Episode 523: Brian Youngblood of Prest Hummus - Boston, MA. A Harvard Business School Side Hustle turns Hummus Business Reinvention. WHERE to GO as an ENTREPRENEUR is [OFTEN] already in YOUR HANDS.

How does a mechanical engineer who cut his teeth at Tesla and Apple pivot to revolutionizing one of the oldest foods in the world while earning his MBA at Harvard Business School? In this fascinating episode of the JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS Show, host Justin Bizzarro sits down with Brian Youngblood, the innovative founder of the hummus brand Prest. This is a conversation about the intersection of high-tech manufacturing, environmental responsibility, and the grit required to build a Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brand from a dorm room. Brian shares his journey from a childhood spent tinkering and building on a South Carolina lake to the high-stakes, fast-paced worlds of Tesla and Apple. He reveals how a pivotal role at a food-waste reduction startup opened his eyes to the massive environmental impact of spoiled food and single-use plastics, sparking the idea for Prest. His solution? A shelf-stable, powder-based hummus that consumers mix with water and their own fresh olive oil at home—eliminating the slimy residue, rapid spoilage, and plastic waste of traditional store-bought brands. This episode is a masterclass in "scrappy" entrepreneurship. Brian details how he bootstrapped his brand while studying at Harvard, utilizing the university's network of CPG alumni while ignoring the pressure to pursue trendy tech or AI ventures. He explains the strategic decision to skip building his own manufacturing facility in favor of partnering with a co-packer, allowing him to focus on sourcing high-quality, sesame-free ingredients and perfecting the formula. Listeners will also learn how Brian navigated the expensive world of branding on a tight budget by creatively partnering with a talented graduating design student. Justin and Brian discuss the deeper philosophy of entrepreneurship—how true innovation often comes from identifying a problem right in front of you, managing resources outside of your control, and ultimately, building a legacy that betters the world. Tune in for an inspiring look at how one entrepreneur is using lessons from the tech world to solve real-world problems in the food aisle. Key Takeaways The Problem with Store-Bought Hummus: How traditional packaging and preservatives lead to massive food and plastic waste, and how Prest’s powder-based formula solves this. The "Scrappy" Startup: How Brian leveraged university networks, cold-emailed design professors, and utilized co-packers to launch a CPG brand on a student budget. Sesame-Free Accessibility: How the decision to remove tahini (due to powderization issues) unexpectedly opened the product up to a massive allergy-conscious market. Tech Lessons for Food: Applying the rapid problem-solving skills learned at Tesla and Apple to the slow, physical world of food manufacturing. The "Hero" Product: Why focusing intensely on perfecting one core item is essential before expanding a product line. IG: @presthummus Address: www.eatprest.com  Articles: https://www.entrepreneur.com/side-hustle/harvard-dorm-room-side-hustle-500000-in-sales-this-year-prest    Entrepreneur interested in being on the show: https://calendly.com/justin-bizzarro/podcast   Hosted By: Justin Ryan Bizzarro (IG: @justinbizzarro and LinkedIn: FOLLOW ME )   Who is Justin Ryan Bizzarro? Justin Ryan Bizzarro is a multi-dimensional entrepreneur, mentor, and strategist whose career is defined by the intersection of legacy, leadership, and human growth. With a journey that began in his family’s basement in 1998, Justin helped scale a 24-year-old ecosystem of food and technology enterprises into a global benchmark for vertical integration and lean manufacturing. While his professional foundation is built on complex supply chains, restaurant development, and brand acceleration, Justin’s true north is development—whether it’s a startup, an elite athlete, or a community. As the founder of GorillaBrave, he has transitioned from building businesses to building humans, utilizing his "Troop" philosophy to empower the next generation of culinary and agricultural entrepreneurs. Justin is a sought-after voice on free markets, food diversity, and high-performance culture. His influence extends from the boardroom to the soccer pitch, where he coaches with the same tactical precision and "warrior" mindset he applies to his corporate ventures. Whether he is hosting a global podcast that reaches millions or developing curriculum for youth athletes, his mission remains constant: accelerating human potential. A lifelong student of leadership and service, Justin holds a BA from Dickinson College and an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill, and deepen his perspective through taking classes towards a  Master of Divinity in Leadership at Denver Seminary. Based in Colorado, he is a dedicated father, a steward of his family’s legacy, and a persistent advocate for those brave enough to capitalize on their own opportunities.   Our [ELITE] Food, Farming, Hospitality, Nutrition, and Beverage Entrepreneurs Community: Under [NEW] Construction Blog Anyone?: GorillaBrave Blog On Instagram: GorillaBrave on Instagram GorillaBrave Group on Whoop: COMM-473D96   Free Podcast.  No Advertisements.  The stories of Food, Beverage, Farming, Hospitality, and Nutrition Entrepreneurs and how their failures led to the successes in their lives and in their business.  What does the future have in store for the food, beverage, and nutrition entrepreneur?   JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS Email: [email protected] Instagram: @justinandthefoodentrepreneurs ( #foodentrepreneurs )   All music is scored by host or royalty free.