Founder Feature: Bringing Froyo Back, Building in Public, and Why Pressure is a Privilege - Ashley Whalen of Chara

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Ashley Whalen, founder of Chara — a Greek frozen yogurt brand bringing back the joy of froyo with a modern, better-for-you twist. High in protein, packed with certified living probiotics, naturally sweetened with maple and agave, and completely lactose free, Chara is the frozen treat today's health-conscious consumer has been waiting for. Ashley started the brand during her senior year at USC, launched less than a year ago, and is already in retail, doing pop-ups across SoCal in a renovated vintage Volkswagen bus, and landing brand collaborations with everyone from Fabletics to the Bureau Padel Classic.Caitlin and Ashley get into all of it — from the college apartment origin story and the seven roommates who inspired the product, to how Ashley is differentiating Chara in a crowded protein frozen dessert space by leaning into joy, natural ingredients, and a Mediterranean-inspired stripe aesthetic that nobody else in the freezer aisle has thought to own. Ashley also shares how she landed her first retail chain through a connection made at Nootopia Now, why she bought a vintage VW bus instead of running ads, and the founder mindset shift that changed everything for her: pressure is a privilege.Listen in as they cover:How Chara was born in a college apartment with seven roommates and a lot of Greek yogurt bowlsWhy Ashley chose maple and agave over artificial sweeteners — and why that decision is paying offHow Chara is differentiating from the protein ice cream category by decentralizing the narrative of proteinThe story behind the name Chara — and what the Greek word for joy has to do with frozen yogurtWhy Ashley bought a vintage Volkswagen bus and renovated it into a froyo pop-up vehicleHow cold outreach on LinkedIn led to brand collaborations with Fabletics, Shopbop, and celebrity Padel tournamentsLanding the first retail chain at Lunds and Byerly's through a connection made at Newtopia NowWhy building in public on TikTok is one of the most powerful tools a young founder hasThe advice that stuck: pressure is a privilege — and how that mindset shift changes the way you buildChara's 2026 goals: scaling the supply chain and expanding into natural retail nationwideWhether you're a young founder just getting started, a brand navigating the frozen category, or someone who just wants a better froyo, this episode is for you.Episode Links: Chara Website: https://www.charafroyo.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charafroyo Ashley Whalen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-whalen321Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Caitlin's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected] music by Super Fantastics