Pete Brennan is the Co-Founder of Soñar! Foods. A mission-driven company that sells plant powered tortilla chips. Pete might have started his own food business, but he is a veteran in the food industry. With experience from E&J Gallo Winery, Kelloggs, Foster Farms, and Zola, Pete’s specialty is marketing big brands.
He teamed up with the best person he knew to start Soñar! Foods, his wife, Maria.
Pete and I met at the Fancy Food Show, and again at the Alt Protein show. Pete’s a go-getter and cares about his community and every time I’m on LinkedIn, I see pallets of his chips get delivered to the nearest community market. The best part about this family business is that they really do care about doing good in the world, as 1% of their annual sales goes to helping the Latino community.
Learn more about the amazing origin of this on-fire startup, its mission, and the shoulders it stood on, to be successful, and perhaps the content of this interview allows you to explore what good you can do in your world
Sponsor: Salt of the Earth
I’m happy to introduce our newest sponsor: Salt of the Earth and their new ingredient, Mediterranean Umami, an all-natural and clean-label flavor enhancer and sodium reduction ingredient that works amazingly on meats, veggie-meats, soups and sauces and ready-meals. My friend, David gave me a bottle and I use it on my pasta sauces, or rice porridge to give it the satisfying umami depth I crave. Find the 2017 IFT Innovation Award Winner at IFT19 at booth number 2112 where they will be showcasing fresh food prepared with Mediterranean Umami. If you’re interested now, feel free to email them at info@salt.co.il
Show Notes
Fancy Food Show
Lauren Joyner
Alt Protein Show
Will Holsworth
What do you tell people?: I’m a food entrepreneur who wants to make a better world
What do you make?: We’re on a mission to feed a nation of dreamers
1% of annual sales is to advance the mission
Latino Community Foundation
Gary Hirshberg Stonyfield farms –1% for the planet
What was your first food job?: Sales and management trainee at E&J Gallo
Maria and I met at E&J Gallo
Kelloggs
How did Gallo help you with Sonar?: Their training program is phenomenal
Gallo Wine Jug: Our best marketing campaign was shifting consumer perceptions on drinking wine from a jug.
Branding has the ability to persuade
What is the difference between launching a Sonar campaign vs a big brand campaign?: Scale.
Hershberg Institute June 2018
Gary Hirshberg book
The power of one
Why Does Your Food Job Rock?: I get to make an impact with the people I love and the community I love
What is the biggest challenge the food industry needs to face right now?: There’s a lot. Each of us can and should use our brands to build a more socially and environmentally powered society
What is the one thing in the food industry you’d like to know about?: Everything. Since launching the startup, that one thing is just everything
Did you originally want to go into the food industry?: I definitively wanted to go into food because I wanted to work for a great brand. Most great brands came from food.
Do you have any advice for people who want to just into entrepreneurship?: DO it with a commitment of doing good.
Reach out at Pete@sonarorganics.com