In short
The Startup CPG Podcast
Episode Title
Founder Feature: Keya Wingfield of Keya's Snacks
Episode Overview In this episode, host Caitlin Bricker interviews Keya Wingfield, the founder of Keya's Snacks, a company that aims to infuse Indian heritage into American potato chips. The discussion covers Keya's journey from a custom dessert maker to creating a successful CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) brand, her unique flavors, and the intentionality behind her product design.
Key Themes and Discussions
- Keya Wingfield's Background
- Transitioned from a pastry chef and custom dessert maker to launching a chip brand during the pandemic.
- Initially created chips as a side product while providing Indian-American to-go meals.
- Inspiration for Flavors
- Bombay Spice and Black Salt: Flavors inspired by her upbringing in Bombay (now Mumbai), aiming to make Indian flavors accessible to an American audience.
- Her husband's initial reluctance to eat Indian food led to her developing flavors that cater to diverse palates.
- Product Design and Packaging
- The design features Keya's face to represent every woman who has fed someone, combining her, her mother’s, and her daughter's likeness.
- Packaging includes symbolic elements like a sari border and intentional typography representing respect for the consumer and the act of feeding.
- Challenges and Triumphs of Being a Solo Founder
- Keya candidly discusses the struggles of burnout and the importance of maintaining mental health as a single founder.
- Emphasizes the need for community support and personal coping mechanisms, including exercise and engaging with her family.
- Retail Insights & The “Sea of Sameness”
- Keya critiques the lack of variety in the snack aisle, advocating for more unique and culturally diverse options.
- She encourages retailers to support smaller brands that offer innovative products.
- Future Plans for Keya's Snacks
- A third flavor is in development, with ambitions for further product expansion.
- Focus on keeping prices accessible without compromising on quality.
Key Takeaways
- Cultural Fusion in Food: Keya's Snacks exemplifies how cultural backgrounds can enhance product offerings in the food industry.
- Community Engagement: The importance of engaging with consumers directly through demos and feedback.
- Brand Identity: Emphasizing personal stories and cultural heritage can create a strong brand identity that resonates with consumers.
- Sustainability and Ethics in Sourcing: Choosing single-origin organic spices from India to ensure quality and respect for cultural authenticity.
Episode Links
- Keya Wingfield
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/keya-wingfield/)
- [Website](https://www.keyaandco.net)
- [Instagram Keya & Co](https://www.instagram.com/keyaandco/)
- [Instagram Keya Snacks](https://www.instagram.com/keyassnacks/)
Additional Resources
- Startup CPG Community: Join the [Startup CPG Slack community](https://startupcpg.com) for networking and support.
- Podcast Transcripts: Access transcripts of episodes on the [Transistor platform](https://startupcpg.transistor.fm/).
Conclusion This episode delivers an inspiring narrative of resilience, creativity, and the power of food as a cultural connector, making it essential listening for founders, retailers, and food enthusiasts alike. Keya Wingfield stands as a testament to the impact of passion-driven entrepreneurship in the CPG space.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOKeya's Passion for Food
0:46 to 2:36
Keya shares her love for food as a unifying force in humanity.
“a brand making potato chips that leverage Indian heritage onto beloved American snacks.”
From Pastry Chef to Chip Brand
2:37 to 4:18
Keya recounts her journey from custom desserts to launching a chip brand.
“For anybody who's not familiar with your products, can you tell us what Kaya Snacks is?”
The Evolution of KAYA's Snacks
4:19 to 6:32
Keya discusses the transition to KAYA's Snacks and the challenges faced.
“However, I've been running a custom dessert studio for 15 years.”
Designing Unique Packaging
6:33 to 7:37
Keya explains the intentional design choices behind her product packaging.
“single origin organic spices from India, potatoes from the farmers in the East Coast, a fantastic co-packer in place.”
Cultural Influence and Flavor Creation
7:38 to 10:58
Keya shares how her Indian heritage influences the flavors of her snacks.
“He's an artist, a graphic artist, and a really talented, very deeply, just very deeply understands a lot of things, right?”
