The Modern Retail Podcast

Rundown: Ride Aid faces delisting, Cooler Screens sues Walgreens & former Etsy sellers launch a competitor

07 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

First up on the Modern Retail Rundown show is a look at Rite Aid potentially getting delisted from the New York Stock Exchange due to a low stock pric...

Korres co-founder Lena Korres on expanding a Greek skin-care company internationally

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Greek skin and body care brand Korres is using its decades-long knowledge to continue its expansion. The brand was first launched in 1996 and has expa...

Rundown: FTC vs. Amazon, Target store closures & changes at Peloton

30 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on the Modern Retail Rundown, in which the editorial team talks about the biggest industry news, we dive into the FTC's antitrust lawsuit ag...

Neurosonic CEO Juha Suoniemi on building a global brand that sells relaxation

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

People are stressed, and Neurosonic is trying to help them relax. The company, which develops a technology that emits a low-frequency vibration that i...

Rundown: Seasonal retail hiring commences, Instacart finally goes public & H&M charges for returns

23 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on the Modern Retail Rundown, in which the Modern Retail editorial team break down the biggest industry headlines, we discuss the latest ann...

Waterdrop CEO Martin Murray on exporting a European beverage brand to the U.S.

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Vienna-based Waterdrop, best known for its pressed tablets that make flavored water, has ambitions to become a global beverage giant. The brand launch...

Rundown: TikTok Shop officially launches, Birkenstock files for IPO & Target strikes Kendra Scott partnership

16 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this week’s episode of the Modern Retail Rundown, the staff reviews headlines from the retail industry. First up is TikTok Shop, the platform’s...

Sisterly Tribe founder Kristin Hars on building a yoga lifestyle brand based in Europe

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kristin Hars is trying to start a yoga apparel empire from Gothenburg, Sweden. Hars has worked in retail for decades, rising the ranks at brands like ...

Rundown: Flexport C-suite drama, Draper James acquired & Walmart lowers its starting wages

09 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The economy continues to have an impact on businesses of all sizes and types. This week's Modern Retail Rundown sheds light on a few recent examples. ...

Skandinavisk founder Shaun Russell on making a lifestyle brand from candles

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Skandinavisk is trying to sell the experience of Scandinavia in a scent. The brand launched in 2012 with a line of candles that tried to embody differ...

'I'm obsessed with building companies': Why Uri Minkoff is focused on growing a brand he and his father launched in the '90s

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Uri Minkoff knows a thing or two about getting a brand off the ground. Beginning in 2005, he and his sister built the luxury brand Rebecca Minkoff, ul...

Rundown: Shein & Forever 21 partner up, Subway sells & Rolex buys Bucherer

26 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on the Modern Retail Rundown we start with the news of Shein and Forever 21’s new partnership, in which the companies will sell each other...

Georgia-Pacific CMO Laura Knebusch on staying nimble as a CPG behemoth

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Georgia-Pacific is a company most everyone in the U.S. has interacted with. It's a paper conglomerate behind some of the biggest names, such as Brawny...

Rundown: Instacart may finally IPO, Aldi's new acquisition & Everlane's turnaround plan

19 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on the Modern Retail Rundown we discuss the latest reports of Instacart’s approaching IPO, which can come as soon as September. Next is a ...

'This isn't about opening as many stores as we can': Primark U.S. president Kevin Tulip on introducing the value retailer to North America

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The U.K.-based retailer has become synonymous overseas with value-based apparel. But the company has been steadily growing its U.S. fleet with the hop...

Rundown: Tapestry & Capri merge, companies rein in rewards & Amazon scales back private brands

12 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this week’s Modern Retail Rundown, we discuss the growing consolidation in the Tapestry’s big acquisition of Michael Kors owner Capri. Next, wh...

Kurt Geiger CEO Neil Clifford on exceeding $200M in U.S. sales

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

U.K.-based fashion brand Kurt Geiger has been around since the 1960s, but has big plans to further expand its U.S. presence. The brand entered the U.S...

