimize symptoms naturally.

Listen in as Justine and Dr. Stone dive into the importance of addressing the root causes of health issues rather than just treating symptoms, how traditional and functional medicine can work together comprehensively for optimal patient care and health outcomes, how to clean up diet to manage blood sugar levels, reduce inflammation, and insulin resistance, what a balanced approach to moderation means, and the role of cultural competence and community in making lifestyle changes.

Meet Heather:

Dr. Heather Stone, DC is one of the top functional medicine practitioners in the world. She has over twenty years of clinical experience in private practice. During that time she has successfully helped thousands of women overcome the symptoms of hypothyroidism & Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

In addition, her Thyroid Transformation Blueprint has been used by hundreds of doctors, and thus has helped countless women return to happy, healthy, & lean. Her mission is to change the face of healthcare through her private practice, books, masterclasses, webinars, educational programs, and retreats.

Dr. Heather believes the body was born to heal and works tirelessly to remind her patients that the power to heal always comes from within. When she is not working to help her patients achieve their goals she is spending time with her family, friends, and a menagerie of animals on her ranch. She is passionate about great food, cooking, regenerative farming, gardening, raising animals in a healthy and humane environment, and her quest to live to 120 years old. She currently resides in Texas where she runs Born To Heal Ranch, which is a retreat center for women dealing with hypothyroidism & Hashimoto’s.

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Episode Highlights:

01:27 More Than Just Symptoms

07:47 Integrating Traditional and Functional Medicine for Optimal Health

13:40 Continous Glucose Monitors for Improved Patient Care

18:25 Managing Food Sensitivities

24:51 Personal and Cultural Competence

“When you're an entrepreneur, there's opportunities everywhere. And part of the art is the discernment of the opportunity that is not only going to be achievable but has the highest, long-term return. That comes with experience, but if you understand your tools better, you get there faster.” —Joni Kindwall-Moore

Our modern food system has become disconnected from nature's inherent wisdom. Agriculture prioritizes yield over nutrition, flooding our bodies with empty calories that lack phytonutrients and fiber. This imbalance is having disastrous health consequences, amplifying the rising rates of preventable diseases. Reconnecting agriculture with its original purpose of nourishment is key to reversing these trends.

Snacktivist Foods is a food innovation company that is transforming underutilized crops into healthier comfort foods using ancient grains and ingredients. Founded by former nurse Joni Kindwall-Moore, Snacktivist's mission is to elevate nutrition and sustainability through innovative plant-based products.

This week’s conversation aims to reestablish the linkage between agriculture, food, and human health by creating products from nutrient-dense crops that provide medicinal benefits. Listen in as Justine and Joni discuss why modern highly processed foods are leading to overeating, how creating better-for-you alternatives can help address diet-related diseases, how embracing imperfection and continuous improvement leads to more sustainable behavioral changes and success in wellness goals, and how lifestyle interventions can impact health outcomes.

Meet Joni:

Joni Kindwall-Moore is the founder and CEO of Snacktivist Foods, a food innovation company focused on elevating underutilized crops. She has over 15 years of experience as a registered nurse, where she worked in critical care units and saw firsthand the human suffering caused by diet-related diseases. This inspired her to leave healthcare and launch Snacktivist to create healthier comfort foods using ancient grains and ingredients with medicinal properties. Under Joni's leadership, Snacktivist has raised over $3 million in grants to further its mission of connecting agriculture to better health outcomes. When she's not running her company, Joni enjoys advocating for more responsive and sustainable food systems.

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Episode Highlights:

03:48 Nutrition and Microbiome Health

09:19 The Importance of Balance in Food Choices

12:44 Food Innovation for Health

17:21 Meeting the Challenges of Fundraising

20:58 How Diet Impacts Life Expectancy

“The food system is broken. There's no way around it… But can you make the best choice you can make with what's in front of you?” —Jamie Poe

The traditional camping aisle has long been due for an overhaul. Growing consciousness now allows us to see outdoor adventure not just as an escape, but as an extension of our values. We seek harmony with nature through mindful gear, sustainable practices, and nutrition in tune with the landscape.

Into this space have stepped innovators who understand the modern outdoors person. Poe&Co. is a catering and food products company founded by chefs and partners Jamie Poe and Jayson Poe. Driven by their passions for local, seasonal cuisine and the outdoors, they have established a thriving catering business while launching a line of plant-based camping meals.

Listen in Justine and Jamie also talk about how bootstrapping allows creative control over the business, how strong partnerships require balancing visionary and operational roles, why new ventures require flexibility, the challenges of choosing sustainable packaging, and the importance of supporting local economies and small businesses, as well as consulting with experts to improve products.

Meet Jamie:

Originally from Los Angeles, Jamie Poe attended The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. After graduating in 2005, she moved to New York City and cooked at Danny Meyer's Union Square Cafe and Michelin-starred Gramercy Tavern. Since then, Poe has worked as a Private Chef in New York City, The Hamptons, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, and Santa Barbara. Jamie also managed a boutique olive oil company in Napa Valley and has contributed to multiple cookbooks and online publications.

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Episode Highlights:

04:38 Challenges of Building a Catering Company

08:21 Partnership and Division of Responsibilities

14:23 Making It Healthy and Accessible

18:33 Lessons in Launching a New Food Product

22:39 Packaging Focused on Sustainability

26:47 Catering with Plant-Based Options