David Abadin And DisCo's Mission To Disrupt Distribution

David Abadin is the Founder of DisCo, a company modernizing food distribution by providing transparent, technology-driven solutions for emerging and mission-driven brands. Under his leadership, DisCo helps brands reduce the hidden friction of traditional distribution, retailer relationships, and alternative channels while enabling greater transparency and control through custom pricing and real-time data sharing. David's background includes nearly a decade on the purchasing side of food distribution and a role on the Advisory Board at Sharing Excess. In this episode… For many emerging food and beverage brands, distribution becomes the challenge they didn't fully see coming. The product may be strong, the story may resonate, and the demand may be real, but the path to the shelf can still be expensive, opaque, and hard to control. What would it look like if distribution worked with founders instead of feeling like a necessary evil? A better distribution model starts with transparency, shared data, and incentives that actually support brand growth. David Abadin brings years of purchasing and distribution experience to the conversation, explaining why founders need clearer pricing, fewer hidden costs, and more visibility into where their products go. Rather than treating grocery as the only meaningful channel, David encourages brands to think about offices, gyms, hotels, coworking spaces, and other overlooked places where consumers engage with food. The takeaway is practical: founders can protect margins, brand equity, and momentum by asking better questions, understanding their contracts, and choosing partners who act like an extension of the brand. On this episode of the Firebelly Social Show, Duncan Alney talks with David Abadin, Founder of DisCo, about why food distribution needs more transparency and better incentives. David shares how brands can avoid hidden costs, use data to guide growth, and explore alternative sales channels beyond retail.