Reinventing Cheese Without Dairy

Want to be part of the next season of Kings Of Fi$H? Email [email protected] or go to KingsOfFishTV.comWelcome to Fi$H Factor, where multi-generational grit meets visionary hustle. In this episode, Michael Ungaro sits down with Kirsten Maitland, co-founder of Rebel Cheese, the Austin-based company reinventing artisan cheese without dairy. What started as a deeply personal decision to give up cheese overnight turned into a fast-growing brand producing aged, plant-based cheeses designed to rival traditional favorites.To building a production facility, surviving a total product loss in their aging cave, landing a feature in The New York Times, and striking a deal on Shark Tank, Kirsten shares the rollercoaster of building a mission-driven food company from the ground up.In this episode, you will learn about:- Why a personal health decision led Kirsten and her husband to launch Rebel Cheese- How experimenting with cultured cashews at home evolved into a full artisan cheese operation- The devastating mold incident that wiped out their entire cave and what it taught them about resilience- How a New York Times feature and Shark Tank appearance created massive demand and hard lessons in scaling- Why a clear “why” is essential to surviving the tight margins and emotional rollercoaster of the food businessFind Rebel Cheese Online- Website: https://rebelcheese.com- Shop Online: https://rebelcheese.com/collections/all- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebelcheese- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebelcheese- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rebelcheese