Ezie Bee Old Fashioned

Josh Schipkowski

Josh Schipkowski is the founder and chief creative officer of Upstart Food Brands, a St. Louis-based branding agency for startup and emerging food, beverage, pet food, and supplement companies. He spent almost 14 years helping build MarketPlace into one of the country’s leading food marketing agencies before launching Upstart in 2015 to give smaller brands top-agency strategy and creative that make every dollar of their investment count. As CCO, he oversees everything creative and strategic that leaves the agency, from naming, brand strategy, and identity development to packaging and web design and development. At home, he does a self-reported 93.25% of the cooking, usually from scratch, often trying a new technique, and frequently using products from Upstart’s own clients. He also grows hops, grapes, and cider apples for brewing, winemaking, and cider, mostly as an excuse to share great food and drink with friends and family.