Rundown: Amazon's effective cost-cutting, E.l.f.'s growing momentum & Diamond Crystal's rebrand

05 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this week’s episode of the Modern Retail Rundown, the staff dissects various news coming out of the retail industry. This was a busy week for ear...

Bluestone Lane's Nick Stone on building an experiential coffee chain

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Coffee shops may have seen a dip during the pandemic, but they’re back and booming. That's especially true for the coffee chain Bluestone Lane. The ...

Rundown: The Daily Harvest saga, Bud Light layoffs & an Apple/Amazon's pricing lawsuit

29 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Correction: At the top of the episode we erroneously say that the cause of the Daily Harvest recall was "manufactured derived bacteria." The actual ca...

'I plan to be in this business for a very long time': Boll & Branch's Scott Tannen on building a long-lasting home goods business

27 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For high-end bedding brand Boll & Branch, the secret to growth has been on direct sourcing and keeping profitability always in mind. That's according ...

Rundown: Allbirds' challenging road, La Colombe and Cuup acquisitions

22 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's Modern Retail Rundown, we begin with a discussion of a new Wall Street Journal report dissecting how DTC footwear company Allbirds lost...

Solo Brands CEO John Merris on what it takes to be a successful DTC brand

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For Solo Brands, being DTC represents more of a state of mind than it does an exclusive sales channel. "A lot of people have in the last five years eq...

Rundown: A Prime Day postmortem, the impact of a UPS strike & increased scrutiny of energy drinks

15 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this week’s Modern Retail Rundown, we give a recap of the influencer-led Amazon's Prime Day, which for the first time included deals on travel. N...

Shein's head of strategy Peter Pernot-Day on how the e-commerce app is trying to get ahead of its own marketing narrative

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Shein has been around for nearly a decade, but we're just beginning to learn more about the brand now. Over the last two years, the e-commerce platfor...

Modern Retail Rundown: Brands flock to Threads, Christmas Tree Shops shutters & Claire's postpones IPO

08 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's Modern Retail Rundown starts out with a discussion about brands rushing to Threads. Then, we dive into the state of homeware retail in lig...

'We haven't changed the way that we do it': MìLà co-founder Jennifer Liao on transforming from a restaurant to a frozen food brand

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For frozen food startups, direct-to-consumer is a difficult channel to make work. But for MìLà, which makes food products like Chinese soup dumpling...

'It used to be, look at these two Shark Tank kids coming to monetize our industry': Mad Rabbit CEO Oliver Zak on gaining acceptance from the tattoo community

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tattoo care brand Mad Rabbit has a mission to make a growing niche of body care mainstream. The company, which first launched in 2019, makes products ...

Modern Retail Rundown: Daily Harvest's planned comeback, TikTok testing its own in-app shop & the changing returns landscape

24 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s Modern Retail Rundown starts off with a check-in on Daily Harvest and its planned retail launch, following a tumultuous year of lawsuits...

'DTC is a lot easier when money is free': Somos Foods CEO Miguel Leal on pivoting to wholesale

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"International foods are having a moment," said Miguel Leal, co-founder and CEO of Somos Foods. Indeed, that's the thesis of his startup, which makes ...

Modern Retail Rundown: Amazon ignores Temu, Grubhub layoffs & Instant Pot goes bankrupt

17 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's Modern Retail Rundown, we discuss why Amazon is not including shopping app Temu in its competitive pricing algorithm. Then, a look into...

'This will be our biggest year of growth': Legends CEO Scott Hochstadt on building an athleticwear brand with the help of sports pros

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Athleticwear brand Legends wants to be the Lululemon of professional sports. The company -- which sells products like basketball shorts, swim trunks a...

Modern Retail Rundown: Nike rekindles wholesale relationships, GameStop’s executive shakeup & Great Jones gets acquired

10 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode of the Modern Retail Rundown, our staff dissects all various changes and announcements coming out of the retail industry. Fir...

