Eric Larson, Founder and Managing Partner of Tilia Holdings, joins Laurette Rondenet on Owning Your Legacy to explore how food systems innovation, sustainable investing, and industry collaboration can drive measurable change for human health, climate action, and business growth. With decades of experience in private equity and a deep commitment to sustainability, Eric shares how aligning food, health, and environmental stewardship can create powerful ripple effects across the global economy.

In this episode, Eric details how his “Three Ps” philosophy—public health, personal health, and planetary health—guides Tilia’s investments in the food supply chain, positioning the firm as a leader in the “to” of farm-to-table. From launching the Tilia Innovation Collaboratory to driving ESG accountability within portfolio companies, Eric explains how collaboration and practical idealism can transform the food industry while delivering financial returns and leaving a lasting legacy.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

✅ Why food is the single strongest lever for human and planetary health

✅ How Tilia invests in the “to” of farm-to-table

✅ The role of collaboration in transforming food systems

✅ How data and strategy build successful portfolio companies

✅ Insights on sustainability, food safety, and nutrition in the supply chain

✅ The power of practical idealism in business leadership

✅ How morning rituals and lifelong curiosity fuel legacy building

✅ Why food industry innovation matters for future generations

Whether you care about sustainable investing, food innovation, ESG, or building your legacy through industry transformation, this conversation will inspire you to see food as a tool for systemic change.

👉 Learn more about Tilia Holdings: https://tiliallc.com

🔗 Connect with Eric Larson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-larson-38595b3/

🌐 Learn more about Laurette Rondenet and Owning Your Legacy: https://www.lauretterondenet.com

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com.

Natalie Shmulik transformed her passion for food into a mission-driven career helping hundreds of founders grow their food and beverage businesses. In this episode of Owning Your Legacy, Natalie takes us behind the scenes of The Hatchery—Chicago’s premier food incubator—and shares her journey from running a franchise restaurant in Canada to building one of the nation’s most impactful entrepreneurial ecosystems.

You’ll hear how she created programs that not only support product innovation but also champion founder mental health, community development, and legacy-building. From navigating burnout to redesigning what it means to lead with heart, Natalie is the kind of change-maker who makes you want to roll up your sleeves and build something real.

🎙 In this episode:

✅ How Natalie’s restaurant experience led her to build a national food incubator

✅ Why founder burnout is real—and how to protect your energy as you scale

✅ The difference between managing and leading (and why it matters)

✅ Building equity in underserved communities through food entrepreneurship

✅ What big food brands are learning from local startups

👉 Learn more about The Hatchery: https://www.thehatcherychicago.org

🔗 Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-shmulik-1432313b/

🌐 Discover more from Laurette Rondenet and Owning Your Legacy: https://www.lauretterondenet.com

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com.

Margaret Mueller, CEO of The Executives’ Club of Chicago, turned a 110-year-old institution into a modern hub for business leadership. In this episode of Owning Your Legacy, Margaret shares her unlikely journey from first-generation college student to founder, strategist, and now a transformational civic leader helping shape Chicago’s executive future.

Her story is packed with insight—for women navigating leadership, for founders facing reinvention, and for anyone wondering if they’re “qualified enough” to lead big change. From scaling startups to modernizing The Executives’ Club of Chicago through a pandemic, Margaret shows what’s possible when you trust your vision and build with purpose.

🎙 In this episode:

✅ How Margaret went from Ph.D. to CEO of a major civic institution

✅ What it takes to rebrand a legacy organization during a crisis

✅ Why inclusivity—not exclusivity—is the future of executive networking

✅ The mindset shift of curating your life (not “balancing” it)

✅ Advice for women raising families while leading at the top

👉 Visit https://www.executivesclub.org to learn more or explore membership options.

🔗 Connect with Margaret on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretmueller/

Video & Photo credits to:

@rishi.productions

@gosiasimprint

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com.