In this inaugural episode of the TeddyTalk Podcast, I sat down with my long time friend Hass to talk about the early days of the natural foods movement, how he went from a commune-living hippie to venture capitalist, and being a board member of Whole Foods when it was sold to Amazon last year.  S.M. “Hass” Hassan was the co-founder, President and CEO of Alfalfa’s Markets, President of Wild Oats Marketplace, and, subsequently, the founder and Executive Chairman of Fresh & Wild, the U.K.’s leading retailer of organic foods, which sold to Whole Foods Markets. His experience in the natural products industry encompasses both the U.S. and European markets. During his career, he has received numerous awards and industry recognition, including the Natural Foods Industry Pioneer, Chain Store Retail Executive of the Year, Boulder Entrepreneur of the Year and Ernst & Young’s National Entrepreneur of the Year awards.