'We're kind of at the beginning of building a community': Hanna Andersson CEO Aimée Lapic on how the 40-year-old kids' apparel brand is evolving

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kids' apparel brand Hanna Andersson is four decades old but in the midst of a huge business transformation. In 2019, it decided to close all of its st...

Modern Retail Rundown: The future of fast fashion, dollar stores struggling & big CPGs not letting up on price increases

03 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's Modern Retail Rundown starts out with an analysis on why digital fast fashion players like Shein and Temu lose money on orders despite the...

Collars & Co founder Justin Baer on riding the Shark Tank wave

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Collars & Co is trying to create a new category that's one part casual and one part dressy. The two-year-old apparel startup makes a collared polo shi...

Modern Retail Rundown: Apparel sales rebound, Meta's EU lawsuit & TikTok Shop's traction in Southeast Asia

27 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's Modern Retail Rundown begins with a discussion about why retailers like URBN and Kohl's are thriving while other apparel players are strug...

'There is more whitespace': Parachute founder Ariel Kaye on filling the Bed Bath & Beyond void

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Parachute doesn't look or feel anything like a Bed Bath & Beyond, but founder and CEO Ariel Kaye thinks her brand represents the next wave of home goo...

Modern Retail Rundown: Big-box earnings blitz, Instacart's ad growth & Shein's shrinking valuation

20 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Earnings season has arrived — and the Modern Retail Rundown dove into all the details. On this week's show, in which the Modern Retail staff discuss...

'There are so many celebrities and influencers that have millions of followers that can't sell a damn thing': Spritz Society's Ben Soffer on building an alcohol brand beyond its influencer roots

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Spritz Society rose to fame because of its influencer founder, but the sparkling wine brand is now trying to transcend that. Ben Soffer, perhaps best ...

Modern Retail Rundown: Warby Parker & Allbirds earnings, Mattress Firm acquired & suburban malls’ revitalization

13 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's Modern Retail Rundown features an analysis on Warby Parker and Allbirds’ latest quarterly earnings, which show mixed revenue results and...

'People wanted to talk about waitlists': How a supply chain bottleneck helped DTC AC brand Windmill go viral

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For most brands, going to market only being able to sell a few hundred units because of supply chain headaches sounds like a nightmare. But for Windmi...

Modern Retail Rundown: Shopify goes back to basics, 15-minute delivery consolidation & Peloton's revamped digital strategy

06 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's Modern Retail Rundown starts with an overview of Shopify’s renewed focus on being an e-commerce solution provider, as the company sells ...

Ebay's chief product officer on growing the legacy marketplace

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ebay may be decades old, but the company is still trying to iterate as if it were a startup. "We're still a work in progress, there's still a lot more...

Modern Retail Rundown: Amazon swings to profit, fast casual's resilience & Target goes all in on curbside returns

29 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on the Modern Retail Rundown begins with a quick update on Bed Bath & Beyond's closures. Then an overview of Amazon’s latest earnings, whi...

A-Frame Brands CEO Ari Bloom on launching startups with celebrities like John Legend and Naomi Osaka

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A-Frame Brands is focused on building brands for underserved communities but with big names behind them. And national retail is a big part of its stra...

Modern Retail Rundown: Ikea's expansion plans, David's Bridal Chapter 11 redux & Bed Bath & Beyond's imminent bankruptcy

22 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on the Modern Retail Rundown, we go into Ikea’s $2.2 billion plan to grow in the U.S., complete with a new store concept and overall footp...

Curie founder Sarah Moret on leveraging QVC to be a national brand

20 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Personal care brand Curie looks like a traditional DTC brand at first glance, but has grown thanks to a variety of unorthodox channels. For one, the c...

Modern Retail Rundown: Walmart's urban problem, Amazon's latest vision for Whole Foods & shakeups at Tonal

15 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's Modern Retail Rundown, we discuss Walmart's lackluster performance in urban centers, following the retail giant's major Chicago exit. N...

