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Small But Mighty

In this insightful interview, we speak with Élan M. Sudberg, CEO of Alkemist Labs, a trailblazing contract testing laboratory specialising in plant authentication and botanical ingredient identification.

As a specialist provider in the vast food, beverage, nutraceutical, and psychedelic industries, Élan shares his experience of standing up to industry giants, much like David versus Goliath, by championing integrity, rigorous standards, and innovation. With his extensive expertise in phytochemistry and leadership in industry organisations such as the American Herbal Products Association and the Nutrition Industry Association, Élan discusses the challenges and rewards of maintaining high-quality standards while advocating for transparency and best practices in an evolving marketplace.

We explore his insights on navigating a very competitive landscape, balancing the pressures of large-scale industry demands, and the importance of authentic leadership in creating a thriving, purpose-driven company.

We will also learn more about a fascinating world that for many of us sits under our radar.

At Alchemist Labs, our work culture is built on reciprocity, collaboration, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance, even in the face of industry challenges.
– Elan Sudberg

Here are three key takeaways from the show:

Balancing Passion and Quality: Elan emphasises that in a marketplace often dominated by large corporations, the true value lies in maintaining passion and quality, which can sometimes be lost in bigger enterprises.
Holistic Health Approach: Advocating for a natural lifestyle, Elan’s regime includes regular exercise, a balanced diet, and the right supplements, leading to remarkable personal health benefits.
Leadership Values: At Alchemist Labs, the work culture is built on reciprocity, collaboration, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance, even in the face of industry challenges.

Join us for a compelling conversation with a true advocate for integrity and quality in the natural products industry that will inspire you to stand tall when at times you might feel small.

You can listen to the Business Elevation interview with Elan Sudberg here. Alternatively on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Tunein, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio (latter US only).

More about Elan Sudberg:

Élan M. Sudberg is CEO of Alkemist Labs, a passionately committed contract testing laboratory specialising in plant authentication, botanical ingredient identification and quantitative analytical services to the food & beverage, nutraceutical, and psychedelic industries.

He holds a degree in chemistry from California State University Long Beach, and has authored numerous articles on phytochemistry and analytical techniques for the natural products and nutraceutical industry. Elan is on the executive committee of the AHPA board, on the AHPA Education and Research on Botanicals Foundation board, was founding chair of the Cannabis Committee, and now chairs the Psychedelic Plants & Fungi Committee.

Other boards he serves on include the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) and the Nutrition Industry Association (NIA-West). He is a Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry Advisor to the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia.

The industry honours Elan and his company have received include the 2019 NutraIngredients-USA NutraChampion award for advocacy of best testing practices, two TINYawards confirming that the company is creating a healthy, happy work environment and the Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ) award for Efforts on Behalf of Industry in 2022.