Industry Buzz

20 BIPOC Food & Beverage Brands to Know in 2022

We are highlighting some BIPOC members of our food-preneur community who are bringing joy, tradition, personal experiences and cultural perspectives to the emerging food brand arena.

20 BIPOC Food & Beverage Brands to Know in 2022

As we enter a new year and continue to cycle through the Greek alphabet of variants, there is a move towards intentions instead of resolutions, joyful eating instead of dieting, and embracing and building community over individual improvement. In this spirit, we are highlighting some BIPOC members of our food-preneur community who are bringing joy, tradition, personal experiences and cultural perspectives to the emerging food brand arena. Bolster your new year with brands that are addressing dietary restrictions with pizazz, expanding your cooking repertoire, or inviting you to join in on sensory traditions from across the globe.


  1. UNiTE Food

Founder: Clara Paye

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Clara Paye launched UNiTE Food to deliver diversity to the nutrition bar market with globally-inspired, gluten-free, and plant-based protein bars. 

  1. Saucy Lips Foods

Founders:  Gabriela, Natalia and Jess Dalton

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram 

Saucy Lips Foods is a line of sauces created by Natalia and Jess’s mother Gabriela. After moving from the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico to Miami, the plan was never for the Dalton’s to launch a national product line but the uniqueness of Gabriela’s clean line of sauces made with authentic Mexican recipes in the market could not be ignored. From farmer’s markets to your local retailer, Saucy Lips offers cooking sauces, marinades, dressings, hot sauces and will soon include a new line of tortilla chips. Stock up for your next fiesta! Check out our interview with Natalia here.

  1. Berry Bissap

Founder: Akua Nettey

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram 

By launching Berry Bissap, Akua Nettey brings to the market a sweet/tart spiced West African hibiscus tea. Growing up in Oklahoma, Akua learned about Ghanian cuisine in her kitchen. Her parents had immigrated from Ghana and were committed to celebrating the culture with Akua and her siblings, in particular, the bright ingredients, traditional dishes, and rich flavors of the cuisine. From these roots, Akua has ushered in the flavors of West Africa with Berry Bissap, currently available in Whole Foods and other markets in the New York City area and Erewhon Market in LA. 

  1. Unrestricted Foods 

Founder: Dianna King 

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram 

A history of cancer in Dianna King’s family led her to switch to an all-vegan diet and inspired her launch of Unrestricted Foods so that others could adopt a plant-based lifestyle and not feel “restricted.” Unrestricted Foods offers cheese sauces and mac and cheese that tastes like authentic cheddar cheese 

  1. Jack & Friends 

Founder: Jessica Kwong, 

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram 

Jessica Kwong founded Jack & Friends shortly (like minutes!) after completing her bachelor’s degree from Cornell in food science in 2018. Less than a year later, Jack & Friends’ launched its signature plant-based jerky. Combining the vegan superfood jackfruit with perfectly paired “friends”, Jack & Friends jerky is tasty and sustainable. 

  1. Karma Nuts

Founder: Ganesh Nair

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram 

Ganesh Nair comes from the cashew capitol of India (Kollam) and a deep family history in the cashew industry. In founding Karma Nuts, Ganesh pairs this legacy with his background in health science and diabetes care to bring a nutritionally dense product to a market in dire need of healthy snacks. Instead of the oil fried cashews most commonly seen on shelves, Karma Nuts are processed so that the shell is edible, providing a crunch and a significant uptick in nutrition than your typical cashew.  

  1. LOKI Enhanced Seltzer

Founder: Harji Singh

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Harji Singh launched LOKI Enhanced Seltzer with a decade of creative branding experience under his belt, including Azai Studios, his own creative agency. With his extensive and broad experience in branding, Harji launched LOKI with a clear strategy and brand to apples to even non-cannabis users. The first to coin “enhanced seltzer”, LOKI is an alternative to alcohol without the hangover.  Get the Foodboro interview with Harji here.

