Recent Posts
Podcast•Dec 2, 2025•0 min
He Launched a Tiny Ice Cream Factory, Now It’s a National Brand Ft. Alec Jaffe
In this episode, Mike Gelb talks with Alec Jaffe, founder and CEO of Alec’s Ice Cream, about creating a premium, gut‑friendly ice cream brand using A2 dairy and regenerative farming. Alec explains how he built a supply chain with family farms, differentiated real ice cream from frozen dessert, and leveraged a viral TikTok campaign for his Culture Cups to break into both natural and mass retail. He also shares the challenges of vertical integration, running a tiny factory, scaling two product lines, and raising an $11 M Series A, offering a masterclass in supply‑chain design, product development, and retail strategy for food brands.
By The Consumer VC
Podcast•Nov 25, 2025•0 min
He Launched a Tiny Ice Cream Factory, Now It’s a National Brand Ft. Alec Jaffe
In this episode, Mike Gelb talks with Alec Jaffe, founder of Alec’s Ice Cream, about creating a premium, gut‑friendly ice cream brand using A2 dairy and regenerative sourcing. Alec explains how he built a farm‑to‑factory supply chain, differentiated real ice...
By The Consumer VC
Podcast•Nov 18, 2025•0 min
Retail’s Biggest Scam: Deductions Ft. Akash Raju
In this episode, Mike Gelb talks with Akash Raju, CEO of Glimpse, about the hidden cost of retail deductions that can drain up to 5% of a CPG brand’s revenue. Akash explains how the complex deduction ecosystem works, why it’s...
By The Consumer VC
Blog•Nov 5, 2025
Harsh Truth About European Startups Ft. Joe Seager
In this interview, Joe Seager—partner at the consumer‑focused VC True and former Virgin executive—explains how True’s vertically integrated, multi‑stage model gives founders a distinct advantage and why Europe’s fragmented venture landscape is beginning to outpace the U.S., especially in the...
By The Consumer VC
Blog•Oct 18, 2024
How He Went From the Music Industry to VC, Investing in Tech Vs. Brands, and When Down Rounds Make Sense...
In this episode Mike Gelb interviews Joe Seager, a former Virgin executive turned partner at True, to explore how his experience in a founder‑driven culture shaped a unique multi‑stage VC model that blends VC, PE, public markets, and advisory services...
By The Consumer VC
Blog•Sep 27, 2024
The Future of Gaming: Game Economies, New Business Models, Gamification, Blockchain Technology & AI Innovation with Brian Cho, Co-Founder of...
In this episode, Mike Gelb interviews Joe Seager, partner at True, to explore how the firm’s vertically integrated, multi‑stage model gives consumer‑focused founders a strategic edge, especially within Europe’s fragmented venture landscape. Seager shares insights from his time with Richard...
By The Consumer VC
Blog•Sep 6, 2024
The Evolution of Premium Products in Mainstream Retail with Marcel Bens, CEO of Emil Capital Partners
The post explores how premium consumer products are breaking into mainstream retail, drawing on insights from three podcast episodes with industry leaders—Joe Seager on Europe’s multi‑stage VC model, Alex Cantwell on JUUL’s rapid rise and retail lessons, and Jake Bullock...
By The Consumer VC
Blog•Aug 30, 2024
When to Invest in Consumer Technology with Vanessa Larco at NEA
In this Consumer VC episode, host Mike Gelb talks with Joe Seager, partner at True, about the optimal moments to back consumer‑technology startups, highlighting True’s multi‑stage model that blends VC, PE, public and advisory support to give founders an edge....
By The Consumer VC
Blog•Aug 16, 2024
Turning Science Into Consumer Brands with Osman Khan, CEO of Squared Circles
In this episode of Consumer VC, Mike Gelb talks with Joe Seager of True about how a multi‑stage, vertically integrated venture model gives consumer founders a decisive edge, especially within Europe’s fragmented but fast‑growing ecosystem. Seager shares behind‑the‑scenes stories of...
By The Consumer VC
Blog•Aug 2, 2024
Investing in the Future of Healthy Living with Abby Miller Levy, Managing Partner and Founder at Primetime Partners
The post is a podcast‑style interview series where host Mike Gelb explores how consumer‑focused venture capital is shaping the future of healthy living, from Joe Seager’s multi‑stage model at True to Alex Cantwell’s lessons from JUUL’s hypergrowth and Jake Bullock’s...
By The Consumer VC
Blog•Jul 24, 2024
How They Built a Direct-to-Consumer Baby Food Brand and Scaled to Selling Millions of Products Each Month with Angela Vranich...
In this episode, Mike Gelb interviews Joe Seager, partner at the multi‑stage VC firm True, about his experience working with Sir Richard Branson at Virgin and how True’s vertically integrated model supports consumer‑focused founders. Seager explains how True combines venture,...
By The Consumer VC
Blog•Jun 27, 2024
Future of Food Tech, Can A Retail Model Like Foxtrot Work at Scale, and Channel Strategy for Food Brands with...
In this episode, Mike Gell interviews Joe Seager, partner at True, to explore how the firm’s vertically integrated, multi‑stage model gives consumer‑focused founders a distinct advantage and how Europe’s fragmented venture ecosystem—shaped by Brexit and emerging Nordic hubs—affects capital flows....
By The Consumer VC