Getting Transparent

Megan Meiklejohn, leader in Transparency Management and SVP of Supply Chain Innovation at the Savory Institute, joins Joe Witte to talk about product sustainability and full transparency in fashion companies. Megan and Joe cover topics such as:  The environmental impact of the fashion industryThe increase in regenerative processes at the farm level Current major industry disruptors and challengesLearn more about:TagOne | https://www.tagone.comSavory Institute | https://savory.global

Asa Waldstein,  Founder and Principal of Supplement Advisory Group and prominent figure of the American Herbal Products Association,  joins Joe Witte to talk about hemp/CBD industry standards and strategies in achieving brand authenticity. Asa and Joe cover topics such as:  How making certain marketing claims for your supplements and CBD can put your company at riskThe unforeseen risks of FDA warning lettersManaging claims on social media and blogs (and how to avoid FDA issues)Preparing for FDA auditsLearn more about:TagOne | https://www.tagone.comSupplement Advisory Group| https://www.asawaldstein.com/supplement-advisory-group

Karil Kochenderfer,  President of LINKAGES,  joins Joe Witte to talk about the push towards food transparency and traceability across the supply chain. Karil and Joe cover topics such as: The CBD industry's complex issuesQR Codes and its growing useTech traceabilityLearn more about:TagOne | https://www.tagone.com

Mark Carter, President of MC Squared and Manish Gupta , founder and CTO of TagOne join Joe Witte to talk about the FDA's New Era of Smarter Food  Safety and the recent Traceability Challenge.  Mark, Manish, and Joe cover topics such as: The future of food safety What food provenance looks likeTech traceabilityPrimary risks to the food supply chainTagOne's Tech Traceability Management Systems Learn more about:The IAFP | https://www.foodprotection.org

Jody McGinness, Executive Director of Hemp Industries Association, joins Joe Witte to talk about the history, present and future of HIA and hemp. Jody and Joe cover topics such as the evolution of HIA as the organization migrates from a grassroots organization, to a mature non-profit. Jody also provides insights on the importance of hemp as a solution in health, food, building materials and fiber. Jody and Joe also discuss the current CBD market with many of the issue, the role of the FDA, and how to remove the opaque restrictions of this super supplement. Learn more about Hemp Industries Association: https://thehia.org/ 

Steve Platt, CEO of BrightFarms, joins Joe Witte on "Getting Transparent". They discuss leadership lessons, going back to their days together at Penn State's Army ROTC program.  Steve also talked further about BrightFarms' mission of growing healthy, pesticide free  "leafy greens" in greenhouses. Steve shares the challenges in scaling the operation, how they integrate technology to streamline their supply chain and why their initiative is so important to changing the health of our country. Joe also dives in with Steve on the importance of the culture at BrightFarms, and how their relationships with their team, and their grocery retailers is the driving force behind their growth. https://www.brightfarms.com/https://www.tagone.com/blog

Mark Carter, President of MC Squared, joins "Getting Transparent" and shares insights in to today's biggest risks in the food industry, the FDA's approach to traceability, and common mistakes entrepreneurs make along with innovative technologies, such as Britescan (a field testing technology using artificial intelligence). Mark also shares why he gives back to his non-profit, Lace it Up Sports. 

In this episode of Getting Transparent, Eric Vander Hyde, Co-Owner of Barefoot Botanicals (Bucks County, PA) joins the podcast to speak on his journey in organic farming and the unique ability of connecting people with plants. As Eric explains, the learning process isn't always simple - in fact it is usually difficult and comes with many set backs. Finding unique solutions, however, is one thing that has given Barefoot the sustainability and success that they experience today. Leveraging the power of technology and QR codes is just one of these things. Listen to the full episode for more on Eric's story and the benefits that transparency can give a brand. 

Ulrike Hodges, COO at SafeTraces and serial entrepreneur shares how her entrepreneurial journey led her to a company making a difference, SafeTraces.  Their innovative DNA fingerprinting is changing how food companies can trace the source and safety of their food, and how virus' like Covid may travel in our airflow. Ulrike addresses typical concerns about implementing this new technology and identifies which sectors need it most. 

James Rice, CEO at Paradise Foods, joins Getting Transparent and shares stories of how he ended up in Papua New Guinea's largest country owned food processor company, and why is so focused on creating jobs in a country with 80% unemployment. James shares stories of how he built a culture of leading from the front as an outsider, and how 1 job can support 12 family members in this Pacific tropical country.  Also hear his vision on doubling the company and launching their coveted chocolate bar globally in the next three years. 

Kim Stuck, CEO of Allay Consulting joins Getting Transparent to discuss her beginnings in the cannabis industry, her experience as a cannabis and hemp inspector for Denver County and why she chose to start her own consulting firm. Still a new and highly unregulated industry, Kim shares some shocking stories about GMP and OSHA violations, as well as large recalls that she has handled personally in her experience. To download the whitepaper (Hemp to CBD: Roadmapping your Your GMP's and Integrated Supply Chain) that TagOne and Kim created visit here: https://www.tagone.com/hemp-cbd-gmp-supply-chain

Elan Sudberg, CEO of Alkemist labs, industry thought leader and Board Member of AHPA (American Herbal Products Association) provides insights on companies that are "doing it right" in the supplement industry, fraud that is occurring in the industry, cyber attacks and how he has implemented a sustainable culture focused on balance and quality. www.Alkemist.com 

Former NFL Linebacker (New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings) Michael Mauti joins Joe Witte (TagOne) to discuss his journey from being the son of an NFL player, to Penn State during the "dark years", and how is 9 surgeries led him to discover the incredible health and pain relief benefits of CBD. Join Michael on his journey on how he became an investor and now an executive at Seed2System and how he uses the grit and leadership from the gridiron in entrepreneurship. 

On this episode of Getting Transparent, host Joe Witte sits down with veteran cannabis entrepreneur, James Brobyn. James, a United State Marine Corps veteran and officer, currently serves as CEO of American Fiber, and was previously the Executive Director at veteran non-profit, The Travis Manion Foundation. Brobyn shares his path into the CBD and MMJ industry, how his military experience has shaped his view of entrepreneurship, and the importance of transparency in the cannabis industry. Brobyn also opens up about his personal transition from military life to civilian life, how CBD has helped him and other veterans post-service, and why trust is the foundation for both relationship and business success. 

TJ Gupta, CEO and Co-founder of TagOne, joins guest host Joe Witte on "Getting Transparent". TJ shares his story on what brought him into tech traceability and how he saw a need for it to be implemented in the food industry. TJ also talks about what brought him to America, what drives his mission to provide better visibility in to the food industry, and even some talk on Iron Maiden. TJ's passion is rooted in care for the consumer, as he believes that transparency and quality products are the best ways we can care for people.