8. Luvspun Floss

Founder: Therese Dozier

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Therese Dozier, a self-described Autism-MOM, has reintroduced cotton candy, only this time it’s vegan, gluten-free and made with raw organic sugar. With 200 flavors, Luvspun offers nostalgia that aligns with modern healthy living. Perhaps most impressive is the mission behind the company. Luvspun is committed to increasing autism awareness specifically through a workforce development program for youth with autism. With this program, Therese and Luvspun have created a repeatable work model for youth on the autism spectrum that will provide opportunities to learn job skills, earn a wage, and gain confidence. Sweet and impactful!


  1. 8 Myles

Founder: Myles Powell

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Myles Powell sure of his path when he earned his civil engineering degree at the University of Delaware. But his love of food and his minor in business led him to a new path- the best frozen mac and cheese out there. Starting off perfecting sauces, Myles soon entered the prepared foods market. 8 Myles mac and cheese is now in over 300 stores and growing, offering convenience without compromising on quality of ingredients or comfort. Check out the store locator on their website to find where you can purchase the classic version or go for the unique BBQ and buffalo options. 

  1. Hillside Harvest Hot Sauce

Founder: Kamaal Jarrett

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

As a child, Kamaal Jarrett was hooked on food, watching PBS cooking shows and helping his aunt in her bakery and Caribbean restaurant. His line of hot sauces and marinades are inspired by his place of birth, Kingston Jamaica. Kamaal uses scotch bonnet peppers and an array of spices to bring these warming products to cold New England. Last year, Hillside Harvest was named as the official hot sauce provider of the Boston Red Sox, high accolades in that part of the country! 

  1. The Salty Heifer Co.

Founder: Iesha Williams

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Sometimes a left turn in life turns out to be the correct one! Lesha credits the ending of a relationship for the propulsion towards a career change and applying to culinary school in her mid-30s. After school and years of experience in the pastry and savory kitchens of high-end restaurants, Lesha set out on her own with her perfected OG cookie recipes. From macaroons, to red velvet cake, pecan pie, banana foster, her creations must be sampled. What’s with the name? She credits the multiple meanings salty has in the south and the Caribbean, the cultures she was raised in. Salty means savory AND attitude. Heifer is an affectionate term for children in the Caribbean AND refers to the milk of heifers, which is considered the sweetest cream and butter because helifers haven’t birthed a calf yet. Get our interview with Iesha here.

  1. Grit Superfoods

Founder: Jabari Martin

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

With a background in designing user experience in tech, as a dietitian and in personal training, it’s not surprising that Jabari Martin developed Grit protein bites, delicious and packed with ingredients designed to improve human performance.

  1. The Qi

Founder: Lisa Li

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

“Qi” means life energy or life force and for Lisa Li, it is the answer to finding work-life balance. Lisa’s line of organic whole flower teas was inspired by a trip to the Yunnan Province of China and the rose tea the locals there regularly enjoy. Lisa, who grew up in the northeast of Beijing, embarked on this trip after experiencing burn out from over ten years in the fashion industry. She was struck by the sensory experience and holistic wellness of the teas and decided to launch The Qi, to bring the quiet moments of wonder and joy offered by the teas to more people. The Qi is not your average tea with organic and hand picked flowers sourced from family-owned farms across Asia. Give it a try and have a truly unique experience. 

  1. Pan’s Mushroom Jerky

Founder: Michael Pan 

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Pan’s Mushroom Jerky is a Shark Tank success story that started in 2008 when Michael Pan visited family in Malaysia and was offered a meaty jerky-like snack. For the next ten years, Michael moonlighted his way to perfecting the recipe and building the brand. The jerky is made of shiitake mushrooms, which as it turns out, are an excellent meat replacement. With a smokey flavor and a fibrous meat-like texture, Pan’s Mushroom Jerky is a healthy snack available across the country. 

  1. River City Flame

Founder: Paula Horne

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Paula Horne’s line of rubs and hot sauces hail from Richmond, Virginia (the River City!). To create the depth of flavor and unique tastes of River City Flame products, Paula sources locally grown ingredients including the jalapeno and habanero peppers. Paula shifted her focus from real estate to sauces and rubs after a shift in the real estate market and she decided to turn her hobby of playing with hot sauces into River City Flames. Visit her website to purchase and to peruse some excellent recipes. 

