In this episode of Plant Based on Fire, Bryan sits down with K.C. Sullivan, the visionary founder and CEO of Two River Mushrooms. A high school environmental science teacher by day, K.C. has spent the last decade transforming a passion for sustainability into a national consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand.

Starting with a small-scale operation in his own apartment, K.C. bridged his experience in the restaurant industry with his scientific expertise to fill a gap in the market for local, organic specialty mushrooms. Today, Two River Mushrooms has scaled from shipping containers to a 25-acre farmland preserve in New Jersey, providing functional mushroom broths to retailers nationwide.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Overnight Success Myth: The reality of a 10-year journey from growing shiitakes on logs to national distribution.
• The Transition to CPG: How K.C. identified a gap in the functional mushroom market and secured a USDA Value-Added Producer Grant to launch a premium broth line.
• The Science of Scale: Navigating the technical hurdles of retort processing to create shelf-stable, preservative-free, vegan, and gluten-free products.
• Strategic Partnerships: The impact of industry accolades, such as the SoFi Gold Award, and collaborating with world-renowned vegan chef Derek Sarno as a brand ambassador.
• Retail Innovation: Creative placement strategies, like cross-merchandising shelf-stable broth in the fresh produce section to drive brand association.

Key Takeaway for Entrepreneurs: K.C. emphasizes the importance of persistence and passion: "At some point you just have to dig in and start... Just try to immerse yourself amongst like-minded people. You just got to keep plugging".

Connect with Two River Mushrooms:

• Website: TwoRiverMushroom.com
• Availability: Find their award-winning broths at Sprouts nationwide, Amazon, and select retailers like Wakefern/ShopRite.

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Cheryl Moss, a banking executive and children's author, discusses leveraging corporate strategic skills to build a high-impact advocacy platform and ensure the financial sustainability of animal sanctuaries.

• Applying risk assessment and strategic planning from a 20-year banking career to nonprofit advocacy.
• Recognizing the "reset" opportunity during COVID-19 to address broken food distribution and animal misuse.

• The Summit: Focusing on best practices for fundraising, legal council, and PR for sanctuary owners.
• Underrepresented Spots: Why spotlighting smaller, struggling sanctuaries is a core value proposition of the podcast.
• Volunteerism: Advising aspiring sanctuary owners to volunteer first to understand the grueling physical and financial reality.

• The Trilogy: Gabriel (veal/cows), Cluck (fowl/turkeys), and Pickle (pigs/natural disasters).
• The Parenting Challenge: Navigating the "reverse psychology" and cognitive dissonance parents face when children ask tough questions about meat.

• Fulfilling a personal "stretch goal" through monthly donations, gala participation, and leveraging professional income.
• Why Mercy for Animals was chosen: Their ability to move the needle on a legislative and systemic level.

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Karine Lang, the founder of Lang Signature Travel and the Fine Veg Love dating community, is a master of niche business. As a 20-year vegan, she saw a gap in the market for truly ethical, luxury, and most importantly, allergy-safe plant-based travel.

In this episode, Karine details her blueprint for building a mission-driven business from the ground up:

• The Power of Trust: How her decade-long dedication to the vegan community fueled the success of her new travel venture.
• Logistics & Luxury: Learn how she makes high-end amenities, like hiring a private vegan chef in Costa Rica, surprisingly affordable for group travel.
• Vetting for Values: Her strict process for choosing only the most ethical partners and why she personally vets every destination.
• Entrepreneurial Grit: Karine shares why consistency is the number one secret to generating leads in the small plant-based market and offers her key advice for new vegan entrepreneurs.

If you're looking for inspiration on how to turn deep personal passion into a successful, specialized business, this episode is essential listening.

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🌿 Welcome to another episode of the Plant Based On Fire pod!

Today, Noah Hyams, founder of Vegpreneur, shares his journey from music and film to building a powerful community that gives mission-aligned, plant-based businesses an unfair advantage by providing resources, connections, and support in a rapidly evolving market.

✅ Don't Forget To:

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Share this video with your network of change-makers.

Comment below with your thoughts.

