Founder Feature: Dina DiCenso of RIND

The Startup CPG Podcast

Startup CPG

Startup, Food, Business, Beverage, Cpg, Entrepreneurship

4.9 • 642 Ratings

🗓️ 6 June 2025

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Grace Kennedy speaks with Dina DiCenso, co-founder of RIND, an innovative vegan cheese company based in Brooklyn, New York. Dina shares RIND’s journey from homemade recipes to national retail shelves and fine dining establishments—including a notable appearance at the White House.

They explore the brand's proprietary fermentation techniques, the challenges and advantages of bootstrapping in a competitive category, and the strategic growth of their two lines: RIND and Veggie Underground.

Dina also offers valuable insights into retail expansion, foodservice strategy, and the evolving landscape of plant-based dairy alternatives.

Tune in now!

Listen in as they share about:

Mission and Motivation
Product Development
Bootstrapped vs Self-Funding
Business Growth and Challenges
Market Trends & Industry Insight
Retail and Distribution
Marketing and Consumer Education

Episode Links:

Website: https://www.rind.nyc/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinadicenso/

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

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Visit host Grace's Linkedin
Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
Episode music by Super Fantastics

Transcript

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0:00.0	All CPG brands need business insurance. Let's hope you don't have to use it, but if so, you better have a good policy. We get asked about it in Slack all the time. When do I need general liability, product liability, workers comp, all that stuff. I always tag in our friends at Amelia Risk Insurance. Just talk to them. You will see what I mean. We use them personally. So does Fishwife, so many other brands from the community. They know you need coverage, but also you need to save money, so they will help you understand exactly what do you need and fight to find you the most affordable and effective policies. Reach out to them at amelia risk.com. That's A.M-E-L-I-A-Risk.com.
0:40.0	They're really happy to have a very friendly chat with you to get started.
1:03.4	We We use a special proprietary blend of cultures, and that's kind of what sets ours apart from everyone else's.
1:11.6	So we really have put a lot of R&D time into perfecting our cambleu, which is a mix of camemberar and blue, and then we also have our blue cheese. And both are found in top vegan restaurants around the country and really
1:16.6	cool stores. And we recently learned, too, that our aged cheese has been served at the White
1:22.6	House. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the Startup CPG podcast.
1:29.0	This is Grace and I'm here with another founder Friday.
1:32.6	Today I'm talking to Dina Dicenzo, the co-founder of Rind, a vegan cheese brand that actually rivals dairy.
1:40.5	Dina created this brand in her kitchen after feeling disappointed by the vegan cheeses on the market
1:45.3	and developed a product unlike anything else at there.
1:49.1	We chat about their approach to breaking into retail, their aged camembert-style cheese versus their
1:54.8	sliceable deli cheese, and where Dina sees Rind going in the future.
1:59.7	What's more, Rind was actually a shelfy winner in
2:03.2	24 for their camembert slash blue cheese, which is so delicious and I'm personally a fan,
2:10.8	but I hope you all enjoy this episode and as always, let me know what you think.
2:20.0	Hi, Dina.
2:21.3	Welcome to the show.
2:22.6	Super excited to have you here.
2:24.7	Thanks for having me.
2:25.6	Very excited to be here.
2:26.8	Yes.
2:27.4	So I'd love to start just by having you introduce yourself and your brand, which is Rind,
	...

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