Whole Foods Market: Beyond The Board

On this episode of Beyond the Board, Whole Foods Market CEO Jason Buechel sits down with Andrew Benin, co-founder and CEO of Graza, live from Expo West. Together, they explore how Andrew has disrupted the olive oil industry through unique packaging, product obsession, and authenticity.
From a sensory experience while visiting his wife's family in Spain to becoming the fourth-largest extra virgin olive oil brand in America, Andrew opens up about the challenges of convincing traditional olive oil producers to embrace unconventional packaging, the shower moment that sparked the squeeze bottle idea, and how he saw opportunity when others saw difficulty.
The conversation explores the risks and rewards of rapid growth, being discovered early on by Whole Foods Market and why Graza waited two years to expand beyond olive oil – hello, mayo! Don't miss this candid conversation about innovation, intuition and building something different in a crowded category.
At a glance:
0:55 – Expo West
1:58 – The beginning of Graza
6:30 – The squeeze bottle shower moment
12:26 - Sizzle vs Drizzle
18:29 – Scaling through meaning
20:34 – Expanding the supply chain
22:06 – "Aha Moment"
23:27 – First time seeing the product on shelf
25:22 - Lessons learned
27:10 – Secret sauce of Graza
30:50 – The Whole Foods Market Experience
32:42 – Exploring Graza Mayo
37:50 – Customer Feedback
39:47 – Brand collaborations
41:46 – What's next?
43:52 – Defining success  
45:45 – Lightning Round

In this special episode filmed at Expo West 2026, we sit down with Meghan Luck, co-founder of Fable Fish, to explore how a childhood spent on Alaskan fishing boats transformed into a mission-driven snack brand. As part of 2026's Year of the Female Farmer trend, Meghan represents a new generation of female entrepreneurs reimagining traditional food systems by turning her family's smoked salmon recipe into an everyday snack that makes wild, nutrient-dense protein more accessible.
Fable Fish isn't just about functional snacking, it's also solving a problem in the seafood industry. When Bristol Bay's 2022 sockeye run reached a historic 79 million fish, Meghan and her dad, a longtime Alaskan fisherman, saw an opportunity to add value to underutilized byproduct: the perfectly good "necks and tails" that didn't meet retail specs for center-cut fillets. Meghan shares how Whole Foods Market's Local and Emerging Accelerator (LEAP) program has provided a community of founders facing similar challenges from packaging decisions to scaling sustainably. Her advice? Trust your gut, never cut corners on quality, and surround yourself with people who know what you don't.
At a glance: 
00:46 – Inspiration for Fable Fish
02:32 – Historical Bristol Bay sockeye run
03:32 – Salmon byproduct
06:12 – Early iterations of product development
07:08 – Career history and evolution
11:45 – Whole Foods Market LEAP Program
16:10 – Business challenges
19:50 – Backstory on Fable Fish packaging
 21:03 – How customers are consuming the product
22:58 – What is sockeye salmon?
26:50 – Meeting customers where they are
27:50 – Where Meghan hopes to see Fable Fish in 5-10 years
31:54 – Impactful drivers for Success
33:40 – Family ties
35:24 – Building the brand and responsibly scaling
38:51 – Delightful customer stories
40:26 – Lightning round

In this episode of Beyond the Board, host Sonya Gafsi Oblisk sits down with Katina Mountanos, founder of Kosterina. Listen as they discuss how personal frustrations in the grocery aisle turned into a brand rooted in Mediterranean tradition. After spending years in investment banking and CPG, Katina set out on a mission inspired by her family's ties to Greece: to bring truly high-quality, high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil to American consumers. What began as a passion project built around incredible taste soon grew into something bigger, a wellness platform grounded in the science of the Mediterranean diet and the benefits of early-harvest olive oil.
Throughout the conversation, Katina shares what actually makes olive oil exceptional, from hand harvesting and same-day milling to carefully controlled transport, and why most people in the U.S. have never really experienced olive oil at its best. A certified olive oil sommelier, she also breaks down the role of polyphenols, the antioxidants that give high-quality EVOO its health benefits, and explains why the Mediterranean diet continues to rank as the #1 diet for overall health year after year. Along the way, she clears up common misconceptions, including the difference between filtered and unfiltered olive oil, and how Kosterina approaches clean, simple ingredients across its products.
Just when you think the conversation has covered everything olive oil, she shares what's next for the brand: vinegar. Included in the 2026 Whole Foods Market Trend Report as part of the "Very Vinegar" movement, Katina talks about how customers are reimagining unique ways to consume vinegars. This episode offers a look at how Kosterina is building a cross-category wellness brand centered on flavor, transparency, and the timeless principles of Mediterranean living.
At a glance:
06:45: Career History
08:10: Early passion for olive oil
09:30: Olive Oil 101
13:57: The impact of the Mediterranean lifestyle
16:06: Extra Virgin Olive Oil Shot
18:18: Trends Spotlight: Very Vinegar
19:29: How customers are reimagining vinegar
21:18: Visit kosterina.com for recipes, products and more
21:41: What's next for Kosterina
22:48: Lightning Round 
 
The information provided on this episode is for general knowledge and informational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice. It is essential to consult with a qualified healthcare professional for any health concerns or before making any decisions related to your health or treatment. The content on this episode is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

In the countdown to this year's Expo West, we're beyond excited to take it back to where it all began — our very firstBeyond the Board Podcast conversation, recorded live at last year's Expo with none other than Cloud 23 founder, Brooklyn Peltz Beckham. The energy, the insight, the moment that started it all… and now we get to relive it. Stay tuned as this re-release is one you won't want to miss!

In this episode, we connect over:
How a late night in the kitchen with his wife led to the inspiration and first recipe for Cloud23.
Brooklyn's secret sauce to level up his dad's famous Bolognese recipe.
Plus, we dive into how Gen Z consumers are shaping a better future food system.

In this episode of Beyond the Board, we sit down with Olowo-n'djo Tchala, founder of Ayeya, to explore his journey from extreme poverty in rural Africa to building a purpose-driven brand. Olowo-n'djo left school in sixth grade to help his mother, learning traditional soap-making and shea butter production. Those early experiences shaped a mission rooted in dignity, trust, and economic empowerment, proving that business can be a vehicle for lasting social change.
Olowo-n'djo shares his business model that prioritizes respect over charity, building inclusive "mini-corporations" that unite communities across ethnic divisions and create sustainable income for women. He also reflects on the persistence it took to build a relationship with Whole Foods Market by turning early rejection into a win-win parnership that expanded access to ethical products while creating jobs in Togo.
Grounded in cultural preservation and measurable impact, Ayeya has helped support more than 250,000 families, funded clean water wells, built schools, distributed 18,000 bicycles to students, and advanced maternal healthcare initiatives. This conversation is a powerful reminder that purpose and profit, when aligned, can honor tradition, empower communities, and drive systemic change.