Founder Feature: Keya Wingfield of Keya's Snacks
The Startup CPG Podcast
Startup CPG
4.9 • 642 Ratings
🗓️ 13 March 2026
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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:
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- Visit host Caitlin's Linkedin
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | I really love food, as you can tell. |
| 0:12.6 | And I love to eat. |
| 0:13.8 | I love to feed people even more than I love to eat. |
| 0:16.5 | I think food is a massive unifier in this world. |
| 0:20.2 | More than music and art, not to insult anybody, |
| 0:23.6 | but because we all have to eat. We don't have to consume music. We don't have to consume |
| 0:27.6 | art, but we have to consume food. So I love to feed people because it connects us all. And I think |
| 0:33.6 | it's a great leveler of humanity. |
| 0:36.6 | Hey everybody, this is Caitlin Brooker, managing editor at Startup CPG. We are back to And I think it's a great leveler of humanity. Hey, everybody. |
| 0:37.8 | This is Caitlin Brooker, managing editor at startup CPG. |
| 0:41.2 | We are back with another founder feature. |
| 0:43.6 | Today I'm sitting down with Kea Wingfield, founder of Kea's snacks, |
| 0:47.1 | a brand-making potato chips that leverage Indian heritage onto beloved American snacks. |
| 0:52.5 | We're talking about how Keo went from making custom desserts to |
| 0:55.6 | accidentally launching a chip brand during the pandemic. The intentional design choices behind her |
| 1:00.9 | stunning packaging. I'll give you a little spoiler. It's her face on the bag and it represents |
| 1:05.9 | every woman who has ever fed anybody. And why she's fighting against the sea of sameness as she likes |
| 1:13.0 | to call it in the chip bile. I think everybody's got a lot to learn in this episode, brands |
| 1:17.7 | and retailers alike. So enjoy. 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. |
| 1:34.3 | 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, |
| 1:46.6 | which is a huge feat. And I just need to say, before we get into this, I was swimming today, |
| 1:53.0 | and I was like, how do I introduce Kea to the world? For anybody who is not heard of you and your |
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