Heraclea: Berk Bahceci

Episode 243 of the Starting Small podcast, hosted by Cameron Nagle, titled "Heraclea: Berk Bahceci" was published on May 30, 2025 and runs 32 minutes.

May 30, 2025 ·32m · Starting Small

Summary

Berk Bahceci left a career in antitrust law in Washington, D.C., to build something deeply personal. Born in Turkey and raised around olive groves, Berk saw a massive blind spot in the U.S. market: despite being one of the top producers in the world, Turkish olive oil had no brand recognition on American shelves. So, he built one from scratch. In this episode, Berk shares how he vertically integrated Heraclea—from grove to bottle—and became the world’s first Fair Trade certified olive oil company. We talk sourcing, scaling without a single customer, and why flavored oils like garlic and lemon are flying off shelves. Make sure to check out Heraclea: https://heraclea.co   Check out my new book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4kRKGTX Sign up for Starting Small University to join our interviews LIVE and ask questions: https://startingsmallmedia.org/startingsmalluniversity Visit Starting Small Media: https://startingsmallmedia.org/ Subscribe to exclusive Starting Small emails: https://startingsmallmedia.org/newsletter-signup   Follow Starting Small: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingsmallpod/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Startingsmallpod/?modal=admin_todo_tour LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/cameronnagle

Episode Description