Katina Mountanos is the founder & CEO of Kosterina, a wellness brand built around high-antioxidant early-harvest extra virgin olive oil and Mediterranean living. After corporate roles that included investment banking, leadership at e-commerce and beauty brands, and co-founding the beauty startup Manicube (later acquired), Katina launched Kosterina in 2020 from a place of passion and authenticity.
She explains how growing up in Southern Greece instilled her love for rich, clean olive oils; how becoming an olive oil sommelier deepened her understanding of polyphenols; and why she treats quality—right from harvest through shipping—as non-negotiable.
In this episode of FOMO Sapiens, Katina unpacks the challenge of scaling with integrity: balancing retail and direct-to-consumer, designing packaging that preserves authenticity, and being decisive while staying open to feedback. Ideal for listeners who want entrepreneurship rooted in wellness, quality, and culture.
Katerina (Katina) Mountanos is the Founder & CEO of Kosterina — a wellness brand centered around high antioxidant extra virgin olive oil and more broadly, the Mediterranean lifestyle. Kosterina offers a full line of EVOO, vinegars, olives, and an EVOO-based skincare line. Katina is also a trained olive oil sommelier and Mediterranean diet expert. The brand offers a full line of EVOO, vinegars, olives, and skincare and is currently sold at major retailers like Whole Foods and Target.
Before launching Kosterina, Katina was both a serial entrepreneur and retail exec at places like Amazon, Walmart, Jet, and Elizabeth Arden. She began in career in investment banking, studied at NYU and Harvard Business School, and now lives in New York with her husband, 3 young children, and a lifetime supply of Greek EVOO.
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