Katina Mountanos is the Founder and CEO of Kosterina
Katina Mountanos is the Founder and CEO of Kosterina, a wellness and lifestyle brand built around ultra high-antioxidant, early harvest,extra virgin olive oil from Southern Greece an authentic embodiment of Mediterranean wellness. With a focus on superior quality, transparency, and heritage, Kosterina blends food and beauty through its clean, antioxidant-rich products.
- Early Life and Education
- Career Path to Entrepreneurship
- From Passion to Purpose: Why Kosterina Began
- Brand Philosophy: Authenticity and Expansion
- Overcoming Early Challenges
- Product Recognition and Market Reach
- Personal Motivation: Heritage Meets Wellness
- Looking Forward: Sustaining a Mediterranean Legacy
Early Life and Education
Katina Mountanos grew up in a Greek-American family on Long Island, frequently spending summers in her father’s hometown of Koroni in Southern Greece. These experiences rooted her in the Mediterranean tradition of olive oil centred living where the smell of the sea, the salt air, and the taste of fresh olive oil defined childhood memories.
Educationally, she earned a B.S. in Economics and Finance from NYU’s Stern School of Business and later received her MBA from Harvard Business School.
Career Path to Entrepreneurship
Katina Mountanos began their career in 2002 as an Analyst and Associate in Citigroup’s Corporate & Investment Bank. In 2008, they moved to L’Oreal S.A. as a Marketing Manager, where they managed new brand innovation for large scale hair care launches, where she honed brand innovation skills. In 2010, she entered the e-commerce space at Quidsi/Amazon, launching and managing BeautyBar.com, which cemented her entrepreneurial spirit.
She co-founded Manicube in 2012, later acquired by Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door Spa in 2015, and briefly led operations at Jet.com prior to its Walmart acquisition. At Walmart, she spearheaded an internal incubation group, launching brands like Allswell and Glow Habit.
From Passion to Purpose: Why Kosterina Began
Katina launched Kosterina in 2016 as a side-project after noticing that most U.S. supermarket olive oils didn’t resemble her family’s rich, flavorful oil from Greece. Ever the perfectionist, she became an olive-oil sommelier and learned that most U.S. “extra virgin” oils were mislabeled, often lacking essential antioxidants called polyphenols.
Her original product was an early-harvest, high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil made from Koroneiki olives sourced from her native Southern Greece designed to deliver both taste and wellness benefits.
Brand Philosophy: Authenticity and Expansion
Kosterina is rooted in authenticity, transparency, and heritage with a mission to reinvent olive oil across unexpected categories.Its hero product the high-antioxidant extra virgin olive oil serves as the brand’s emotional and strategic core. From there, Katina introduced flavored olive oils, balsamic vinegars, dark chocolate with olive oil, and skincare, all emphasizing wellness through simplicity.
Overcoming Early Challenges
Kosterina’s journey wasn’t without milestones. Launching just before COVID in early 2020 brought supply chain headaches and packaging challenges especially shipping heavy glass bottles, which initially broke 10% of the time. By redesigning packaging, the breakage rate fell below 0.5%.
Katina’s commitment to quality helped win Whole Foods’ interest, and even during pandemic disruptions, she pivoted aggressively toward direct-to-consumer channels, strengthening digital strategies.
Product Recognition and Market Reach
Under Katina’s leadership, Kosterina has been widely featured and celebrated: in outlets like The New York Times, Vogue, Bon Appetit, SELF, Men’s Health, and more. The brand’s products are now available at Whole Foods, Target, Crate & Barrel, HSN, and their own website.
It has also earned acclaim from awards such as the New York International Olive Oil Competition, reflecting both taste and wellness credentials.
Personal Motivation: Heritage Meets Wellness
Katina’s personal journey especially motherhood deepened her commitment to wellness. She recognized that what you put on your body counts just as much as what you put in it, motivating Kosterina’s expansion into skincare and deodorant lines.
Skincare offerings began in November 2021 with “Extra Virgin Hydrating Face Oil” and “Oil Balm,” followed by a clean “Extra Virgin Deodorant” in early 2022.
Looking Forward: Sustaining a Mediterranean Legacy
Katina remains committed to growing Kosterina while preserving its authenticity. Inspired by “Blue Zone” living communities known for longevity and wellness her goal is to translate everyday Mediterranean habits into American homes through thoughtfully crafted, healthy products.
