From New Rochelle to New Mexico and back again, Leah Messina has woven a life that’s rooted in food, family, and the quiet thrill of building something from scratch. A digital agency founder, serial entrepreneur, and advisor to countless start-ups, she has spent two decades helping others bring their ideas to market.
Now, with Recipe to Revenue, she turns her attention to the dishes that define our communities—those signature creations that deserve to exist beyond the confines of a menu. We caught up with her to talk about origins, opportunities, and the art of turning taste into new revenue streams.
To start things off—tell us about yourself! Where are you from? Any fun facts we should know?
I’m originally from New Rochelle, but I spent 14 years living in New Mexico before landing back in New York. We still have family and an office in New Mexico, so we split time between both giving us the best of both worlds, culturally, and culinarily.
Food has always been a part of my life. My great-grandfather imported produce, my grandfather owned restaurants, and my dad works in finance for the food and beverage world. I’ve continued the tradition in my own way.
For the past 20 years, I’ve been running my digital agency, Sinuate Media, where I help businesses grow across food and beverage, tech, tourism, and more.
I have always had an entrepreneurial streak. Over the years, I’ve helped launch an online entertainment magazine, a gourmet chocolate business, and a ramen restaurant. I once developed and taught a university course called E-Commerce for Art Students, and I advise startups on how to build their brands and get to market. I love building things from the ground up—it’s where strategy meets creativity.
My husband and I have four kids between us, so our household is lively and always hungry! They definitely keep us on our toes (and creative when it comes to finding meals everyone agrees on).
What inspired you to launch Recipe to Revenue?
After working with a lot of restaurants on their marketing, I kept seeing the same thing. So many had incredible dishes that people couldn’t stop talking about, but there was no clear path to take those dishes beyond the restaurant. Then after COVID, it became even more obvious how fragile the industry was. Restaurants were hit hard, and now they’re dealing with rising costs, changing consumer habits, and tipping fatigue.
Recipe to Revenue was born to solve that: turning signature dishes into consumer-packaged products and new revenue streams through ecommerce. It’s part marketing studio, part growth engine. I started Recipe to Revenue because I wanted to help restaurants create new, more sustainable ways to grow.
For me, it’s about more than business. Restaurants are where we go to celebrate, connect, and share everyday moments. They’re a huge part of our communities, and we need them to stick around. Helping them thrive in a new way just made sense.
What’s one restaurant dish you wish you could buy in a box or jar?
There is a taco restaurant in Las Cruces, New Mexico call El Vagon that has the world’s best birria ramen (see above). If I could find a way to get that overnighted to me and still taste just as good, this is where all my extra money would go.
What’s the most surprising thing restaurant owners learn during the Brand-to-Box Assessment?
That they’re sitting on a huge opportunity. Most don’t realize how valuable their signature dish really is until we walk through the market potential, branding possibilities, and sales channels. Their “local favorite” could easily become a national bestseller—they just haven’t packaged it yet. Of course, it does take planning and prep work to make it happen, but that’s exactly where we come in. We help guide them through the process step by step.
What do you look for when evaluating whether a dish or product is ready for the market?
Three things: craveability (would someone buy this more than once?), scalability (can it be made consistently and shipped?), and brand story (is there a compelling “why” behind the product?). If all three align, we’ve got a great opportunity we should jump on.
But just as important is evaluating the structure of the business itself. Do they have someone on the team who can take the lead internally? Can they commit the time to work with us through the process? Are they able to make timely decisions—because sitting on something like a label design for six months will kill momentum. And of course, do they have the resources to fund the launch? Passion is essential, but so is readiness.
What’s your favorite part of working with chefs and food entrepreneurs?
Their creativity and grit. Every chef I’ve worked with has a unique way of expressing themselves through food, and watching that translate into a tangible product that grows their business never gets old. They want to create an experience and that’s where we align—marketing their story is part of the experience.
When you’re not helping businesses grow, where can we find you—favorite local spot, hobby, or weekend ritual?
We spent a lot of time outdoors in New Mexico so readjusting to the winter in New York was tough. But now that the weather is warmer, we’ve been out exploring parks and trails. We recently walked the Sing Sing Kill Greenway in Ossining (above), which was very cool. We made a stop at the nearby brewery after.
If we’re not in nature, our kids love exploring the city so we’ll go down and walk around SoHo, Greenwich Village, or wherever the day takes us.
If you could launch your own packaged product, what would it be and why?
This is an ongoing conversation in my family, especially between me and my brother! We dabbled with testing out some hot sauces and he makes his own tomato sauce but considering ways to incorporate some lesser known dishes from our Sicilian heritage into a packaged good. The trick is finding something that’s not to saturated in the market and where we can bring a unique story and angle. More to come on this!
You’re a marketing pro—what’s your go-to guilty pleasure brand that totally wins you over every time?
It is so hard to pick just one. The people behind’s Liquid Death brand are marketing geniuses. Duolingo has created a clever personality with their owl mascot and have pulled some impressive marketing stunts. But for me personally, my guilty pleasure is Sézane. Their clothes are beautiful. But back to experience—when you get something in the mail from them, you feel like you are getting this perfectly wrapped gift straight from Paris. It is gorgeous.
—
Members—there’s so many more people to meet. Look for them on the HudCo app.
Also meet:
• Linda Eder of TaSH Farmers Market
• Jessica Blankenship of StarChild
• Acupuncturist Elizabeth Roper