In this episode of Gluten-Free Unwrapped, Jenny sits down with Alina Morse, the 20-year-old founder and CEO of Zolli Candy, to unpack how a simple childhood question — “Why can’t candy be good for your teeth?” — sparked a multimillion-dollar, better-for-you candy brand.

Alina takes us behind the scenes of building Zolli from a kitchen-table idea into a nationally recognized company. She shares how she partnered with dentists and food scientists to develop tooth-friendly formulas, what it really took to land shelf space at Whole Foods Market, and what it’s like growing up while running a fast-scaling business.

We also talk about navigating life gluten-free as a kid entrepreneur, how the gluten-free and better-for-you food space has evolved, and the expansion of Zolli beyond lollipops into fan favorites like Zaffi Taffi, Gum Pops, and more.

Plus, we wrap with rapid-fire questions covering favorite products, biggest lessons learned, advice for young founders, and what’s next for Alina and Zolli.

If you love founder stories, CPG entrepreneurship, or inspiring examples of purpose-driven business, this episode is one you won’t want to miss.

Connect with Alina and Zolli Candy

Website: https://zollipops.com/

Instagram: @zollicandy

Facebook: @ZolliCandy

Tiktok: @zollicandy

Connect with Jenny Finke (host)

Follow Love Me Gluten Free on Instagram (@lovemeglutenfree) and Facebook (@lovemeglutenfreebox).

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Order a Love Me Gluten Free subscription box at lovemeglutenfree.com

Chapters

00:02 — Meet Alina + the idea that started it all

04:16 — Building tooth-friendly candy (ingredients, partners, taste tests)

06:57 — Gluten-free + allergen-friendly life and why it matters

16:55 — The retail breakthrough: pitching Whole Foods Market and scaling the brand

40:15 — Expanding the lineup: taffies, sour pops, and more

52:38 — Rapid fire + where to buy Zolli