Impact on Family and Future Generations
10:59 to 13:07
Keya reflects on the influence of her mother and her hopes for her daughter.
“I mean, no shade to my parents, but the flavors weren't there like yours are.”
Making Flavors Approachable
13:08 to 14:01
Keya discusses how she creates flavors that are accessible to a broad audience.
“They're not spicy, but to her it is because she's, yeah, has no palate, essentially.”
The Origin of Keya's Snacks
14:01 to 14:55
Discover how Keya Wingfield's childhood experiences inspired her snack flavors.
“So I used to make the Bombay blend that's on the Bombay spice chips right now for myself all the time.”
Live Demos and Consumer Reactions
14:56 to 18:11
Keya shares her experiences of conducting live demos and the surprising feedback from consumers.
“I mean, listen, I can't ask for a better feedback than that, right?”
Lessons Learned as a Founder
18:12 to 20:58
Keya discusses challenges and lessons learned on her journey as a founder and the importance of mental health.
“I must be such a good employee that created a product with my name on it it was adorable.”
Show all 12 chapters
Advice for Retailers and the CPG Industry
20:59 to 23:48
Keya gives insights on why retailers should diversify their product offerings and support smaller brands.
“You know, people like you, people like my small team that I have.”
Future Plans for Keya's Snacks
23:49 to 26:21
Keya shares her excitement about upcoming flavors and the growth of her brand.
“And I think it's definitely something that retailers should take advice from you.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:09Keya Wingfield:I really love food, as you can tell. And I love to eat. I love to feed people even more than I love to eat. I think food is a massive unifier in this world, more than music and art, not to insult anybody. But because we all have to eat. We don't have to consume music. We don't have to consume art. But we have to consume food. So I love to feed people because it connects us all. And I think it's a great leveler of humanity.
0:37Caitlin Bricker:Hey, everybody. This is Caitlin Brooker, Managing Editor at Startup CPG. We are back with another founder feature. Today, I'm sitting down with Kea Wingfield, founder of Kea's Snacks, a brand making potato chips that leverage Indian heritage onto beloved American snacks. We're talking about how Kea went from making custom desserts to accidentally launching a chip brand during the pandemic. The intentional design choices behind her stunning packaging. I'll give you a little spoiler. It's her face on the bag and it represents every woman who has ever fed anybody. And why she's fighting against the sea of sameness, as she likes to call it in the chip aisle.
1:14Caitlin Bricker:I think everybody's got a lot to learn in this episode, brands and retailers alike. So enjoy.
1:24Caitlin Bricker:Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the Startup CPG podcast. This is Caitlin, and today I'm here with Kea Wingfield, founder of Kea's Snacks. Kea, welcome to the show. Hello. Thank you for having me. Of course. The pleasure is all mine. I love having you here. Love the chips. We are huge fans in our household. Even my two-year-old is obsessed, which is a huge feat. And I just need to say, before we get into this, I was swimming today, and I was like, How do I introduce Kaya to the world? For anybody who has not heard of you and your products, who is Kaya? And to me, I just have to say this to you.
2:05Caitlin Bricker:You are like the baddest bitch in CPG, in my opinion. You really are. You have the style. Your products are on point. The swag, literally everything. The attitude, I love everything about you. So I just needed to give you your flowers for that. Stop.
2:24Keya Wingfield:Listen, are we allowed to cry on a podcast? Go for it. People do that. It's coming. I think there's tears forming. That is incredibly generous of you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So we got to get into it now.
2:35Caitlin Bricker:Who is Kaya? For anybody who's not familiar with your products, can you tell us what Kaya Snacks is?
2:42Keya Wingfield:We make potato chips. We leverage my Indian heritage on beloved American snacks.
2:48Caitlin Bricker:I love it. And what kind of flavors can a consumer find if they pick up a bag of your chips?
2:54Keya Wingfield:So our motto is anything but boring and our flavors cannot reflect that really well. We make two flavors right now, Bombay spice and black salt.
3:02Caitlin Bricker:And those are an ode to your upbringing from my understanding.