  1. The Really Nice Sauce Co.

Founder: Terry Gatewood

Website, Instagram

Chef Terry Gatewood and Julie Gatewood launched the Really Nice Sauce Co., capitalizing on Terry’s extensive restaurant and private catering experience and Julie’s background in design and NGO, to create a superior product that gives back to those in need. A portion of every sale is donated to Food Banks Canada to help end food insecurity. The St. Louis style BBQ sauce is tangy, sweet, vegan, gluten free, certified organic and can be used as a sauce, marinade, or a dip. 

  1. Partake Foods

Founder: Dianne Woodward

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Dianne Woodward created Partake Foods after finding few options for snacks that she could give to her daughter who was diagnosed with severe food allergies as an infant. Parktake foods offers a variety of cookies, either crunchy or soft, in flavors like ginger snaps, carrot cake, double chocolate, pumpkin spice, etc. You can join a subscription, order a variety pack, or purchase baking kits for a more DIY experience. All Partake Foods products are free of peanuts, eggs, dairy, soy, tree nuts, sesame, artificial flavors, gmos, and preservatives. Beyond creating healthy and allergy-friendly options for kids, Denise has created a mentorship program for anyone enrolled in a historical black college and seeking a career in the food industry, the program is called Black Futures in Food & Beverage. 

  1. Omsom

Founders: Vanessa and Kim Pham

LinkedIn, LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Vanessa and Kim Pham are the daughters of Vietnamese refugees and grew up in the love language of food. They launched Omsom with the goal of maintaining traditions from across Asian cultures in a modern way. Omsom offers starter packets, the history, and recipes for dishes like Korean Spicy Bulgogi, Vietnamese Lemongrass BBQ, Thai Krapow, and more. Vanessa and Kim have created a vehicle for engagement and a deeper understanding of the cultures behind these dishes. Perfect for all those who speak the love language of food. 

  1. Fly By Jing

Founder: Jing Gao

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Jing Gao launched Fly By Jing to celebrate the flavors of her native Sichuan Province of China. Named ‘Fly’ because of the common term for popular dive-y restaurants in Chengdu that “attract people like flies” and “By Jing” to signify the deeply personal recipe, vision and story of the founder. Fly By Jing has a range of products that will warm you in the cold winter months and thrill you in the range of flavors. 

  1. Moonshot Snacks

Julia Collins

Forbes Profile, Website, Instagram

Julia Collins’ Moonshine Snacks are tasty crackers that are climate-friendly. This isn’t a case of using marketing to greenwash a product’s impact, Moonshine Snack’s website breaks down every aspect of production and shipping, providing transparency and accountability. Moonshot, with clarity around the organic ingredients, every step of the supply chain, and the support provided to farmers who are practicing regenerative agriculture practices used and more, is leading the way in true climate-friendly products. 

As we enter a new year and continue to cycle through the Greek alphabet of variants, there is a move towards intentions instead of resolutions, joyful eating instead of dieting, and embracing and building community over individual improvement. In this spirit, we are highlighting some BIPOC members of our food-preneur community who are bringing joy, tradition, personal experiences and cultural perspectives to the emerging food brand arena. Bolster your new year with brands that are addressing dietary restrictions with pizazz, expanding your cooking repertoire, or inviting you to join in on sensory traditions from across the globe.


  1. UNiTE Food

Founder: Clara Paye

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Clara Paye launched UNiTE Food to deliver diversity to the nutrition bar market with globally-inspired, gluten-free, and plant-based protein bars. 

  1. Saucy Lips Foods

Founders:  Gabriela, Natalia and Jess Dalton

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram 

Saucy Lips Foods is a line of sauces created by Natalia and Jess’s mother Gabriela. After moving from the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico to Miami, the plan was never for the Dalton’s to launch a national product line but the uniqueness of Gabriela’s clean line of sauces made with authentic Mexican recipes in the market could not be ignored. From farmer’s markets to your local retailer, Saucy Lips offers cooking sauces, marinades, dressings, hot sauces and will soon include a new line of tortilla chips. Stock up for your next fiesta! Check out our interview with Natalia here.

  1. Berry Bissap

Founder: Akua Nettey

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram 

By launching Berry Bissap, Akua Nettey brings to the market a sweet/tart spiced West African hibiscus tea. Growing up in Oklahoma, Akua learned about Ghanian cuisine in her kitchen. Her parents had immigrated from Ghana and were committed to celebrating the culture with Akua and her siblings, in particular, the bright ingredients, traditional dishes, and rich flavors of the cuisine. From these roots, Akua has ushered in the flavors of West Africa with Berry Bissap, currently available in Whole Foods and other markets in the New York City area and Erewhon Market in LA. 

  1. Unrestricted Foods 

Founder: Dianna King 

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram 

A history of cancer in Dianna King’s family led her to switch to an all-vegan diet and inspired her launch of Unrestricted Foods so that others could adopt a plant-based lifestyle and not feel “restricted.” Unrestricted Foods offers cheese sauces and mac and cheese that tastes like authentic cheddar cheese 

  1. Jack & Friends 

Founder: Jessica Kwong, 

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram 

Jessica Kwong founded Jack & Friends shortly (like minutes!) after completing her bachelor’s degree from Cornell in food science in 2018. Less than a year later, Jack & Friends’ launched its signature plant-based jerky. Combining the vegan superfood jackfruit with perfectly paired “friends”, Jack & Friends jerky is tasty and sustainable. 

  1. Karma Nuts

Founder: Ganesh Nair

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram 

Ganesh Nair comes from the cashew capitol of India (Kollam) and a deep family history in the cashew industry. In founding Karma Nuts, Ganesh pairs this legacy with his background in health science and diabetes care to bring a nutritionally dense product to a market in dire need of healthy snacks. Instead of the oil fried cashews most commonly seen on shelves, Karma Nuts are processed so that the shell is edible, providing a crunch and a significant uptick in nutrition than your typical cashew.  

  1. LOKI Enhanced Seltzer

Founder: Harji Singh

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Harji Singh launched LOKI Enhanced Seltzer with a decade of creative branding experience under his belt, including Azai Studios, his own creative agency. With his extensive and broad experience in branding, Harji launched LOKI with a clear strategy and brand to apples to even non-cannabis users. The first to coin “enhanced seltzer”, LOKI is an alternative to alcohol without the hangover.  Get the Foodboro interview with Harji here.

8. Luvspun Floss

Founder: Therese Dozier

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Therese Dozier, a self-described Autism-MOM, has reintroduced cotton candy, only this time it’s vegan, gluten-free and made with raw organic sugar. With 200 flavors, Luvspun offers nostalgia that aligns with modern healthy living. Perhaps most impressive is the mission behind the company. Luvspun is committed to increasing autism awareness specifically through a workforce development program for youth with autism. With this program, Therese and Luvspun have created a repeatable work model for youth on the autism spectrum that will provide opportunities to learn job skills, earn a wage, and gain confidence. Sweet and impactful!


  1. 8 Myles

Founder: Myles Powell

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Myles Powell sure of his path when he earned his civil engineering degree at the University of Delaware. But his love of food and his minor in business led him to a new path- the best frozen mac and cheese out there. Starting off perfecting sauces, Myles soon entered the prepared foods market. 8 Myles mac and cheese is now in over 300 stores and growing, offering convenience without compromising on quality of ingredients or comfort. Check out the store locator on their website to find where you can purchase the classic version or go for the unique BBQ and buffalo options. 

  1. Hillside Harvest Hot Sauce

Founder: Kamaal Jarrett

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

As a child, Kamaal Jarrett was hooked on food, watching PBS cooking shows and helping his aunt in her bakery and Caribbean restaurant. His line of hot sauces and marinades are inspired by his place of birth, Kingston Jamaica. Kamaal uses scotch bonnet peppers and an array of spices to bring these warming products to cold New England. Last year, Hillside Harvest was named as the official hot sauce provider of the Boston Red Sox, high accolades in that part of the country! 

  1. The Salty Heifer Co.

Founder: Iesha Williams

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Sometimes a left turn in life turns out to be the correct one! Lesha credits the ending of a relationship for the propulsion towards a career change and applying to culinary school in her mid-30s. After school and years of experience in the pastry and savory kitchens of high-end restaurants, Lesha set out on her own with her perfected OG cookie recipes. From macaroons, to red velvet cake, pecan pie, banana foster, her creations must be sampled. What’s with the name? She credits the multiple meanings salty has in the south and the Caribbean, the cultures she was raised in. Salty means savory AND attitude. Heifer is an affectionate term for children in the Caribbean AND refers to the milk of heifers, which is considered the sweetest cream and butter because helifers haven’t birthed a calf yet. Get our interview with Iesha here.

  1. Grit Superfoods

Founder: Jabari Martin

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

With a background in designing user experience in tech, as a dietitian and in personal training, it’s not surprising that Jabari Martin developed Grit protein bites, delicious and packed with ingredients designed to improve human performance.

  1. The Qi

Founder: Lisa Li

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

“Qi” means life energy or life force and for Lisa Li, it is the answer to finding work-life balance. Lisa’s line of organic whole flower teas was inspired by a trip to the Yunnan Province of China and the rose tea the locals there regularly enjoy. Lisa, who grew up in the northeast of Beijing, embarked on this trip after experiencing burn out from over ten years in the fashion industry. She was struck by the sensory experience and holistic wellness of the teas and decided to launch The Qi, to bring the quiet moments of wonder and joy offered by the teas to more people. The Qi is not your average tea with organic and hand picked flowers sourced from family-owned farms across Asia. Give it a try and have a truly unique experience. 

  1. Pan’s Mushroom Jerky

Founder: Michael Pan 

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Pan’s Mushroom Jerky is a Shark Tank success story that started in 2008 when Michael Pan visited family in Malaysia and was offered a meaty jerky-like snack. For the next ten years, Michael moonlighted his way to perfecting the recipe and building the brand. The jerky is made of shiitake mushrooms, which as it turns out, are an excellent meat replacement. With a smokey flavor and a fibrous meat-like texture, Pan’s Mushroom Jerky is a healthy snack available across the country. 

  1. River City Flame

Founder: Paula Horne

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Paula Horne’s line of rubs and hot sauces hail from Richmond, Virginia (the River City!). To create the depth of flavor and unique tastes of River City Flame products, Paula sources locally grown ingredients including the jalapeno and habanero peppers. Paula shifted her focus from real estate to sauces and rubs after a shift in the real estate market and she decided to turn her hobby of playing with hot sauces into River City Flames. Visit her website to purchase and to peruse some excellent recipes. 

  1. The Really Nice Sauce Co.

Founder: Terry Gatewood

Website, Instagram

Chef Terry Gatewood and Julie Gatewood launched the Really Nice Sauce Co., capitalizing on Terry’s extensive restaurant and private catering experience and Julie’s background in design and NGO, to create a superior product that gives back to those in need. A portion of every sale is donated to Food Banks Canada to help end food insecurity. The St. Louis style BBQ sauce is tangy, sweet, vegan, gluten free, certified organic and can be used as a sauce, marinade, or a dip. 

  1. Partake Foods

Founder: Dianne Woodward

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Dianne Woodward created Partake Foods after finding few options for snacks that she could give to her daughter who was diagnosed with severe food allergies as an infant. Parktake foods offers a variety of cookies, either crunchy or soft, in flavors like ginger snaps, carrot cake, double chocolate, pumpkin spice, etc. You can join a subscription, order a variety pack, or purchase baking kits for a more DIY experience. All Partake Foods products are free of peanuts, eggs, dairy, soy, tree nuts, sesame, artificial flavors, gmos, and preservatives. Beyond creating healthy and allergy-friendly options for kids, Denise has created a mentorship program for anyone enrolled in a historical black college and seeking a career in the food industry, the program is called Black Futures in Food & Beverage. 

  1. Omsom

Founders: Vanessa and Kim Pham

LinkedIn, LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Vanessa and Kim Pham are the daughters of Vietnamese refugees and grew up in the love language of food. They launched Omsom with the goal of maintaining traditions from across Asian cultures in a modern way. Omsom offers starter packets, the history, and recipes for dishes like Korean Spicy Bulgogi, Vietnamese Lemongrass BBQ, Thai Krapow, and more. Vanessa and Kim have created a vehicle for engagement and a deeper understanding of the cultures behind these dishes. Perfect for all those who speak the love language of food. 

  1. Fly By Jing

Founder: Jing Gao

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Jing Gao launched Fly By Jing to celebrate the flavors of her native Sichuan Province of China. Named ‘Fly’ because of the common term for popular dive-y restaurants in Chengdu that “attract people like flies” and “By Jing” to signify the deeply personal recipe, vision and story of the founder. Fly By Jing has a range of products that will warm you in the cold winter months and thrill you in the range of flavors. 

  1. Moonshot Snacks

Julia Collins

Forbes Profile, Website, Instagram

Julia Collins’ Moonshine Snacks are tasty crackers that are climate-friendly. This isn’t a case of using marketing to greenwash a product’s impact, Moonshine Snack’s website breaks down every aspect of production and shipping, providing transparency and accountability. Moonshot, with clarity around the organic ingredients, every step of the supply chain, and the support provided to farmers who are practicing regenerative agriculture practices used and more, is leading the way in true climate-friendly products. 

As we enter a new year and continue to cycle through the Greek alphabet of variants, there is a move towards intentions instead of resolutions, joyful eating instead of dieting, and embracing and building community over individual improvement. In this spirit, we are highlighting some BIPOC members of our food-preneur community who are bringing joy, tradition, personal experiences and cultural perspectives to the emerging food brand arena. Bolster your new year with brands that are addressing dietary restrictions with pizazz, expanding your cooking repertoire, or inviting you to join in on sensory traditions from across the globe.


  1. UNiTE Food

Founder: Clara Paye

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Clara Paye launched UNiTE Food to deliver diversity to the nutrition bar market with globally-inspired, gluten-free, and plant-based protein bars. 

  1. Saucy Lips Foods

Founders:  Gabriela, Natalia and Jess Dalton

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram 

Saucy Lips Foods is a line of sauces created by Natalia and Jess’s mother Gabriela. After moving from the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico to Miami, the plan was never for the Dalton’s to launch a national product line but the uniqueness of Gabriela’s clean line of sauces made with authentic Mexican recipes in the market could not be ignored. From farmer’s markets to your local retailer, Saucy Lips offers cooking sauces, marinades, dressings, hot sauces and will soon include a new line of tortilla chips. Stock up for your next fiesta! Check out our interview with Natalia here.

  1. Berry Bissap

Founder: Akua Nettey

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram 

By launching Berry Bissap, Akua Nettey brings to the market a sweet/tart spiced West African hibiscus tea. Growing up in Oklahoma, Akua learned about Ghanian cuisine in her kitchen. Her parents had immigrated from Ghana and were committed to celebrating the culture with Akua and her siblings, in particular, the bright ingredients, traditional dishes, and rich flavors of the cuisine. From these roots, Akua has ushered in the flavors of West Africa with Berry Bissap, currently available in Whole Foods and other markets in the New York City area and Erewhon Market in LA. 

  1. Unrestricted Foods 

Founder: Dianna King 

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram 

A history of cancer in Dianna King’s family led her to switch to an all-vegan diet and inspired her launch of Unrestricted Foods so that others could adopt a plant-based lifestyle and not feel “restricted.” Unrestricted Foods offers cheese sauces and mac and cheese that tastes like authentic cheddar cheese 

  1. Jack & Friends 

Founder: Jessica Kwong, 

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram 

Jessica Kwong founded Jack & Friends shortly (like minutes!) after completing her bachelor’s degree from Cornell in food science in 2018. Less than a year later, Jack & Friends’ launched its signature plant-based jerky. Combining the vegan superfood jackfruit with perfectly paired “friends”, Jack & Friends jerky is tasty and sustainable. 

