While countless food startups fail, Neal McTighe has enjoyed exponential growth of his pasta sauce company since he started making the product in his Raleigh kitchen in 2010. It’s a premium line sold by several regional and national markets in the Southeast, including Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Kroger and Earth Fare. Southern Living magazine named the Pomodoro sauce Best Tomato Sauce in 2016.

But last summer, after building a loyal following for his brand, McTighe was threatened with a trademark lawsuit that forced him to change the name of his signature product, Nello’s Sauce, to Nellino’s Sauce.