3:07Keya Wingfield:Can you tell us a little bit more about that? That's right. I was born and raised in Bombay in India. It's called Mumbai now. So when I say Bombay, people are like, where is that? and I've been in the U.S. for almost 20 years now. I feel old when I say that. But I was very young when I moved here. So this snack brand, I don't know much to both my cultures of Indian and American.
3:27Caitlin Bricker:I really, really love it. And it's really hard for me to pick a favorite flavor. I don't think I'm capable of doing it.
3:34Keya Wingfield:I would not recommend that. Yeah, no. Don't do it. Just buy both.
3:38Caitlin Bricker:Yeah. I know you have a bag with you right now. Can you hold it up for anybody who's watching? Dun, dun, dun. This branding, I was sold before I even tasted the products. The branding is unlike anything I have seen on the shelf. I would imagine if I see it on a store in Massachusetts, hello, anybody listening, can we please get more around me now? I would imagine if anybody were to see them on a shelf in a store, I know my eyes would go right to it. It truly is unlike anything else we're seeing. So walk us through how you got to this point. Who helped you out? Tell me everything.
4:17Keya Wingfield:Okay, so let's do the quick spiel first because then maybe the brand will make sense. So I'm actually a pastry chef. I'm not this bad CPG person. This isn't bad as CPG person. I wish. However, I've been running a custom dessert studio for 15 years. The reason it's funny that I'm a pastry chef is because growing up in India, I had never seen an oven. It is not a part of our culture. We don't bake very much. So when I moved here, it's been the first time I saw this box in the kitchen with knobs on it. And I'm like, what is that box in the kitchen? And my husband is like, it's an oven, you moron.
4:51Caitlin Bricker:I'm like, oh, and bake things?
4:53Keya Wingfield:I mean, he has short cereal boxes in there. What do I know? I'm not from here. So I'm like, okay, sorry, one second. I have to go and bake 50 ,000 cakes. So I did that. I taught myself how to bake. I also taught at a college for nine years as a professor. I went on to become a Food Network champion, and I do a bunch of stuff with them. You can't just gloss over that. It's fun. I really love food, as you can tell. And I love to eat. I love to feed people even more than I love to eat. I think food is a massive unifier in this world. more than music and art, not to insult anybody, but because we all have to eat.
5:30Keya Wingfield:We don't have to consume music. We don't have to consume art, but we have to consume food. And I think it's a great leveler of humanity.
5:37Caitlin Bricker:So I love to feed people because it connects us all. So 2020 came about,
5:42Keya Wingfield:the bottom fell out, and we pivoted to making modern Indian American to-go meals from custom desserts. And with those meals, I would send teeny bags of Bombay spice chips. I always have an open bag around me. Like, it's like, for some weird reason, I always have one here. We would send teeny bags and masala chips as a thank you for letting us pivot. And then not even a week later, customers are calling to order just the chips. And I'm like, what chips? What do you want, sir? He's like, you know, those little things with the bag and the brown and the chips in there. I'm like, oh, you want those?
6:17Keya Wingfield:He's like, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm like, oh, okay. So overnight, we learned how how to make a CPG product, how to make itself stable, slap a label on it and go deliver it. The whole nine yards. We did that for four years. Couldn't keep up with demand anymore. So in March of last year, in 2025, is when we relaunched with professional packaging, single origin organic spices from India, potatoes from the farmers in the East Coast, a fantastic co-packer in place. And here we are ever since we've been going full force.
6:50Caitlin Bricker:And Daniel, our founder, had showed me a photo of your packaging.
6:55Keya Wingfield:Oh, those clear bags. I still have PTSD from filling those bags. Like, oh my God, don't get me started.
7:01Caitlin Bricker:This was from, I think, like a backyard event at his parents' house in D.C., if I'm remembering correctly. The glow up is very real. We should talk about that.
7:11Keya Wingfield:So you know what's funny about that event at Daniel's house was pretty much pivotal because I had the guts to show up there with my little baggie of potato chips. I'm like, oh, look, I'm a brand. And he's like, OK, that's cute. So I went from that to this. This is a labor of love in every way possible. Massive shout out to my brother. Older brother, mind you, because everybody is asking us who's older. And I'm like, that's rude. You should know by looking at us. I'm clearly the younger one. So don't ask me that. But he is not a CPG designer. He's an artist, a graphic artist, and a really talented, very deeply, just very deeply understands a lot of things, right?
7:54Keya Wingfield:And especially me. I was born around him. He knows me really well, and he knows my intention really well. So we did interview a bunch of art agencies and a bunch of companies to do the packaging. But I would keep begging him. I'm like, why don't you do it? You do it. And he would say, no, no, no, I don't know how to do this. So obviously, I had to pull out the little sister card and do some fake crying and just kind of blackmail him into doing all this. He's like, fine, I'll do it. Then me and him went to work. We studied everything. We used the shelves, the market, the countries. He lives in Hong Kong, by the way.
8:27Keya Wingfield:And we looked at everything. and then we landed on, okay, everything out there is beautiful, but how do we show up as ourselves? Period. That's it. That's all that mattered. So we chucked all the rules. There are a lot of rules about having product photo out on the front of the packaging. And we chucked that. I'm like, no, thank you. I think my consumer is very smart and they know what a potato chip looks like. I'm pretty sure of that. I don't think they need a picture of a potato.
8:56Caitlin Bricker:So what an intro to potato chips your products would be for someone who had never had potato chips.
9:02Keya Wingfield:For real. I would love to meet that person, actually. Like, where are they? They would be our mascot. But so there were a lot of design rules we've broken in making this bag. And very proudly, because again, we just wanted to be ourselves. That's it. In this world where you're told to do a lot of different things, we're like, we appreciate it. We respect it. Here's how we look at it. Obviously, that's my face on the packaging. However, it's not just my face. It's the face of every woman that has ever fed anybody. Mothers who raise us, women who feed us. It's actually a mixture of my mom, my daughter, and me combined.
9:36Keya Wingfield:We all have round faces, if you can't tell. There is a seam in the back here that is from my mom's sari borders. My mom is the reason I know anything about food. So this is respect to her. In our typography, there's a story of fours. You'll see there's four tines in everything. So there is many reasons, but two reasons that I love about this. There is an Indian goddess of food. Her name is Annapurna, and she has four arms. She is the one who feeds everybody. So we see mothers as Annapurnas in our life. They must have four arms, given how much they do. And then the second thing was, you know, when you're selling something and buying something, there are two hands that sell it and two hands that buy it.
10:17Keya Wingfield:and we wanted to pay respect to that process. So there are a lot of other hidden gems in the bag you have to discover it for yourself. There's a poem around the face that my husband wrote. He asked me, what is your intention? And in 30 seconds, he wrote that. That's my daughter's hand in the back selling you the chip. He's like, this is a potato chip. I'm like, okay, thank you. But yeah, a lot of love has gotten to it.
10:38Caitlin Bricker:You really can tell. And I did not know that about the sorry strip on the back for your mom. That is incredible, beautiful. I love that so much. And I know you recently posted about how much she had inspired your journey with flavor and food and making this product ultimately. And I was touched reading that. I would not have any of the skills that I have in the kitchen had it not been for my parents. I mean, no shade to my parents, but the flavors weren't there like yours are.
11:09Keya Wingfield:It's cool. It's cool. All parents have their own set of skills that pass down. Now that I am a parent, I can see how hard they worked in raising us.
11:17Caitlin Bricker:No shade whatsoever. And no shame in that either, right? Of course not.
11:21Keya Wingfield:Yeah, no, my mother was a very special individual. She was the most selfless human being on the planet. If she met you in the street, she would give you the clothes off her back kind of person and lived to feed people. When I was growing up around her, I didn't have enough sense to spend time with her in the kitchen or learn how to cook. I was a useless teenager. But later on, I learned that even though I didn't actually get teachings from her and she never pushed it, I was somehow inherently gotten the gift of flavor from her. And I live to honor that.
11:51Caitlin Bricker:It's funny how that works, huh? Like you really just don't realize how much you want to pull knowledge from these people who are no longer here until you're older, until you're at an age where it just makes sense to you. Like you're saying, that's got to be a universal experience, I would assume. I hope so.
