
Kurt Beecher Dammeier, founder, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, Seattle Sometimes it is a particular destination that determines an entrepreneur’s journey. Such was the case for Seattle’s Beecher’s Handmade Cheese. Even before having a business plan, founder Kurt Beecher Dammeier knew where he wanted his cheese company to be based. “I decided
Kim Mack, founder, Scratch Made Life Kim Mack, founder of Scratch Made Life, which offers online and in-person cheesemaking classes, could not have seen where her life was headed when she began her business almost four years ago. An army veteran, she worked in a police department, on an ambulance
Growing up on a small dairy farm in Wisconsin, Madeline Kuhn wasn’t focusing on pursuing a career in dairy or cheese from an early age. It wasn’t until she went off to the University of Wisconsin in Madison that she began zeroing in on a career in food science. “That
Savencia’s Sebastien Lehembre For Sebastien Lehembre, senior marketing manager at Savencia Cheese USA, cheese didn’t start out as his purpose, but became a passion and a career by happenstance. “Some people have a clear trajectory but, in my case, it was unexpected in a way, while such a part of
The Iowa State University professor bestows her passion for dairy onto her students while making a difference in the industry. Although Stephanie Clark is Virginia M. Gladney Professor for Ames, Iowa-based Iowa State University’s department of food science and human nutrition, it’s not her only role. Admittedly one who stretches
A quest for tradition leads this notable cheesemaker down multiple paths over the course of his career. For some, it can take a big chunk of a lifetime to discover their purpose and passion. That has been the case for Peter Dixon, cheese industry veteran and owner of Westminster West,
One man’s mission to increase awareness of an Italian cheesemakers authentic offerings. When Italian Giacomo Veraldi joined Ambrosi in 2007, little did he know how far his mission to market the company’s cheeses would take him. Fast forward almost a decade and a half later, and his goal to make
Learn how a small time producer spearheaded America’s goat cheese segment. When Mary Keehn, a single mother of four and self-proclaimed serious hippie, adopted two of her neighbor’s goats back in the 70s, she didn’t have a business plan, or any plan, to start her own business. “My start was
For the lucky, such as Greek-American chef and cookbook author Michael Psilakis, Feta cheese has held a long celebrated place in the kitchen and in cuisine since childhood. “My memories of Feta growing up are very vivid,” he says. “It was always on the kitchen table, and I was always
Vermont Creamery founders discuss their journey and the next chapter. It has been about three years since Vermont Creamery co-founders Allison Hooper and Bob Reese sold their business to Land O’Lakes. Now both are giving back, providing other businesses with the benefits of their experiences, while also enjoying the more
A CPA turned CCP, John Antonelli took the leap from crunching numbers to cutting cheese.