The Sourmilk co-founders faced a branding dispute weeks before the yogurt startup’s planned Whole Foods launch, when they learned that a new brand’s online identity closely resembled their own. A customer alerted co-founders Kiki Couchman and Elan Halpern to Cupful, whose website, social accounts, branding and packaging appeared nearly identical to Sourmilk’s.
The alert arrived the night before Couchman and Halpern spent the morning discussing how to respond. Their New York City-based company was preparing to expand its Greek yogurt cups into more than 60 Whole Foods locations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. It was also due to enter more than 50 Target stores across the Northeast and Midwest next month, according to Inc.’s account of the dispute.
Cupful, founded by Harvard Kennedy School student Shreya Goyal, did not appear to have a product or distribution, the report said. But its online presentation included arched white bubble lettering on a royal blue background, cow illustrations that appeared to come directly from Sourmilk’s site, and product images and drawings that mirrored posts on the company’s Instagram account.
Sourmilk’s packaging was designed by Charlotte Cooper, and Grace Ann Leadbetter photographed its products. Couchman and Halpern learned that Cupful’s imagery had been generated with artificial intelligence. Sourmilk’s Instagram had nearly 16,000 followers since 2024, while Couchman had 31,000 followers of her own, according to the report.
Couchman posted a video showing side-by-side comparisons of the brands. She said artists had helped bring Sourmilk to life and called it upsetting to see their work used without compensation. More than 500 Sourmilk fans defended the company in the video’s comments within a few hours, with some urging legal action.
Sourmilk Co-Founders Put AI Branding in Focus
Goyal contacted Couchman and apologized, saying she had not known about Sourmilk. Goyal said she asked a large language model to help develop branding for her yogurt company, and that the result resembled Sourmilk. Cupful’s website and social pages were later deleted.
In a comment to Inc., Goyal said imitation was not her intention and that she took corrective action once she realized the similarity. She said she planned to relaunch with branding rooted in Cupful’s promise. Goyal also described AI as a useful way for a founder without an agency budget to fill a branding gap, while acknowledging the tool’s limits.
Couchman said Sourmilk did not want to pursue legal action. Because Goyal planned to launch Cupful in India, Couchman said the founders might not have had recourse. The report did not describe a legal filing or a formal agreement between the companies.
The episode arrived as Sourmilk prepared for a wider retail presence. Its founders’ planned store expansion makes the brand’s physical product a point of distinction, Couchman said, while she worries more about direct-to-consumer companies that lack a shelf presence. The story also connects to broader questions about financing and visibility for founders, including support for women entrepreneurs and capital access for women-led businesses.
Couchman said the company wants to appear when consumers use AI tools to find yogurts for gut health, even as it confronts the risks of a public online footprint. She said she uses AI for operational tasks and drew a distinction between using the technology and what she called “lazy AI.” Related coverage has examined how women-led groups set priorities and expand their reach, including the Hung Yen women entrepreneurs association.
