Power Balance: Investors, Mission and Money

On this week’s show, NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg and reporter Adrianne DeLuca are joined by two CPG executives and mission-driven brand leaders – Seth Goldman, CEO of Eat the Change and Jane Miller, CEO of Rudi’s Bakery – to discuss the departure of Miyoko Schinner from her namesake alt-dairy brand, Miyoko’s Creamery. The group discusses the macro challenges of being an outspoken founder figure, personal beliefs on the function and value of a mission-aligned board of directors and shares advice on approaching venture capital investment. Show Highlights: 03:45: The discussion kicks off with a look into Seth's own professional experiences taking venture capital, how these two CEOs have navigated complex working relationships within executive teams and why holding regular, open and honest conversations with those at the top becomes especially important as the brand grows into its own.  08:05: Seth and Jane share their advice for fellow brand leaders on navigating the power dynamics that emerge when investment comes into play and how to ensure your stakeholders hold your company’s mission at heart. 15:19: The duo gets honest about the challenges entrepreneurs may face when scaling brands with a strong mission, complexities female founders face in this industry and explained why they believe a company’s founder should always be active in core decisions, serving as the guiding force and the brand’s champion throughout its lifecycle 25:50 Jane and Seth share their philosophy toward the function of a board and why this group of individuals should act as a support system and sounding board for a company’s leadership team.  “Everybody should be on the same side, which is assuming the best [and] trying to get the company to the same place. When you start to create that environment of ‘my board members’ versus ‘your board members,’ you're not going to get anywhere good.”  - Jane Miller, CEO of Rudi’s Bakehouse   "It's really valuable for [Miyoko's] vision to come to its fruition, for [her] to still be part of this…this is the visionary who created this brand and there's no more effective advocate [the board will] ever find...you've got to find a way to make her feel like she's part of this business… you want her to still be your advocate and champion."  - Seth Goldman, CEO of Eat The Change About the NOSH Podcast The staff of NOSH.com takes listeners inside the business of natural, organic, sustainable and healthy food during the NOSH Podcast. Using interviews and discussion, the team illuminates the news, brands, people, trends, and money affecting the world of packaged food. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

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