Willpower Weekly: Issue No. 03
💸 Big Players, Bigger Bets
Daily Harvest → Chobani
Chobani, once best known for its Greek yogurt, has quietly evolved into a multi-category food company with serious ambitions in the wellness space. Back in 2019, the brand launched a line of dairy coffee creamers, considered late to the game at the time, but they’ve since taken off, thanks in part to TikTok, where they frequently show up in morning routines and “What I Eat in a Day” videos. And now, with the full-circle shift back to dairy and away from plant-based alternatives, the timing couldn’t be better.
As of last month, Chobani has officially acquired DTC health food brand Daily Harvest.
At our latest Catalyst Series event in New York City, Emily Jenkins, Brand & Strategy Director of the Retail Business at Daily Harvest, spoke to the opportunity ahead:
“I think the latest stat I saw was 15 percent of Americans subscribe to a meal service, so that’s 85 percent either shopping in-store or through some online version of retail. Even those who do subscribe are likely still shopping in-store, so there’s just so much upside in retail.”
Post-acquisition, Daily Harvest is focused on broadening access by exploring retail expansion, while staying grounded in its core mission: putting organic fruits and vegetables into more households.
Why it matters: As Emily pointed out, retail still holds massive potential, and now, with a powerhouse like Chobani behind them, Daily Harvest has the product, the playbook, and the partner to scale beyond the DTC bubble
🚀 Launches + Capital Raises
Ayoh! Foods Launches in Whole Foods + Closes $4.5M Seed Round
Molly Baz’s Ayoh! Foods just made its national retail debut at Whole Foods Market, bringing its line of sandwich-ready “Sando Sauces” to shelves across the country. The launch follows a $4.5M seed round led by Imaginary Ventures.
With four bold flavors and branding that leans into fun, flavor, and versatility, Ayoh! is carving out a new category of pantry staples designed to bring the deli experience to your own kitchen.
Why it matters: Ayoh!’s momentum is a reminder that there are still white spaces in the market — everyday products that feel obvious in hindsight but have yet to be revitalized for the modern-day palate.
AG1 Launches AGZ
Athletic Greens is continuing to build out its full-stack wellness system. Their latest product, AGZ, is a nighttime supplement designed to target sleep and stress, featuring magnesium, L-theanine, and adaptogens. It’s also the brand’s first new product in 15 years, a significant shift for a company long defined by its beloved greens powder.
Why it matters: Morning routine? Covered. Now AG1 is aiming to own your wind-down, too. This is about lifecycle dominance: one brand from sunup to lights out.
David Protein → $75M Series A
David is doing what most snack brands can’t: keeping it simple, and still standing out.
No flashy branding. No chaotic lineup of SKUs. Just one bar, one message. We spotted an ad while on the treadmill at a local Lifetime Fitness: a single image of the bar and three stats — 28g protein. 150 calories. 0 sugar.
That’s it. And honestly? That’s what hits.
Walk down the protein bar aisle at Whole Foods, and it’s total sensory overload: neon wrappers, punchy names, and endless claims. David cuts through by staying focused. No frills. No fluff. Just a product that performs.
But here’s where things get interesting: behind the bar is EPG, a plant-based fat alternative that cuts calories by 92%. David didn’t just use it, they acquired Epogee, the supplier behind EPG, and shortly after, competitors lost access.
Brands like NICK’S and OWN Your Hunger, who’ve used the ingredient for years, suddenly lost access. OWN even spoke out publicly, calling the move an “obvious antitrust violation.” Meanwhile, Hormbles Chormbles, the new chocolate brand from David co-founder Peter Rahal, is still using EPG. Founders stick together… and sometimes, so do their ingredients.
Why it matters: In a category built on embellishments, David’s clarity is its edge. But the real power move? Locking down the ingredient that gives you that edge. This $75M raise isn’t just about scaling a bar — it’s about owning the IP, the supply, and dominating the category.
🧠 Infrastructure Is the New Innovation: From Tech Stacks to Ingredient Standards
Younger consumers are reshaping retail. As Gen Z and millennials grow to dominate global spending, they expect more than just good products — they want direct access, ethical manufacturing, and brands that align with their values.
That’s why Shopify and Accenture recently launched "Commerce as a Service" — a new initiative helping CPG brands scale DTC with smarter infrastructure. It merges Shopify’s tech with Accenture’s enterprise expertise to tackle operations, margins, and backend challenges head-on.
But infrastructure isn’t just digital. It’s physical — and increasingly, chemical.
This month, Kraft Heinz announced it will remove all artificial food dyes from its U.S. products by 2027, including pantry classics like Kool-Aid, Jell-O, and Heinz ketchup. The move comes as more states begin regulating additives and consumer pressure around ingredient safety continues to rise, especially in foods marketed to children.
