Founder Feature: Sarah Hartmann of Vêsucré

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In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Caitlin Bricker interviews Sarah Hartmann, founder of Vêsucré, a zero-waste, plant-based dessert company based in Oneonta, New York. Sarah shares how Vêsucré—short for “vegan sweets”—evolved from a home kitchen experiment into a fast-scaling brand now featured in over 450 stores across nine states.

She discusses the innovation behind Vêsucré’s clean-label, dairy-free frozen desserts, the importance of inclusive hiring through a neurodiverse workforce, and the brand’s commitment to sustainability through zero-waste production practices. Sarah also highlights key partnerships with Cornell’s Food Spark program and Wakefern Food Corp., which helped accelerate Vêsucré’s retail expansion.

Plus, Sarah reveals how Vêsucré practices zero waste by repurposing oat milk byproducts into delicious treats like brownies and protein truffles—and how her latest initiative, The Makery, is helping other small food brands scale responsibly.

Listen now!

Listen in as they share about:

• Founder’s Inspiration & Product Development
• Business Growth & Mentorship
• The Makery Initiative
• Inclusivity and Workforce Development
• Sustainability & Zero Waste Commitment
• Retail Expansion
• Community & Support Networks

Episode Links:

Website: https://vesucre.com/

Website: https://themakeryoneonta.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skhartmann/

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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)
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• Visit host Caitlin's Linkedin
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics