This female founder turned a life-long fascination with ice cream into a plant-based dessert brand that is tOATally out of this world.
No doubt, there has been a lot of innovation in the plant-based space with cauliflower "chicken" nuggets, pea protein bars, vegan jerky, cashew cheeses, and the list goes on. Frozen dessert is no exception, with brands like Halo Top, Ben & Jerry's and the like to jump on the trend. But what about a pint that is better for you, better for the planet, and one that actually tastes good? Enter Wonderlab Doozy. Your new favorite frozen indulgence.
Wonderlab Doozy's line of plant-based gelato (the Banana Cinnamon Date Swirl is heavenly) is made with a blend of premium quality, organic, hemp hearts, whole oats and regeneratively grown, organic & Fair Trade cane sugar. They've combined these plant champs to create an indulgent texture and bold flavor with less sugar and less saturated fat, reminiscent of a true Italian gelato. Delicious, and with zero compromises!
Founder Kirsten Sutaria spoke with Foodboro about her journey to entrepreneurship, the inspiration for Wonderlab, how she manages work/life balance while building a startup CPG company, and gives us the deets on all her current faves.
Before Doozy Pots I had spent 11 years building my career in product development & innovation with brands such as Ben & Jerry’s and Innocent Drinks in the US & UK. I worked at Ben & Jerry’s for 9 years, creating new products such as Greek frozen yogurt and the non-dairy line, I spent a lot of my time there getting deep into understanding the science of ice cream and taking products from concept through commercialization.
What led you to entrepreneurship, and why now?
After a long career with larger, global brands I wanted to take the opportunity to go out on my own and explore product development & innovation on my own terms. I grew up in an entrepreneurial family, as did my husband, and we knew we wanted to start our own business together. It took over 10 years to get the courage and feel comfortable going out on my own but it felt like the right time.
What sets you apart from other plant-based desserts?
Doozy Pots is the only frozen dessert to be made with hemp and oats, most plant-based desserts are made with coconut milk or a blend of nut or oat milk with coconut oil, which makes most of the products very high in saturated fats and often taste overly coconutty. Using a unique blend of hemp hearts & oats allows us to have a creamy texture without feeling too heavy on the palate. Our gelatos are also made with organic ingredients, which you don’t often find in the category.
What have been the challenges of navigating the CPG industry? Especially in frozen foods.
As a small brand, CPG is tough, as you’re competing with brands that have many more resources and much deeper pockets. They say it’s easy to get on the shelf and the hardest part is to get off of the shelf and into someone's basket, over & over again.
As a founder, what do you do to take care of your health?
As a founder, if you don’t consciously make time for your health you can pretty easily slip into a pattern of go-go-go, which isn’t good for your health or mindset. Carving time out in the day for a walk or run, just to get outside is key for me. Making time to make meals and not sit at my desk to eat is becoming a non-negotiable for me. When working from home and running a business it is really important to carve out “time away” or else it can turn into being “on” 24/7.
What foods do you always have in your cupboards/fridge?!
In the fridge, you’ll always find loads of seltzers like Spindrift, Sanzo, Sound and Ugly (RIP💔), a 1 gallon box of La Colombe cold brew and a few alt milks like Elmhurst cashew & hazelnut and Willa’s oat. My freezers (yes I have several at home) are overflowing with Doozy Pots samples, ice cream R&D projects and Daily Harvest bowls. Tucked in the door you’ll find a ton of sauces like Zab’s datil pepper sauce, Killik fermented hot sauces and Maazah chutney.
I love to cook when I have time so the cupboards are loaded with dry goods and spices & condiments. Right now my got tos are Diaspora and Burlap & Barrel spices, Graza olive oil, Everything seasoning from Cleveland Bagel and several bottles of balsamic from my friend Sofia in Modena https://www.acetaiamalagoli.com/ I can’t live without a few kinds of pasta and Sfolglini is my go to, I buy it in the 5lb food service bags.
I love gummy candies but that’s not a reasonable snack so I’ve gotten hooked on Soley dried mango and Rind Snacks.
No doubt, there has been a lot of innovation in the plant-based space with cauliflower "chicken" nuggets, pea protein bars, vegan jerky, cashew cheeses, and the list goes on. Frozen dessert is no exception, with brands like Halo Top, