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She Leads with Carly
She Leads features authentic conversations with women leaders across industries—founders, executives, athletes, and change-makers. Hosted by Carly Malatskey, each episode dives into leadership, career growth, and the real challenges behind building influence and impact. Designed for listeners seeking inspiration, practical advice, and powerful stories from women shaping the future of business and beyond.
She Leads with Carly
How Stanford BFFs Swapped Tech & Finance for Probiotic Yogurt | Kiki & Elan (Sourmilk Yogurt)
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Kiki Couchman and Elan Halpern are the co-founders of Sourmilk Yogurt, an organic, probiotic-packed yogurt brand born from their shared passion for health and nutrition. After meeting at Stanford, where Kiki studied human biology and Elan studied computer science, they went on to work in private equity and product management before teaming up to start Sourmilk. Drawing on complementary skill sets, they’ve bootstrapped the business through smart financial planning, scrappy marketing, and a focus on building a product they genuinely believe in.
For a deeper dive into the episode, check out Carly's Substack: https://carlymalatskey.substack.com/
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Where to find Carly:
Where to find Kiki:
Where to find Elan:
🥣 Follow Sourmilk Yogurt:
Referenced:
- Alchemy: https://www.alchemy.com/
- Alpine Investors: https://alpineinvestors.com/
- Sourmilk Yogurt: https://www.sourmilk.com/
- Blue Apron: https://www.blueapron.com/
- Stanford: https://www.stanford.edu/
- Mandy Ginsberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandy-ginsberg-b37b701/
Timestamps:
(1:39) Kiki and Elan’s childhood
(3:26) The influence Kiki’s father had on her
(6:32) The world of D1 rowing
(20:24) A friendship is born
(22:04) Why Elan is drawn to data
(25:32) Kiki’s experiences in private equity
(29:42) What Elan learned as an Alchemy PM
(32:39) The origin of Beny
(36:42) The late-twenties life crisis
(38:52) The first steps to selling yogurt
(45:17) Mentors that shaped the early days
(49:13) Navigating co-founder conflict
(57:51) The secrets behind Beny’s marketing
(64:23) What’s been most surprising so far
(71:07) How Kiki and Elan define success