At our Human Performance Summit in March, Jason Karp, founder and CEO of HumanCo and co-founder of Hu Kitchen, spoke about this shift firsthand. After reversing multiple autoimmune conditions and an incurable eye disease by cutting out ultra-processed foods and synthetic additives, Jason has become a vocal advocate for ingredient transparency, even testifying before the Texas State Senate to push for the removal of food dyes from school lunches.
Jason Karp on the Future of Nutrition in Human Performance Panel (Willpower Human Performance Summit, March 2025)
It’s a curveball for big players who have long relied on synthetic color. But for wellness and better-for-you brands, it’s business as usual — many of them have built their identity on being dye-free from day one.
Why it matters: This shift isn’t just about health, it’s about trust. The bar for clean label is rising, and what used to set niche wellness brands apart is quickly becoming the industry standard. With legacy players catching up, smaller brands will have to find a new edge and a new place to go the extra mile.
🗣 Catalyst Series NYC Recap: Staying Real While Scaling Smart
At our latest Catalyst Series in New York, the theme wasn’t just growth. It was grounded growth. Across DTC, retail, and everything in between, our speakers reminded us that building something big doesn’t mean losing touch with your customer or yourself.
Emily Jenkins, Brand & Strategy Director of the Retail Business at Daily Harvest, spoke about how the brand approaches innovation, not by guessing, but by truly listening:
“Everything that we do really depends on speaking with consumers and understanding their appetite for what we're putting out into the market — from willingness to pay, to taste, to packaging.”
She explained that product development begins by leveraging insights and testing them directly with consumers, long before anything hits shelves. That process includes concept testing, taste testing, focus groups, and ultimately, quantitative validation. As Daily Harvest evolves its offerings for retail, the brand continues to refine not only the product but also its identity at shelf:
“We’ll continue to talk with consumers to understand what's resonating with them from a brand voice and identity perspective as we continue to expand in retail.”
Meanwhile, Dovas Zakas, an early employee at HelloFresh and now co-founder of their newest business unit, The Pets Table, gave a candid look at what intrapreneurship inside a $8B company really looks like.
“The riskiest move I’ve made? Being myself.”
From beatboxing on team calls to launching entirely new verticals, Dovas shared how staying authentic, and having leadership that encourages that, has helped him grow within HelloFresh for over 10 years. His latest venture, Pets Table, operates like a startup within the org. It’s building both fresh and air-dried dog food lines, one of which is already on shelves at Walmart.
“We launched not one but two healthy products: one more premium, one more accessible. The idea was to reach more people with better quality nutrition for their dogs, while still building a business that can scale.”
And when asked how he stays close to the customer while growing across channels?
“We send a product survey every time we send a box. That feedback loop — from active customers and cancellations — fuels everything. It’s how we evolve.”
The biggest takeaway? Whether you’re launching a new product, spinning up a brand inside a legacy org, or learning to show up differently in retail, staying close to your consumer (and true to yourself) is the edge that scales.
📈 Big Checks, Bigger Confidence
This quarter’s funding and acquisition wave signals something deeper than a rebound — it's a recalibration.
Brands like Ayoh! Foods are proving that you don’t need decades of traction to land on shelves nationwide, while moves like David Protein’s $75M raise and AG1’s product expansion show that investors are back to backing bold bets, but with new criteria: operational readiness, supply chain control, and multi-channel potential.
And with legacy players like Chobani acquiring brands like Daily Harvest, we’re seeing clear signals: they’re not chasing trends; they’re buying infrastructure, brand loyalty, and strategic positioning.
Why it matters: We’re in a new phase, not hype cycles, but high-functioning growth. Capital is flowing again, but it’s not going to the loudest. It’s going to the most prepared.
🌞 The Morning Is the New Night Out
Late nights are out. Early mornings are in.
Across cities like New York, LA, and Austin, a new kind of social ritual is taking shape: sunrise workouts, DJ-led run clubs, matcha-fueled coffee meetups, and recovery lounges — all before 10 a.m.
Even global names like Diplo are leaning in, launching wellness-centric run clubs that blend movement and music into the perfect start to the day.
Why it matters: The morning has become prime time for connection. It’s not just about productivity — it’s about feeling good, moving your body, and building community, without the late-night haze. Brands and creators are turning wellness into a scene.
🔍 Zooming Out
What do June’s headlines tell us?
There’s still white space worth building in — even in crowded categories, the right insight can crack something wide open.
The best brands balance aspiration with access — and know how to scale without sacrificing what matters.
There will always be a community for your niche obsession — even the kind that shows up at the sunrise DJ set with cold brew and a yoga mat.
From pantry staples to personal care, the brands cutting through aren’t creating customers for their products. They’re creating products for their customers.