'Stores have always been a part of our story': Argent CEO Sali Christeson on the women's workwear brand's growth plans

13 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Women's workwear brand Argent is back in growth mode. The company first launched in 2016, and saw a precipitous rise over its first few years -- espec...

Modern Retail Rundown: L’Oréal scoops up Aesop, American Eagles scales back supply chain investments & Chipotle vs. Sweetgreen

08 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On the Modern Retail Rundown we discuss L’Oréal's $2.5 billion Aesop acquisition, the biggest in the beauty giant's history, and what it means for ...

'All my eggs in the Facebook basket': True Classic CEO Ryan Bartlett on growing a DTC brand on paid social

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Men's apparel brand True Classic was able to become a $250 million company -- and it thanks Facebook for its success. "I knew I was going to put all m...

Modern Retail Rundown: Macy's CEO plots an exit, Uber Eats' ghost kitchen cleanup & Telfar’s new pricing model

01 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Every week on the Modern Retail Rundown, we analyze the most important news within the retail world. This week's episode starts with a discussion on M...

Macy's Marc Mastronardi on the department store's revamped brick-and-mortar strategy

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Macy's is in the process of rethinking its entire store business. Recent moves emphasize this shift: at its most recent earnings, the company said it ...

Modern Retail Rundown: More layoffs, Panera Bread's Amazon One rollout & Foot Locker reviving its Nike partnership

25 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on the Modern Retail Rundown, we analyze the most important news within the retail world. This episode starts out by giving up update on the...

Saks CMO Emily Essner on building a digital business off of a legacy retailer

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Saks has big plans to grow its business by focusing on digital initiatives and targeting younger shoppers. The company spun off its digital business f...

Modern Retail Rundown: SVB's woes, TikTok faces ban threats and H&M gets into resale

18 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this week’s episode of the Modern Retail Rundown, we continue to analyze the latest shakeups in the industry. The program starts by giving an upd...

'Like a car dealership': How Impossible Kicks is trying to become a digital resale empire

16 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sneaker resale marketplace Impossible Kicks is taking a more analog approach to sneaker resale. In a world where most valuable hype beast-esque kicks ...

Modern Retail Rundown: Allbirds woes, Shein vs. Temu and the rise of 'premiumization'

11 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's episode of the Modern Retail Rundown, the team continues to dissect the new economic realities the retail industry faces. This episode ...

'There were multiple times I thought maybe we won't make it': M.M.LaFleur CEO Sarah LaFleur on the women's wear brand's new store strategy

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After a difficult 2020 and 2021, women's work apparel brand M.M.LaFleur is once again in growth mode. The company is investing in new stores and showr...

Modern Retail Rundown: Instacart once-again prepares for IPO, the end of Nordstrom's Canadian dreams and anti-dollar stores sentiment grows

04 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of the Modern Retail Rundown, we continue to dissect the new economic realities the retail industry faces. This week, we discuss the w...

'There's going to be a lot of consolidation': Aviron CEO Andy Hoang on growing a fitness brand during a cooling economy

02 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Aviron, which makes a connected rowing machine that starts at about $1,800, is taking a more sustainable growth approach than counterparts like Peloto...

Modern Retail Rundown: Marketplaces lean on ad growth and big-box stores prepare for the worst

25 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some of the largest companies are making big changes to their business models. That was the overall theme of this week's Modern Retail Rundown, a week...

'There will be some contraction': Camino Partners' Elle Lanning on rocky consumer VC landscape

23 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The brains behind the snack giant Kind are now bringing their expertise to the investment space. Kind founder Daniel Lubetzky unveiled Camino Partners...

Introducing: The Modern Retail Rundown Podcast

18 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Modern Retail is excited to unveil our latest podcast: The Modern Retail Rundown. This weekly program, hosted by senior reporter Gabriela Barkho, goes...

Sundays co-founders Barbora and Moe Samieian on taking a Canadian home goods brands international

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sundays is trying to become the leading DTC home furnishings brand in Canada, but it also has its sights set on international expansion. The company s...

