An Exited Tech Founder’s Second Act in CPG | Sorosh Tavakoli, Stockeld Dreamery

On this episode we’re joined by serial entrepreneur, Sorosh Tavakoli, the Founder and CEO of Stockeld Dreamery, a bold food-tech brand reinventing cheese without animals, using fermentation and legumes (this ain’t your typical plant-based cheese).Stockeld first launched in food service with their own take on cream cheese and MELT, sliced yellow cheese that actually melts. A big retail push is now under way.We dig into brand positioning, go-to-market strategy, raising ~$25M out the gate, the decision to prioritize quality over speed, and what it takes to build trust with both chefs and consumers in a category with an historically terrible reputation.—---------------Episode Highlights:🧀 Stockeld’s mission to reinvent cheese without animals🌱 Why quality is key in the “third wave” of plant-based dairy🍔 How they launched through iconic NYC foodservice spots📦 Packaging and messaging in a skeptical category🏭 Building a pilot plant and scaling fermentation tech📊 Category stagnation and where innovation is heading🛒 Preparing to scale the retail channel💰 Raising ~$25M out the gate—---------------Table of Contents:01:05 – Intro, Sorosh’s Background, Origin Story03:05 – Products in Market05:50 – Building in CPG as a Former Exited Tech Entrepreneur08:06 – Commercialization13:50 – Why Legumes17:00 – Launching in Food Service27:40 – Kicking Things Off With Distributors31:30 – Packaging Design40:48 – Raising ~$25M Out the Gate—---------------Links:Stockeld Dreamery – https://www.stockeld.com Follow Stockeld – https://www.instagram.com/stockeld_dreamery/ Follow Sorosh on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sorosh/ Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/  For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out KitPrint.Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes.Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.