In this episode of Friends of FEADies, Lindsay Toth sits down with Ashlyn Newlove, founder of SmartSip, for a one-year check-in on building a food business in Canada.

From early-stage development to 24 retail locations and over $200K in sales, Ashlyn shares the realities of scaling a CPG brand, including retail expansion, product development, and navigating distribution. This episode explores what growth actually looks like behind the scenes and the mindset required to keep moving forward.

In this episode of Friends of FEADies, Lindsay Toth sits down with Nuala Bobowski, food scientist and co-founder of Fromage Protein Pops, to talk about the journey from research to retail and the mindset shifts that come with building a food business.

Nuala shares how her background in food science shaped the early development of the product, but also why technical expertise alone isn’t enough to succeed in the marketplace. The conversation also explores Nuala’s experience in the Seed to Scale Accelerator, where refining her message and pitch ultimately led to winning Best Overall Pitch.

Whether you’re a scientist, product developer, or founder navigating your own transition into entrepreneurship, this episode offers honest insights into what it really takes to turn expertise into a growing food brand.

In this episode of Friends of FEADies, Nafisa Mahabub shares her journey into supporting food entrepreneurs and the experiences that shaped her passion for helping founders succeed. Drawing from her work inside accelerator programs, Nafisa discusses the real challenges entrepreneurs face, from making decisions in isolation to navigating financial clarity and investment readiness.

Together, we explore why community is one of the most powerful tools for sustainable growth, how feedback drives stronger businesses, and what separates founders who build momentum from those who stay stuck. Whether you are launching your first product or preparing to scale, this conversation offers practical insight and reassurance that you don’t have to build your business alone.