In this episode of Essential Ingredients, Justine Reichman speaks with Thomas Odermatt, founder of Roli Rotisserie, about his journey from Switzerland to the Bay Area as a third-generation butcher.

In this episode bvc of Essential Ingredients, Justine Reichman speaks with Cindy Anderson, founder of Manny's Choice, about her journey in creating gluten-free products based on European heritage wheat.

In this episode of Essential Ingredients, host Justine Reichman welcomes Bella, a holistic nutritionist and entrepreneur who has successfully built her brand around matcha and boba. Bella shares her journey from bartending to launching her pop-up shop, Happy Belly.

We drink water every day, yet rarely question the container. In this episode, Hardy Steinmann shares the personal journey behind building Okapa—a hydration vessel designed with lab-grade glass and precision engineering. A thoughtful conversation on hydration quality, long-term wellness, and why fewer, better objects can change daily habits and reduce waste.

Building a CPG product shouldn’t require midnight spreadsheets and scattered tools. In this episode, Karen Huh shares how decades in food, beverage, and supplements led her to create Zucca—an AI-powered platform helping teams ideate, formulate, cost, and scale products faster with a single source of truth.

Our skin often reacts long before we slow down enough to listen. In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Haley shares a whole-body approach to skin health—connecting acne, inflammation, and chronic conditions to gut health, hormones, stress, and everyday food and environmental choices. A practical, shame-free conversation that brings intuition back into wellness.

Growth doesn’t come from chasing every opportunity—it comes from clear choices and commitment. In this episode, Leslie Danford, founder of Vitaminis, shares how customer insight, rebranding, and strategic trade-offs shaped her path from a kid-focused concept to a national brand now carried by Sprouts Farmers Market.

Food education is often treated as optional, even though it shapes health and opportunity from the start. In this episode, Carolyn Federman shares how her work with Edible Schoolyard and Alice Waters led to the creation of Charlie Cart—a mobile teaching kitchen bringing practical food skills to schools, libraries, hospitals, and communities nationwide.

Dining out shouldn’t feel like a gamble. In this episode, Dylan McDonnell, founder of Foodini, shares how personalized menus and accurate ingredient data are transforming restaurant experiences for people with celiac disease, food allergies, and special diets. A practical look at trust, technology, and why transparency benefits both guests and restaurants.

Some moments make our bodies feel unfamiliar, and the shift can spark questions we can’t ignore. In this honest conversation, Lauren Tetenbaum shares how her early symptoms led to years of research and her book Millennial Menopause, offering clarity, community, and practical guidance for navigating midlife health with confidence and curiosity.

The most meaningful jewelry isn’t purchased—it’s reborn. In this episode, Ashley Berman shares how heirloom redesign, sustainability, and craftsmanship guide her work at Ashley Morgan Designs. Justine and Ashley explore what to ask before buying or recycling materials, the truth about lab-grown diamonds, and why story-rich pieces outshine trends.

Some days the body sends signals we can’t ignore—bloating, sensitivity, and the endless search for relief. In this episode, Xeba Zareie shares how years of gut illness inspired her to create Preme Foods and develop science-backed prebiotic blends for people who feel nothing on the shelf works for them. A grounded look at healing, stress, and rebuilding trust with food.

When SNAP and EBT are in flux, local food systems become a lifeline. This episode breaks down how farmers' markets can become emergency food hubs that protect both people and producers.

After decades of treating pain through physical therapy, Point Reyes Lavender Co. Founder, DeAnna Schaefer, saw the missing piece: people weren’t just aching in their bodies, they were worn thin in spirit.

Every meal shapes more than our day—it shapes our health, our habits, and even our outlook. Raised on homegrown food and practical kitchen wisdom, Seed2source co-founder, Jennifer Waxman, turned her roots into a mission to make agriculture accessible and meaningful.

Sometimes the best things in life take time to rise, especially when you’re trying to build something people truly crave. Maddie Hamann left ocean science behind and got her hands messy by turning a simple, two-ingredient bread into a business that feeds both people and purpose.

A naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist, Dr. Lisa Brent built Be Well Natural Medicine to help women decode what’s happening in their bodies through every hormonal shift, from perimenopause to menopause and beyond.

Sometimes, wellness feels like a luxury instead of a way of life. An acupuncturist-turned-entrepreneur, Neka Pasquale has built Urban Remedy from her kitchen into a movement by pairing holistic values with smart business.

The way we handle waste isn’t just about bins and bags—it’s about habits, community, and the stories we tell ourselves. Laura Rosenshine is the co-founder of WATS, a software platform that helps manage waste more sustainably and efficiently.

Comfort food isn’t just about taste—it’s about trust, memories, and feeling good from the inside out. Myles Powell grew up cherishing family meals, only to find that most store-bought comfort foods fell short of those memories.