🔗 Useful Links:

Website: http://vegpreneur.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vegpreneur/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/vegpreneur

X: https://twitter.com/vegpreneur

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoF4xlYwzwwOlQKzhdgxYiA

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🌿 Welcome to another episode of the Plant Based On Fire pod!

Today, Ricky Powell, a speaker and success coach, shares his remarkable life story. From a "miracle" birth to surviving a congenital heart condition, to explain how a plant-based diet and a resilient mindset are the keys to achieving lifelong happiness, even while navigating the challenges of business and life.

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🔗 Useful Links:

Website: https://www.lifelonghappiness.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifelongHappiness/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickypowell/?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifelonghappiness/

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🌿 Welcome to another episode of the Plant Based On Fire pod!

Today, Katherine Lawrence, founder of the Food Save Me Institute, shares her incredible journey from aerospace engineer to globally recognized nutritionist, detailing how she built a successful business by empowering others to teach plant-based nutrition and address everyday health concerns through innovative, business-focused class curriculums.

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Share this video with your network of change-makers.

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🔗 Useful Links:

• Website: https://foodsavedme.institute/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foodsavedmeinstitute/#
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodsavedmeinstitute/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FoodSavedMeInstitute
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/food-saved-me-institute/

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🌿 Welcome to another episode of the Plant Based On Fire pod!

🌱👩‍🍳 Today, Bryan speaks with Priya Lakshminarayan, founder of Cookilicious, a vibrant vegetarian and vegan food blog.

🍴✍🏻 Priya shares her inspiring journey from home cook to successful entrepreneur. They delve into the challenges and rewards of building a food blog, the power of authentic Indian cuisine, and the importance of creating content that resonates with your audience.

🗣️📈 Priya also offers valuable advice for aspiring food bloggers and shares her insights on navigating the ever-evolving digital landscape.

🗣 In This Episode, We Cover:

00:00 Introduction to Cookielicious and Priya's Journey

03:11 The Evolution of Cookielicious: From Vegetarian to Vegan

05:45 Content Strategy and Seasonal Recipe Planning

08:50 Building a Community and Engaging with Readers

12:03 Navigating the Changing Landscape of Food Blogging

14:57 Tips for Aspiring Food Bloggers

18:07 The Appeal of Vegan Cuisine and Recipe Testing

20:57 Future Plans for Cookielicious and Upcoming Cookbooks

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Share this video with your network of change-makers.

Comment below with your thoughts.

🔗 Useful Links:

• Website: https://cookilicious.com/
• Facebook: @cookiliciousveg
• Instagram: @cookilicious
• Pinterest: @cookiliciousveg

📲 Join the Plant-Based On Fire community and connect with us today:

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🌿 Welcome to another episode of the Plant Based On Fire pod!

🌱💼 In this episode of Plant Based On Fire, Bryan speaks with Helene Greenberg, a dynamic entrepreneur and passionate advocate for veganism, sustainability, and global cultural connection.

🌿🤝 Helene shares her journey into veganism, her passion for creating spaces that inspire people to embrace plant-based living, and the importance of building supportive communities.

✨🚀 Through her ventures, Helene demonstrates how personal values can align with professional success, offering valuable insights for anyone looking to lead a more intentional, purpose-driven life.

🗣 In This Episode, We Cover:

00:00 Introduction to VegFest Expos and Helene's Journey

03:02 The Evolution of Triangle VegFest

05:53 Building Community and Supporting Vendors

09:09 The Role of Technology in Festival Management

11:55 Reaching Out to Non-Vegan Audiences

14:58 Memorable Moments and Community Impact

17:59 Balancing Education and Entertainment at Festivals

21:11 Finding Vendors and Building Relationships

23:57 Advice for Aspiring Festival Organizers

27:02 Upcoming Events and How to Get Involved

✅ Don't Forget To:

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Share this video with your network of change-makers.

Comment below with your thoughts.

🔗 Useful Links:

• Website: vegfestexpos.com
• Facebook: @vegfestexpos
• Instagram: @vegfestexpos
• YouTube: @vegfestexpos
• TikTok: @trianglevegfest

📲 Join the Plant-Based On Fire community and connect with us today:

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