Yaza

After moving to the U.S. from Lebanon in 2020, Karim Khalil noticed that labneh on American shelves didn't resemble the traditional version he grew up with. Drawing on his background in engineering and global operations, he founded Yaza to bring authentic, thoughtfully redefined Mediterranean foods to the market.

Yaza provides the cleanest labneh by using centuries-old straining methods instead of milk powders or thickeners. In this episode, we discuss Yaza’s massive January 2026 rebrand and how Karim leveraged two years of customer feedback to transform an early-stage startup into a brand built for long-term household recognition.

Inside the Episode:

• How Karim’s move from Lebanon and his diverse business experience across Africa shaped his vision for a culturally resonant food brand.

• The operational strategy and grit required to take a traditional staple from a local startup to nationwide distribution in over 2,000 doors.

• A look inside Yaza’s full brand rebrand and how Karim leveraged two years of consumer insights to prepare for national scale.

This podcast episode was made possible by glimpse

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