On today’s episode, Kara welcomes Yousuf Ahmed, Founder and CEO of B-SIDES — the Brooklyn-based upcycled snack brand turning overlooked ingredients into bold, crave-worthy puffs and quickly becoming one of the most compelling sustainability-driven food stories today. What began with a simple question — what happens to the leftover oats from oat milk production? — led Yousuf to transform what was once considered waste into high-protein, low-sugar snacks that are reshaping how modern consumers think about clean eating. With a background that spans music, finance, and now food entrepreneurship, Yousuf has built B-SIDES into a brand that fuses sustainability with serious flavor, proving that doing good for the planet can also taste really, really good.
In this episode, Yousuf shares how he made the bold jump from advising ultra-high-net-worth clients at Goldman Sachs to reinventing the snack aisle, what he learned about risk and fulfillment along the way, and how upcycling became a powerful engine for both purpose and profit. He opens up about the challenges of building in a crowded CPG landscape, the breakthroughs that validated B-SIDES early on, and the mindset shifts required to leave behind one identity and fully step into another. Packed with insights on reinvention, brand building, sustainability, and consumer behavior, Yousuf’s journey is a powerful example of how a single overlooked ingredient — and an even more overlooked opportunity — can fuel a new category entirely.