12:10Keya Wingfield:Because it's a beautiful feeling, you know. I wish that for everybody.
12:13Caitlin Bricker:Totally. And I know you've mentioned this to me before, too, but building KAYA's has been something that you're hoping to, I mean, it's a success in my eyes, but you're hoping to have this brand be a success enough so that your daughter can look up to you and know that, hey, I built something from nothing. You can do this, too.
12:32Keya Wingfield:Absolutely. I'm raising a daughter. She's seven now. Not to mention her American lifestyle of buying all the Lululemons and Sephora. I'm going to have to support all that. So I better sell some chips.
Read the full transcript
12:47Caitlin Bricker:What's her favorite flavor? Does she have a favorite?
12:49Keya Wingfield:Oh, you know, here's the funny thing about her. She only really eats mac and cheese. That's it. That's her entire personality. But she crushes a whole bag of Bombay spice chips. It is unreal to see her.
13:02Caitlin Bricker:Yeah. Sounds like her and my daughter would be kindred spirits for sure.
13:06Keya Wingfield:Yeah. Like she'll eat like a half the bag and go, water, spicy, but she'll keep eating. They're not spicy, but to her it is because she's, yeah, has no palate, essentially.
13:18Caitlin Bricker:That is a very good segue because I do feel like even though your products are packing such a punch with flavor, they are not something that seems so unattainable for an untrained palate. So can you talk to us a little bit about how you chose the ingredients and flavors and how you ultimately landed on these flavors that you're pushing out there to the world?
13:40Keya Wingfield:Excellent question. And probably one of my favorite questions, because while we heard the story about how the product came to market, the origin story is what makes this brand, I feel like. So I married a white guy and he didn't like Indian food. And I'm like, what in the world am I going to do with you? I can't divorce you over this. I can't kill you because I love you. So what do we do here? So I used to make the Bombay blend that's on the Bombay spice chips right now for myself all the time. This is 20 years ago. And I would put it on eggs and tacos and salads because I was so homesick. And one day I took that blend, put it on his favorite snack, which is a basic salted potato chip.
14:19Keya Wingfield:Go figure. Put it on there. Gave it to him. And he did the trick. Like he learned how to eat Indian food by eating these chips. It opened his palate. He eats all kinds of cultural foods now. It is a massive aha moment for me as a chef. So that's how these flavors came to be. Because of my unique positioning of upbringing in India, and really, as a chef, my growth has happened in the U.S. So I really understand both the palates very well. I'm positioned in a way. So I know what is inviting and how to make the unapproachable approachable.
14:53Caitlin Bricker:You do? I'm like, okay, mic drop. that is definitely a superpower of yours my daughter she's just a little over two now I think she first tried your products when she was I want to say a year and a half and she was literally she opened the bag herself she knew she wanted it but the brandon got her and she was walking around our kitchen with the bag in her hands I mean it was basically the same size as her but she was like this is mine now I want this for sure she had not had those flavors before but She tried them and she was like, OK, this is something I need in my life now as an 18 month old.
15:30Keya Wingfield:I mean, listen, I can't ask for a better feedback than that, right? Like there cannot be anything better than winning over kids. Truly. That's amazing. Amazing. There's a job waiting for you when I'll be ready. I'll let her know. She can come be my CEO. Yes, I think she has CEO energy.
15:47Caitlin Bricker:So what has it been like for you doing live demos, being in stores with people who have never tasted something like this before? I mean, you must be getting the good with the bad, right? I would assume.
15:59Keya Wingfield:Okay, I have a lot of funny demo stories. Please enlighten us. Oh my gosh, I'm going to get in trouble for saying some of these. When we launched, I did all the demos myself because I had to be that person. I'm like, oh, I got to go out in the field and get firsthand impression and firsthand knowledge of product. and consumer. So there's so many insane demo stories that will remain with me for a long time. One was this lady walks up to the table and goes, so these look very premium. I can't afford this. This is before she's tried it. And nothing, right? Just like examining the bag, you know. And I'm like, they're$5.49 for the bag?
16:39Keya Wingfield:And her jaw dropped. She's like, wait a minute. You're telling me this is not$12.99. I'm like, no, ma 'am, this is$5.49. It has got made of clean ingredients. It's made in India. They're organic. There's packaging. Like I gave her the spiel. And she then said, I didn't think something like this could be accessible because the way it looks so premium.
16:58Caitlin Bricker:I mean, it does.
16:59Keya Wingfield:Oh, right, right. And she was so taken aback that she bought six bags. Wow. Bought six bags. I'm going to give these to my friends. That was a beautiful story because Because that was intentionality from our side coming to life. Like I fought very hard to maintain that MSRP, that competitive MSRP, because everybody should have access to good premium flavor. The other reason, and this is a side story, but the reason we went to India to get these spices is because I know where the good stuff comes from. And everything else that was Indian flavored, if you will, or cultural flavor in this country was so whitewashed.
17:36Keya Wingfield:I'm like, you don't deserve that. Consumers don't deserve that. They deserve the good stuff. they deserve the stuff that I would feed my daughter in my house. So that was the intention behind the flavoring. Anyway, coming back to demo story number two.
17:48Caitlin Bricker:This is a good one. So again, this woman walks up and goes, who's that?
17:52Keya Wingfield:I'm like, oh, that's me on the packaging. And she's like, you're Kea. Like, yes, yes. Wow, your boss must be very impressed with you to put your face on the packaging. I'm like, huh?
18:03Caitlin Bricker:I'm the boss.
18:05Keya Wingfield:She thought that I was, you know, because I'm standing in the corner demoing something. so she thinks I'm like a employee or whatnot and it was so funny that she thought that I must be such a good employee that created a product with my name on it it was adorable.
18:19Caitlin Bricker:Have you learned any lessons in your life prior to KS that you feel like are applicable to what you're doing with KS now?
18:27Keya Wingfield:Because you say your background's not in CPG but I would assume that
18:31Caitlin Bricker:you've learned some things outside of CPG that could be applied today. I could write a book about all the shady jobs I did.
18:39Keya Wingfield:And I moved here. I work for some weird real estate guy. I worked at Barnes and Noble. I was painting walls for art galleries for a long time. I've done all the weird jobs, truly. So I don't know if any of that is applicable to KS Maxx or building this brand. But I would say that my upbringing in Bombay has been the driver of things because Bombay is kind they're like New York on steroids. It's nuts all the time. So you better learn how to survive and you better learn how to thrive in that environment. So I think I would give more credit to that than anything else.
19:14Caitlin Bricker:Do you feel like there's anything that's happened on your journey as a founder that you can pinpoint and say, hey, other founders, like, watch out for this, or this is a lesson I've learned and I want you to hear it?
19:27Keya Wingfield:I've heard to think about that answer a little bit, because there's probably a lot of things like that. And I'm sure I've had these conversations with founders one-on-one about, oh, try this, try that. But I'm also extremely new at this. So usually I'm in a position to be receiving that advice, not giving it out. I don't think I've learned enough to do that just yet. But having been in the food business for 15 years, not necessarily CPG, I think burnout is a real thing. And I'm always asking people to look out for that. It sneaks up on you. And when it hits you, you're left. without any kind of tool to deal with it.
20:01Keya Wingfield:And the implications are massive.
20:03Caitlin Bricker:I think that's a really good call-up, a really good call-up because a lot of people like yourself are doing this solo. They don't have anybody else to lean on. They don't have a team that they can tap in and say, hey, I need a break today. Can you take this over for me? It's like all the world and your whole brand on your shoulders. Do you have any tools that you lean on when it comes to feeling like you're on the verge of burning out? I like to go for walks a lot.
20:29Keya Wingfield:I like to work out a little bit. I like to go buy makeup when I'm down. Don't recommend it. Makeup is expensive. It adds up fast. But those are just some quote-unquote coping mechanisms. I like to get on a call with my brother. I bug him no end. He has listened to all my nonsense very patiently. And obviously my daughter. I think at the end of the day, watching her smile makes everything worth it. Like I would do it 50 ,000 times over if it meant giving her a good life. and I have really good people around me. You know, people like you, people like my small team that I have. I'm surrounded by the most just incredible human beings who also want me to succeed and us to succeed together.
