#151 Everybody Curl Up - Yvonne Fide, Momo Cocoa

Meaningful Marketplace Podcast

Yvonne Finde, founder of Portland, Oregon based Momo Coco was the very first guest in our show series. This interview is a great opportunity for aspiring food entrepreneurs to hear not only how a fellow founder has survived and grown over the last years, but also managed to navigate the challenges of the COVID lockdown. She is the maker of a variety of non-dairy coco mixes so that everyone can enjoy a delicious, warm cup of coco. Most of their products are vegan and all are gluten free. The high coco butter content makes the drinks exceptionally creamy and highly comparable to dairy based coco drinks. So, since that first show in 2019, how have things changed for Momo Coco? For one thing, Yvonne was a startup back then with two or three products. The line has expanded greatly and the company has revamped its packaging since then. The coco mixes now come in a pouch you tear open and the company logo was enlarged and a bright color coding scheme was adopted to differentiate between flavors and to help the package stand out on the shelf. And if you look at the package you’ll see, front and center, a cat. That’s Momo, who represents “Curl Up With a Cup!”, the company’s trademarked slogan. Yvonne’s creativity and her mission to have everyone enjoy a cup of coco has earned the company Good Food Awards. These awards are given by organizations that support and honor food companies whose products are nutritious, sustainable and created with quality control. It’s not only an honor to be recognized, it’s great publicity and puts Momo Coco in a category shared with only the best companies. Part of the magic of Yvonne’s story is that chocolate is everywhere in the world and offers a way for everyone to connect. And by including those who cannot tolerate dairy, the ingredient becomes even more omnipresent in the globe. Momo Coco can be found in Farmers Markets in the Greater Portland/Vancouver area, at regional grocery stores plus The Meadow and its NYC stores, or purchase online: https://www.momococoa.com/. Follow them on Instagram - @momo_cocoa_co and Facebook - @momococoaco. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Thank you for Listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast.

Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers
Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design
Production Coordinator: Kayleen Veatch