Travel Gluten Free Podcast
S04 Episode 12
KaPop Returns!
In this episode, we get into the crazy details of Dustin Finkel’s shark tank experience! What he did to prepare for his presentation, how he coordinated his staff for the experience, and what happened when his signs dropped down in the incorrect order. Find out which shark offered him a job after his presentation!
How KaPop! Snacks Started
Dustin Finkel, standing at 6’6, is the head KaPoP! At his startup, KaPop Snacks. His CEO position at his own gluten-free snack company has given him an appreciation of what a small company CEO brings to the table. He founded KaPop! Snacks as he was looking for a snack which was nutritious, clean and tasted great; however, a snack of this proportion was nowhere to be found. Dustin created KaPop! Snacks with ancient grains to fill these three requirements. His motto, to give people a snack with “Authenticity, simplicity and joy!”.
Be Aware of Ancient Grain Snack Ingredients
“Many ancient grain products have fillers such as corn” says Dustin and I have recently experienced the same thing! Using more ancient grain products recently, I’ve found that not only do many of these have corn, they also have rice, sometimes as the main ingredient. I was shocked to find out how many products which have the phrase “ancient grain” on their label either have very little ancient grain or are mixed with other common grains, such as corn. KaPop! Is an authentic ancient grain snack, not mixed with grains that can cause allergens.
Why KaPop! Snacks are Popular
With 5-star reviews across many platforms, people are loving KaPop! Snacks as much as I do! One man loved KaPop so much after sampling them at a gluten-free conference that he went across the street to a tattoo parlor and had KaPop! Brand logo tattooed onto his arm!
Gluten Free Camping and KaPop!
When you’re camping, you want a snack that is easy to eat, healthy and, if you’re hiking in hot weather, a snack with some salt. KaPop is an awesome snack to eat when you’re camping - it’s light and easy to carry, tasty and nutritious! You can get KaPop in 1oz snack size, which is great for kids, or 3oz., which is what I get when I order directly from KaPop!
Dustin Representing KaPop on Shark Tank
Dustin likens his Shark Tank exposure to having a “Super Bowl commercial for your brand.” Within 10 minutes of airing, his website went from five visitors to 50,000 visitors, 1.1 billion impressions and information exposure worth around $10 million. Listen in to find out who asked him out on a date and which shark asked Dustin to work for his company!
Guest Bio
Dustin is a CrossFit instructor, spent 15 years in CPG, and was previously an Investment Banker at Goldman Sachs. While at his corporate position, Dustin launched the first gluten-free product to go national with Gluten-Free Chex.
Personally, he is a health enthusiast, he loves fitness, and loves eating even more! He is a CrossFit instructor and trains many of his neighbors and friends. He is constantly battling the desire to watch every ingredient that goes into his body with the desire to just enjoy eating! One night, he and a few friends gorged on “healthy chips”only to find out when they read the bag that the “healthy” snack was high in empty calories and bad fats. Surprisingly enough, they didn’t even taste that great. Justin knew there had to be a better way! He thought, “What if I could take the snacks everyone loves – like chips, snack bites, treats, and popcorn and just do them over with better ingredients?”. Being a Paleo enthusiast since 2007, he soon realized he had a bunch of ancient grains in his pantry. He thought, what if he could make a snack with ancient grains?!
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