21:10Keya Wingfield:I really can't complain right now.
21:12Caitlin Bricker:I love that you have no complaints and I also love being in your circle. It's really beautiful to watch you be so vulnerable online in front of people that you have never and probably will never meet. And you mentioned working out, too. That's been an inspiration for me, seeing you talk about just like your day going to the gym. And I'm like, hell yeah, I need to go to the gym, too. Or I'm going to go swim now because Kaya did it. I want to do it. You've been really regular with that. Like, I don't think I've been on top of it. Trying. It's hard. And I mean, I can't even imagine what it's like being a CPG founder, too.
21:49Caitlin Bricker:Like, it's go, go, go all the time. Yeah.
21:52Keya Wingfield:Or sit, sit, sit, because I've been a tethered to my laptop all day. Literally.
21:57Caitlin Bricker:Oh my gosh. Yeah. Yeah. I think your journey has been pretty amazing to watch. I've been watching it. I think my first introduction to you was the shelfies last year. That was the first time I saw your products, tasted them, and I was just blown away. That is such an overused term for me, but it's the truth. It is the truth. I would love to know what your strategy is for the next year. Do you have anything exciting coming down the pipeline? Anything you want to share with listeners? Strategy is to survive, not pass out. Not religious, but here we are.
22:31Keya Wingfield:Yes, you might not die from working so much. This is the main strategy, I think. Because I have not chill. We've got a third flavor in the works. It should be releasing in a month or so, hopefully. Fingers crossed. And then, again, I went to feed people, and there's a lot of product left in me to come out. There's other stuff we're working on that's very exciting stuff. Yep.
22:52Caitlin Bricker:I cannot wait. If these two flavors did it for me like you've done it, I cannot wait for the third. Pressure. Pressure. I gotta know, what do you want to tell retailers who are listening? why should they put KAYA's on their shelves?
23:09Keya Wingfield:Oh man, I will 100 % get in trouble for this answer, but I'm going to be honest. I've been to every store now, right? Or not every, but I've been to a lot of stores and I find that most of the main aisles are filled with the same product. Regardless of the banner it's under, it's the same seven or eight brands that I will see over and over again. And great for them. I'm happy that they have the velocities and the presence they have. But I think we owe it to our consumer to provide them with other options and better options. And although who should say better, but different options and be able to support the smaller brands that are trying to bring about a real change, if you will.
23:48Keya Wingfield:And again, you're right, bigger brands have more to lose. They cannot iterate the way we can. So take advantage of that.
23:56Caitlin Bricker:I love it. I think that's great advice. And I think it's definitely something that retailers should take advice from you. seeing all the aisles that you've been in and all the products that you've tasted on your own and being through the testing. I think it's great advice. And as a consumer, I can back this up. Thank you.
24:15Keya Wingfield:I think it's the sea of sameness, as I call it. I think it's time to break through. It's this sleepy giant industry when it comes to some of the food.
24:23Caitlin Bricker:You saying the sea of sameness, I don't know if you've ever seen it on my LinkedIn banner or if you're familiar with it, but it's the 99 cent store photo. You got to see it. It just looks like the sea of sameness. It's like this endless image of products in a store, endless aisles, endless products, but a lot of it looks the same. I got introduced to that piece of artwork when I was in high school and it's stuck with me ever since, but you got to check it out. I'll send it to you after.
24:53Keya Wingfield:Yes, please send it to me. You know, funny story, because we are on a shelf in one big retailer and I snapped a photo of it, the whole shelf together. and I could so clearly see this brand just standing out regardless of how much product is around it. Absolutely. In my most tired moments, I look at that picture and I'm reminded of what we're working. I love it.
25:16Caitlin Bricker:All right, we need to get Kaya's in more people's hands. So tell everyone your website and your social handles. Give it to us.
