How noosa Stayed Small to Grow Big

Koel Thomae

with Koel Thomae

Co-founder of noosa yoghurt

How noosa Stayed Small to Grow Big

How noosa Stayed Small to Grow Big 1200 1194 33Voices

Koel and Jenna discuss how noosa became a national brand while preserving their core.

Learning Points

  • Product development at noosa and an inside look into their upcoming Sweet Heat collection featuring flavors like Blackberry Serrano
  • Koel and her Co-founder Rob’s decision to completely own their production line; From raising the cows to producing the yoghurt and manufacturing the containers
  • noosa’s acquisition by Advent International and how the team maintains their scrappy mentality in a large corporation
  • The inflection point that helped noosa reevaluate their scaling efforts and brought them back to their roots in Colorado
  • Why young brands are no longer growing up in the specialty foods section and the challenge of competing with legacy giants
  • Koel’s advice for early stage food startups:  Be true to who you are, what makes you different, and why you started the company.
  • Navigating expansion: When and how to introduce your product to new markets and why it’s critical not to veer from your core product until you’ve reached mass and saturated distribution
  • Koel’s fortune cookie advice: Be humble. Be passionate, and always be yourself.