# From Kitchen Startup to National Brand: How Lewis Goldstein Is Betting Big on Buckwheat Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/gluten-free-unwrapped-7352192/from-kitchen-startup-to-national-brand-how-lewis-goldstein-is-betting-big-on-buckwheat Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/gluten-free-unwrapped-7352192/from-kitchen-startup-to-national-brand-how-lewis-goldstein-is-betting-big-on-buckwheat.md Podcast: [Gluten Free Unwrapped](https://stenobird.com/podcast/gluten-free-unwrapped-7352192) Published: 2026-03-11T06:01:00+00:00 Episode link: https://rss.com/podcasts/glutenfreeunwrapped/2614749 Audio file: https://content.rss.com/episodes/331411/2614749/glutenfreeunwrapped/2026_03_10_02_18_14_d161eebf-92cf-46db-8b98-1a071c247972.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/gluten-free-unwrapped-7352192/episodes/from-kitchen-startup-to-national-brand-how-lewis-goldstein-is-betting-big-on-buckwheat Duration seconds: 3030 ## Resource On this episode of Gluten-Free Unwrapped , I chat with Lewis Goldstein, CEO of Maine Crisps and Better with Buckwheat, to talk about what it takes to scale a small, mission-driven CPG brand. Lewis joined Maine Crisps in 2022 with a bold goal: to transform a beloved mom-and-pop gluten-free cracker brand into a nationally recognized company built around the power of buckwheat. Since then, the brand has seen impressive growth, expanded into major retailers, and continued to highlight buckwheat as a nutritious, naturally gluten-free superfood. In our conversation, Lewis shares how founder Karen Getz first created Maine Crisps in her kitchen. We talk about how the company evolved from a small regional brand into a fast-growing national business. Lewis also explains why buckwheat deserves more attention, from its status as a complete protein to its naturally gluten- and grain-free nutrition profile, and how sourcing Maine-grown buckwheat supports regenerative agriculture and sustainable farming practices. We also dive into the realities of scaling a food company: navigating distribution and balancing growth with the integrity of a clean-ingredient brand. In this episode, we discuss: The origin story behind Maine Crisps and founder, Karen Getz Lewis's backstory and how his experiences have shaped the company he now runs Why buckwheat is one of the most underrated gluten-free superfoods How Lewis helped grow Maine Crisps into a nationally recognized brand Lewis’s advice for founders building mission-driven food brands Connect with Lewis and Maine Crisps Website: mainecrisp.com Instagram: @mainecrisp Facebook: @mainecrisp LinkedIn: @Maine Crisp Co. Connect with Jenny Finke (host) Follow Love Me Gluten Free on Instagram (@lovemeglutenfree) and Facebook (@lovemeglutenfreebox) . F… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/gluten-free-unwrapped-7352192/episodes/from-kitchen-startup-to-national-brand-how-lewis-goldstein-is-betting-big-on-buckwheat/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/gluten-free-unwrapped-7352192/from-kitchen-startup-to-national-brand-how-lewis-goldstein-is-betting-big-on-buckwheat.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.