# @startupcpg on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DTk49dEgjap
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/47510445-startupcpg-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/721a7c1d38.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-01-16T15:24:25.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Startup CPG (@startupcpg) — https://gondola.cc/startupcpg

## Caption

New Episode LIVE: Founder Feature with Taylor Espinoza of Unicorn Bites 🦄⁠
⁠
How do you build a date-sweetened cookie brand that appeals to kids without explicitly targeting them—and what happens when your legal background shapes every decision you make as a founder?⁠
⁠
Host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Taylor Espinoza, founder of Unicorn Bites—100% date-sweetened mini cookies that became a Shelfies finalist just months after launching in April 2025. Taylor shares her journey from practicing lawyer using baking as stress relief to perfecting her recipe through hundreds of iterations at farmers markets, where kids provided brutally honest feedback.⁠
⁠
The conversation covers why Taylor ultimately chose dates over monk fruit, erythritol, and allulose (spoiler: some turn cookies orange), how she's navigating the challenges of soft-baked cookies in summer heat, and why her legal training makes her cautious about certifications and front-of-pack claims until everything is officially verified.⁠
⁠
Listen to the full episode at the link in bio! ⁠
⁠
#StartupCPG #CPGPodcast #UnicornBites #FounderFeature #DateSweetened

## Stats

- **Views:** 135
- **Likes:** 35
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 6

## Tags

startupcpg, unicornbites, founderfeature, cpgpodcast, datesweetened

---
Copyright (c) Gondola