'It's all about diversification': Nutrafol CEO Giorgos Tsetis on scaling a DTC wellness brand

09 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For years, Nutrafol has focused predominately on DTC. But now it's taking a big step into retail. This month, the hair wellness brand started selling ...

XRC Labs partner Diana Melencio on investing during an economic downturn

02 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

XRC Labs is looking for the next consumer brand winner. The organization is both a venture capital fund and accelerator that has been around since 201...

'We write Nature papers and we write Instagram posts': Seed Health's Ara Katz on evangelizing the microbiome

26 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Seed Health is a microbiome company trying to disrupt the way health, business and science overlap. While its first product is its probiotic line, See...

Goodbuy co-founder Cara Oppenheimer on building a small business platform to rival mega-retailers

19 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Goodbuy is trying to be the anti-mega-retailer. Goodbuy, launched in 2021, is a startup that gives shoppers small-business alternatives to bigger reta...

Sunday Citizen co-founder Mike Abadi on expanding beyond its DTC roots

12 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bedding brand Sunday Citizen first started in 2018 as a small side hustle. In 2018, Mike Abadi was living in China and helping connect entrepreneurs w...

'A new resting heartbeat': Instacart's vp of retail partnerships Ryan Hamburger on what's next for grocery delivery

05 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Two years ago, grocery delivery platforms like Instacart saw huge gains thanks to pandemic-induced consumption changes. Now, the road is a little bit ...

Inflation, changing demand & major C-suite shuffles: The Modern Retail Podcast looks back at a volatile 2022

29 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This year, brands and retailers faced a myriad of changes. Inflation went up, demand for some products went down and marketing became an increasingly ...

'We're not just a brand from the '80s': Esprit CEO William Pak on relaunching the nostalgic apparel brand

22 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Esprit was once a luxury California apparel brand, but it has had a rough couple of decades. In its heyday in the '80s and '90s, it was known for its ...

'We didn't expect the consumer response to be as great': GoodwillFinds CEO Matthew Kaness on bringing the thrifting experience online

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

GoodwillFinds is trying to bring the century-old Goodwill network to the era of ThredUp. The new e-commerce platform has only been live since October,...

'We had gotten old': Lee Jeans exec Chris Waldeck on energizing the century-old denim brand

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lee Jeans is over a century old, but it's trying to remain hip with younger generations. One way it does this is with collaborations. For example, the...

'These kinds of tech solutions really have to be for the less affluent': Voyage Foods CEO on making food alternatives accessible

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Voyage Foods envisions a world where the most popular food products aren't reliant on their source ingredients. And it believes business-to-business i...

'There's only so many really illustrious people out there who put out products': Ntwrk's Aaron Levant on expanding the livestream platform beyond its celebrity roots

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Livestream shopping has yet to hit true mainstream levels in the U.S. but Ntwrk thinks it can help. The platform has been around since 2018, and says ...

'Far less transactional': PetSmart's Chief Customer Officer on establishing a modern brand voice

10 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

PetSmart is trying to maintain its dominance as a leading pet retailer. The privately-held company, which has been around since 1986, reportedly broug...

'We're a community-focused company': Bala co-founder Brian Lockard on growing a footwear brand for medical professionals

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Bala Footwear is the latest apparel brand going after working professionals. The company makes shoes aimed specifically at medical professionals. Co-f...

'People want to go to the physical stores': Levi's Rui Carlos Da Silva Araujo on the brand's Latin America DTC strategy

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Levi's Latin American business is growing -- but it's very different from its Northern counterparts. The apparel brand's svp and managing director of ...

Outlines co-founders on trying to make shower liners work as a subscription

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Outlines is trying to be the Quip toothbrushes for bathroom and home cleaning products. The company launched earlier this year with a shower liner sub...

'Most products out there don't need to be subscription': Cloud Paper's Ryan Fritsch on the state of subscription businesses

13 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cloud Paper is trying to get more people -- and businesses -- to try its products. The company makes bamboo-based tree-free toilet paper. When it firs...

Better & Better co-founder Vladimir Vukicevic on blurring the lines between supplements and oral care

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Better & Better is taking an unconventional approach to oral care. The startup makes a toothpaste infused with vitamins -- a way to kill two daily-nee...

'We make a premium product': Brooklyn Delhi's Chitra Agrawal on the changing grocery landscape for startups

29 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Grocery and CPG are certainly hot areas for startups, but it hasn't always been that way. Brooklyn Delhi, a company that makes Indian-inspired sauces ...

'The priorities were a little baffling': Evite CEO David Yeom on transforming the platform's business model

22 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Evite has big plans to be more than just a free digital invitation service. The online platform has been around since 1998, providing essentially the ...

'The goal is to go mass': Caraa co-founder Aaron Luo on pivoting to charcuterie with Mercado Famous

15 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly five years ago, Aaron Luo co-founded the DTC luxury bag company Caraa. Now, his latest venture zeroes in on Spanish meats. Luo and fellow Caraa...

'The sponsorship model is broken': On co-founder Caspar Coppetti on building a premium athletic brand that rivals the giants

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For the Swiss athletic apparel company On -- known by many as On Running -- the focus has always been on being both premium and exclusive. According t...

'Our core audience is very different than Wayfair's': Fernish co-founder Michael Barlow on changing home goods trends

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Home goods sales may be cooling, but Fernish is still seeing growth from furniture rental. On the Modern Retail Podcast this week, Fernish co-founder...

'We were needing a transformation': Express CMO Sara Tervo on evolving the mall brand

25 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Express was a ubiquitous mall retailer, but it's now trying to become much more than that. CMO Sara Tervo gave some insight into this brand. This week...

'Working hard to grow sustainably': Counter Culture's Brett Smith on the changing coffee landscape

18 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The coffee business changed overnight when the pandemic first hit, and Counter Culture Coffee has been rolling with the punches. This week on the Mode...

'The category will continue to grow': EyeBuyDirect CEO Sunny Jiang on staying competitive with Warby Parker

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The eyeglasses industry is very competitive, but EyeBuyDirect is focused on cornering the market via affordability. The EssilorLuxotica-owned company ...

'The appropriate capital for them is not venture': Forerunner's Jason Bornstein on the tumultuous landscape for DTC startups

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The next billion-dollar brand probably won't be a DTC startup. That's according to Jason Bornstein, principal at Forerunner Ventures. He's out there t...

'It's not just something that we put on our website': Prose's vp of social impact Helen Nwosu on keeping a scaling company ethical

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Prose is a hair care company in growth mode, but it's also laser-focused on remaining a responsible brand. One of the people behind this push is Helen...

Maev founder Katie Spies on going from dog walker to pet food CEO

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Maev is a startup that believes dogs should be eating as well as humans. The company first hit the market in 2020 and has been steadily growing ever s...

'We built our iPhone before we built our Apple': Whisker CEO Jacob Zuppke on growing the brand beyond its Litter Robot roots

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jacob Zuppke’s tagline for his company is “cats keep pooping.” It's a blunt way to help people understand what his company does: Zuppke is the C...

Introducing The Return

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Digiday Media is proud to present The Return, a podcast about what the return to the office can look like as corporate America adapts to the new, not ...

'Alt milk fatigue has become a thing': Táche founder Roxana Saidi on growing a pistachio milk business in the age of Oatly

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pistachio milk startup Táche has big plans to take on Oatly and its ilk. Founder and CEO Roxana Saidi joined the Modern Retail Podcast and explained ...

King David Taco's Liz Solomon Dwyer on growing a cult New York food brand

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

King David Tacos began as a Brooklyn-based taco cart and has expanded to dozens of locations, and has big expansion ambitions beyond New York City. Ac...

'People want to talk about sex': Maude founder Éva Goicochea on growing a modern sexual wellness brand

23 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Maude is trying to redefine the sexual wellness space. The brand -- which sells condoms, lubricants and vibrators, in addition to other products -- ha...