  1. Karma Nuts

Founder: Ganesh Nair

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram 

Ganesh Nair comes from the cashew capitol of India (Kollam) and a deep family history in the cashew industry. In founding Karma Nuts, Ganesh pairs this legacy with his background in health science and diabetes care to bring a nutritionally dense product to a market in dire need of healthy snacks. Instead of the oil fried cashews most commonly seen on shelves, Karma Nuts are processed so that the shell is edible, providing a crunch and a significant uptick in nutrition than your typical cashew.  

  1. LOKI Enhanced Seltzer

Founder: Harji Singh

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Harji Singh launched LOKI Enhanced Seltzer with a decade of creative branding experience under his belt, including Azai Studios, his own creative agency. With his extensive and broad experience in branding, Harji launched LOKI with a clear strategy and brand to apples to even non-cannabis users. The first to coin “enhanced seltzer”, LOKI is an alternative to alcohol without the hangover.  Get the Foodboro interview with Harji here.

8. Luvspun Floss

Founder: Therese Dozier

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Therese Dozier, a self-described Autism-MOM, has reintroduced cotton candy, only this time it’s vegan, gluten-free and made with raw organic sugar. With 200 flavors, Luvspun offers nostalgia that aligns with modern healthy living. Perhaps most impressive is the mission behind the company. Luvspun is committed to increasing autism awareness specifically through a workforce development program for youth with autism. With this program, Therese and Luvspun have created a repeatable work model for youth on the autism spectrum that will provide opportunities to learn job skills, earn a wage, and gain confidence. Sweet and impactful!


  1. 8 Myles

Founder: Myles Powell

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Myles Powell sure of his path when he earned his civil engineering degree at the University of Delaware. But his love of food and his minor in business led him to a new path- the best frozen mac and cheese out there. Starting off perfecting sauces, Myles soon entered the prepared foods market. 8 Myles mac and cheese is now in over 300 stores and growing, offering convenience without compromising on quality of ingredients or comfort. Check out the store locator on their website to find where you can purchase the classic version or go for the unique BBQ and buffalo options. 

  1. Hillside Harvest Hot Sauce

Founder: Kamaal Jarrett

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

As a child, Kamaal Jarrett was hooked on food, watching PBS cooking shows and helping his aunt in her bakery and Caribbean restaurant. His line of hot sauces and marinades are inspired by his place of birth, Kingston Jamaica. Kamaal uses scotch bonnet peppers and an array of spices to bring these warming products to cold New England. Last year, Hillside Harvest was named as the official hot sauce provider of the Boston Red Sox, high accolades in that part of the country! 

  1. The Salty Heifer Co.

Founder: Iesha Williams

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Sometimes a left turn in life turns out to be the correct one! Lesha credits the ending of a relationship for the propulsion towards a career change and applying to culinary school in her mid-30s. After school and years of experience in the pastry and savory kitchens of high-end restaurants, Lesha set out on her own with her perfected OG cookie recipes. From macaroons, to red velvet cake, pecan pie, banana foster, her creations must be sampled. What’s with the name? She credits the multiple meanings salty has in the south and the Caribbean, the cultures she was raised in. Salty means savory AND attitude. Heifer is an affectionate term for children in the Caribbean AND refers to the milk of heifers, which is considered the sweetest cream and butter because helifers haven’t birthed a calf yet. Get our interview with Iesha here.

  1. Grit Superfoods

Founder: Jabari Martin

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

With a background in designing user experience in tech, as a dietitian and in personal training, it’s not surprising that Jabari Martin developed Grit protein bites, delicious and packed with ingredients designed to improve human performance.

  1. The Qi

Founder: Lisa Li

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

“Qi” means life energy or life force and for Lisa Li, it is the answer to finding work-life balance. Lisa’s line of organic whole flower teas was inspired by a trip to the Yunnan Province of China and the rose tea the locals there regularly enjoy. Lisa, who grew up in the northeast of Beijing, embarked on this trip after experiencing burn out from over ten years in the fashion industry. She was struck by the sensory experience and holistic wellness of the teas and decided to launch The Qi, to bring the quiet moments of wonder and joy offered by the teas to more people. The Qi is not your average tea with organic and hand picked flowers sourced from family-owned farms across Asia. Give it a try and have a truly unique experience. 

