Editor’s note: The following profile is from the 2025 Packer 25, our annual tribute to 25 leaders, innovators and agents of change across the fresh produce supply chain. (You can view all honorees here.) This feature has been edited for length and clarity.
John Cymbal — Co-founder and chief marketing officer, Molly’s Grape & Citrus Co.
There’s a colorful and flavorful revolution afoot in the grape category and John Cymbal, co-founder and chief marketing officer for the Molly Pop Grapes brand, is leading the charge. With the belief that the world should crave grapes the way they do a box of chocolates, Cymbal is bringing Molly Pop Grapes’ message of fun and flavor to the masses.
Describe Molly Pop Grapes’ mission of change and why it’s important to the grape category and the fresh produce industry.
We’re here to sweeten the world — not with processed sugar wrapped in shiny packaging, but with something real, bright, and unapologetically natural: grapes.
Too often, produce is treated like a background act, the thing you buy out of obligation. Grapes deserve better. They’re nature’s candy — portable, craveable and packed with flavor ... and when you take the time to curate the very best, they are unforgettable.
That’s our mission: to make grapes the go-to alternative to junk and to remind people that indulgence doesn’t have to come from a bowl of ice cream or a box of chocolates.
From our “Pink Bag Promise” — delivering consistently premium grapes — to the world’s first-ever grape cider, we’re pushing boundaries. We’re not just selling fruit; we’re reshaping how the category is seen, experienced and celebrated. Every move we make is about driving consideration, introducing grapes in bold, unexpected ways, and creating moments that matter for both consumers, retailers, and the fresh produce industry.
Because if we can get the world to crave grapes the way they crave candy, soda or fast food? That’s real change. And it starts one “Molly Good” bite at a time.
Anyone who has engaged with you at an industry trade show knows you bring an authenticity and enthusiasm that few can rival. What drives you in your business and the fresh produce industry at large?
What drives me? Honestly, seeing people light up when they taste something real. Grapes that crunch like candy. Molly goodness that actually makes you stop and say, “damn, that’s good.”
Produce should be unforgettable, but too often it gets treated like filler. That’s what fuels me: the fight to put flavor back in the spotlight, to remind the world that produce isn’t just good for you, it’s craveable. I want to change how people snack, shop and think about grapes, because if I can get someone to reach for grapes instead of junk, even once, that’s impact. That’s what keeps me charging into every show like it’s game day.
Molly Pop Grapes’ is such a fun, colorful and disruptive brand. What’s the backstory there, and what drives your continued evolution and innovation?
Molly Pop started with a simple idea: create a brand that mirrors our incredibly unexpected flavors. They can be bold, bright, cheeky and disruptive. The pink bag? That wasn’t an accident; it was a line in the sand. We wanted to stand out, to make grapes feel like something you sought out and wanted to buy, not just something you tossed in the cart out of habit.
From there, it’s been about pushing limits — asking “why not?” when the category says, “we can’t.” Why not make grapes the hero of the produce aisle? Why not launch the world’s first grape cider? Why not play in juice, citrus or whatever gets us closer to our mission of making produce un-ignorable? That restless energy, that drive to surprise people — that’s what keeps our entire team chomping at the bit for innovative solutions.
Outside of fresh produce, where’s your happy place and why?
That one’s easy: waist-deep in a trout stream, fly rod in hand, water rushing around me. No buzz of trade shows, no grocery aisle fluorescent lights — just the rhythm of the river and the orchestral work of coaxing a fish to rise.
That’s where I reset, where I feel alive. It’s raw, it’s honest, and it feeds me the same way produce does — by reminding me what’s real and what’s worth protecting. Whether I’m chasing trout or chasing the next big idea for Molly Pop, it’s all about flow, patience and the thrill when something finally bites.
