How to Become a Food Manufacturer: From Recipe to Entrepreneur

 Food Manufacturer

Here’s some tasty career insight for all you foodies out there: ever dreamt of turning your homemade goodies into a real-deal business? In this episode of Entrepreneur Corner, Mirav sits down with Lisa Protter—CEO and co-founder of Organic Nectars—to talk about her job as a food manufacturer and the wild ride from basement startup to full-on warehouse operation in the Hudson Valley.

Lisa carved out a career in clean, organic, plant-based treats long before “dairy-free” and “raw agave” hit the mainstream. She shares how she scaled her passion project into a thriving business that handles everything in-house—from importing ingredients to manufacturing and distribution. Spoiler: no co-packers, no shortcuts, just pure hustle.

Thinking about launching a food brand or just curious how your favorite alt-sweets get made? This episode dishes out the delicious truth of food entrepreneurship. Grab a snack and tune in!

FDA - How to Start a Food Business

Cornell Food Venture Center

How to Start a Food Business from Home

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Music credit: Kate Pierson & Monica Nation

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About the host: Mirav Ozeri has always been drawn to storytelling and journalism, especially the stories of everyday people.

In the 90’s She founded her own video production company, producing, directing, and editing documentaries and videos for political organizations which led to a 17-year career at CBS News, where she served as a producer/editor, helped launch CBS MarketWatch, and later worked as a senior editor and segment producer until the program was acquired by Dow Jones.

During her years at CBS, Mirav developed and produced a television pilot built around a simple idea: giving people an honest look at what different careers are really like. Although the pilot was never picked up, the concept stayed with her. Years later, she brought it back as How Much Can I Make?, a podcast that explores real jobs, real stories, and the many paths people take to build a career.