  1. Pan’s Mushroom Jerky

Founder: Michael Pan 

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Pan’s Mushroom Jerky is a Shark Tank success story that started in 2008 when Michael Pan visited family in Malaysia and was offered a meaty jerky-like snack. For the next ten years, Michael moonlighted his way to perfecting the recipe and building the brand. The jerky is made of shiitake mushrooms, which as it turns out, are an excellent meat replacement. With a smokey flavor and a fibrous meat-like texture, Pan’s Mushroom Jerky is a healthy snack available across the country. 

  1. River City Flame

Founder: Paula Horne

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Paula Horne’s line of rubs and hot sauces hail from Richmond, Virginia (the River City!). To create the depth of flavor and unique tastes of River City Flame products, Paula sources locally grown ingredients including the jalapeno and habanero peppers. Paula shifted her focus from real estate to sauces and rubs after a shift in the real estate market and she decided to turn her hobby of playing with hot sauces into River City Flames. Visit her website to purchase and to peruse some excellent recipes. 

  1. The Really Nice Sauce Co.

Founder: Terry Gatewood

Website, Instagram

Chef Terry Gatewood and Julie Gatewood launched the Really Nice Sauce Co., capitalizing on Terry’s extensive restaurant and private catering experience and Julie’s background in design and NGO, to create a superior product that gives back to those in need. A portion of every sale is donated to Food Banks Canada to help end food insecurity. The St. Louis style BBQ sauce is tangy, sweet, vegan, gluten free, certified organic and can be used as a sauce, marinade, or a dip. 

  1. Partake Foods

Founder: Dianne Woodward

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Dianne Woodward created Partake Foods after finding few options for snacks that she could give to her daughter who was diagnosed with severe food allergies as an infant. Parktake foods offers a variety of cookies, either crunchy or soft, in flavors like ginger snaps, carrot cake, double chocolate, pumpkin spice, etc. You can join a subscription, order a variety pack, or purchase baking kits for a more DIY experience. All Partake Foods products are free of peanuts, eggs, dairy, soy, tree nuts, sesame, artificial flavors, gmos, and preservatives. Beyond creating healthy and allergy-friendly options for kids, Denise has created a mentorship program for anyone enrolled in a historical black college and seeking a career in the food industry, the program is called Black Futures in Food & Beverage. 

  1. Omsom

Founders: Vanessa and Kim Pham

LinkedIn, LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Vanessa and Kim Pham are the daughters of Vietnamese refugees and grew up in the love language of food. They launched Omsom with the goal of maintaining traditions from across Asian cultures in a modern way. Omsom offers starter packets, the history, and recipes for dishes like Korean Spicy Bulgogi, Vietnamese Lemongrass BBQ, Thai Krapow, and more. Vanessa and Kim have created a vehicle for engagement and a deeper understanding of the cultures behind these dishes. Perfect for all those who speak the love language of food. 

  1. Fly By Jing

Founder: Jing Gao

LinkedIn, Website, Instagram

Jing Gao launched Fly By Jing to celebrate the flavors of her native Sichuan Province of China. Named ‘Fly’ because of the common term for popular dive-y restaurants in Chengdu that “attract people like flies” and “By Jing” to signify the deeply personal recipe, vision and story of the founder. Fly By Jing has a range of products that will warm you in the cold winter months and thrill you in the range of flavors. 

  1. Moonshot Snacks

Julia Collins

Forbes Profile, Website, Instagram

Julia Collins’ Moonshine Snacks are tasty crackers that are climate-friendly. This isn’t a case of using marketing to greenwash a product’s impact, Moonshine Snack’s website breaks down every aspect of production and shipping, providing transparency and accountability. Moonshot, with clarity around the organic ingredients, every step of the supply chain, and the support provided to farmers who are practicing regenerative agriculture practices used and more, is leading the way in true climate-friendly products. 

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