25:23Keya Wingfield:All right, so website is kaysnacks.com. Two S's in the middle, by the way. And did you point this out? I don't know who pointed that out, But when you look at the website, it's Kea as there is a word in the middle that you cannot unsee, unfortunately. Sorry about that. I don't think it was me. Okay, I don't know what that was. Now I'm going to go looking. Oh, no. It was someone from the industry and I'm like, whoops. And Instagram, you can follow me on Kea & Co. We also have a business page called Kea Snacks, which we don't populate very much, but I need to work on it. LinkedIn, Kea Wingfield, you can find me there.
25:55Keya Wingfield:And then Nationwide, we are in Sprouts and HomeGoods. And then other focus has been on Smothered Vertiki. And oh, and Fresh Thyme in the Midwest. Oh, and Fresh Thyme. No big deal. Yeah, so cool.
26:08Caitlin Bricker:Can't wait to see how many more stores are in the coming year. Lots of good things coming down the pipeline for KS.
26:15Keya Wingfield:Thank you. I hope you don't get sick of me.
26:16Caitlin Bricker:Never. It has been so much fun talking to you. Always love hearing more about you. I feel like you are definitely like the type of person that I classify as an onion type of person. there are just so many layers and I love it.
26:30Keya Wingfield:True. I would. That's an accurate description. Somewhat, maybe more cabbage. Yeah.
26:36Caitlin Bricker:But we'll take that in. I have seen somewhere that I think cabbage is supposed to be hot this year. So we'll roll with it. Hey, I'll take that. All right. I will see you sooner than later, I'm sure. Thank you so much. Thank you. So grateful for you guys. Thank you for everything. See ya. cpg bffs we've now arrived together at the end of another episode of the startup cpg podcast as you may know we're not just the top globally ranked cpg podcast we're a community of tens of thousands of cpg founders and experts and you should join us if you haven't already head to startupcpg.com to sign up you'll get an invite to our slack community hear about events near you and get access to opportunities that connect you with buyers, investors, and other brands.
27:22Caitlin Bricker:It's free. So what are you waiting for? I'll see you in Slack and in real life. Thanks for listening.
From the publisher
In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Keya Wingfield—founder of Keya's Snacks—a brand bringing Indian heritage to beloved American potato chips. From accidental pandemic pivot to stunningly designed bags landing on shelves at Sprouts and Fresh Thyme, Keya shares the full journey: the origin story behind her Bombay Spice and Black Salt flavors, the deeply intentional design choices behind her iconic packaging (yes, that's her face on the bag—and there's a whole lot more to it than that), and why she's on a mission to break through what she calls the "sea of sameness" in the chip aisle.
Keya opens up about going from custom desserts and a Food Network championship to overnight CPG founder, how her husband's reluctance to eat Indian food became the unlikely spark behind her flavor philosophy, and why making bold, cultural flavors accessible and affordable to everyone is at the core of everything she does. She also gets candid about burnout as a solo founder, the lessons she's still learning, and what she hopes her seven-year-old daughter takes away from watching her build something from nothing.
Whether you're a founder, a retailer, or just someone who needs a better chip in their life, this episode delivers.
Listen in as they discuss:
- How a pandemic pivot from custom desserts accidentally launched a chip brand
- The origin of Bombay Spice: making Indian flavor approachable for an American palate
- The deeply symbolic design behind Keya's packaging—and why her face represents every woman who has ever fed anyone
- Why she fought hard to keep the MSRP accessible, and what happened when a shopper thought it was $12.99
- What single-origin organic spices from India have to do with respecting the consumer
- The "sea of sameness" in the chip aisle and what Keya wants retailers to hear
- Burnout, walks, and buying too much makeup: how she stays grounded as a solo founder
- A third flavor on the way and what's next for Keya's Snacks
Episode Links:
Keya Wingfield — Founder & CEO, Keya's Snacks
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keya-wingfield/
🌐 Website: https://www.keyaandco.net
📸 Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/keyaandco/
https://www.instagram.com/keyassnacks/
Show Links:
- Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Caitlin's Linkedin
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics