In this Founder Fundraising Journey episode, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Ryan Raish, founder of Fave, a first-to-market certified organic powdered drink mix bringing nostalgic flavors back to the category without artificial colors, flavors, or excess sugar.


Ryan has spent nearly two decades in CPG, working his way from grassroots demos at Guayaki to building out the West Coast for Honest Tea, a 10-year run at Popchips, and stints at Super Coffee and Chloe's Fruit Pops. The idea for Fave came to him in a grocery store aisle, watching his five-year-old beg for Kool-Aid loaded with artificial dye and 40+ grams of sugar, and realizing there was no "better-for-you" option in the massive, non-functional powdered drink mix category.


Hannah and Ryan dig into the two-year R&D process he self-funded before ever asking for capital, how a chance conversation with Popchips founder Keith Belling turned into his first advisor and investor, how retailer feedback shaped the product before a single dollar was raised, and the real differences between pitching investors and pitching retail buyers.


Listen in as they discuss:

  • Ryan's 20-year path through CPG, from grassroots demos at Guayaki to a decade at Popchips
  • The grocery store moment with his kids that sparked the idea for Fave
  • Why he spent nearly two years self-funding R&D before ever asking for outside capital
  • How Popchips founder Keith Belling turned into his first investor and advisor
  • How early retailer feedback from Target shaped Fave's formulation before fundraising even began
  • The pre-seed round born from a happy hour conversation at Expo West with Angel Group
  • How retailer validation (Thrive Market, QVC, Sprouts) built the case for a full seed round
  • The key differences between pitching investors and pitching retail buyers, and where they overlap
  • Ryan's advice on building investor relationships well before you actually need the capital


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