Founder Feature: Marc Brown of ONOIN

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Marc Brown, founder of ONOIN — a line of shelf-stable, pre-chopped and flavored onions in 100% olive oil designed to save you time and tears in the kitchen. ONOIN comes in four flavors — original, garlic and herb, jalapeño lime, and ginger and lemongrass — and is designed to go on or in anything, from eggs to meatballs to savory oatmeal bowls.Marc is a food scientist with a master's degree from Drexel University and a seriously stacked background: R&D and industrialization at Danone, Head of R&D as employee #8 at Clio Snacks, and R&D and contract manufacturing work at Hain Celestial. He came to founding ONOIN with a rare 360-degree view of the food industry — from bench science to co-manufacturer negotiations to retailer conversations — and shares hard-won lessons throughout this conversation.Together, Caitlin and Marc dig into why chopped onions in a jar hadn't been done before (and why it should have been), the origin story of the ONOIN name (credit goes to his brother-in-law at a backyard grill), and what makes a co-manufacturer relationship truly work. Marc breaks down the three-part pricing transparency framework every brand should demand from their co-man — raw, pack, and toll — and explains why trust and belief in your vision are just as important as the contract.They also get into the realities of early-stage distribution, how to build a velocity story with the right retail partners, and why knowing your product well enough to tell a buyer exactly why they need it on the shelf is non-negotiable.Listen in as they cover:How a graduate school innovation exercise sparked the idea for ONOINWhy shelf-stable pre-chopped onions solve a problem that fresh never fully couldThe naming journey from "Yun" to ONOIN — and why the name works on shelfThe three things every brand must demand from their co-manufacturer: raw, pack, and tollRed flags when vetting a co-man and why trust is the ultimate filterHow Marc's background at Danone, Clio Snacks, and Hain Celestial shaped his approach to foundingBuilding a velocity story with retailers who actually believe in your productWhy knowing your product's ideal placement in store can change your whole sales conversationReducing food waste — one of ONOIN's often-overlooked benefitsWhether you're a founder navigating co-manufacturer relationships, a food scientist thinking about making the jump to your own brand, or a buyer looking for the next smart pantry staple, this episode is for you.Episode Links:ONOIN Website: https://eatonoin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eat.onoin/ Marc Brown on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-brown-41500546/Don'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