Get ready to savor an episode of The Derivative that's anything but run-of-the-(corn) mill, featuring a guest who's serving up some fresh and unconventional perspectives. That's right, we're delving into the heart of the snack world where the notion of sturdy, thick chips and delicate, thin chips is more than meets the eye. Prepare to have the simplicity of your favorite tortilla chip upended, revealing the captivating intricacies that fuel everyone’s favorite salsa, guac, and queso vehicle, the tortilla chip.

Zack Gazzaniga, is the visionary behind Zack's Mighty Tortillas, a company rewriting the rulebook on what it means to be a tortilla chip. His entrepreneurial journey takes us from the humble beginnings of a small natural food startup to helping build a 60-SKU condiment brand at Sir Kensington's. Throughout this episode, he generously shares his insights on expanding product lines, managing complex supply chains, and navigating deals with corporate giants. But that’s the boring business stuff… stay for the talk on seed hunting in Italy, making tortillas, then chips – how many growing cycles our US soil has left, the many nuances in GMO vs non-GMO labeling, and the informative history of Corn you didn’t know you needed. This episode is a must-listen for fellow entrepreneurs and tortilla chip lovers – SEND IT!

Chapters:

00:00-01:39= Intro

01:40-11:50= Buongiorno! Let’s talk: Origins, Sir Kensington’s, flavor, & the guacable chip

11:51-25:19= Economic building blocks, Investing in food, CAP-X deals, & intense integration

25:20-36:29= A brief history of corn: Quest for the golden kernel

36:30-50:24= The tortilla chip: From field to bag & Going organic – why it makes sense

50:25-01:01:41= Ethanol? Water? Growing and production concerns / Short-corn & gene editing

01:01:42-01:06:03= Where do we get them? & the Takis people...

From the episode:

Beautiful Corn: America’s Original grain from seed to plate (Book)

Don't call it private equity, seeking value (and tax alpha) in small business with Adam Tkaczuk Follow along with Zack's Mighty on LinkedIn and Facebook! For more information on Zack's Mighty tortilla's chips and where to find them visit zacksmighty.com

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A brief history of Corn, food co valuations, GMO vs non GMO, and a guacable chip with Zack’s Mighty founder Zack Gazzaniga

The Derivative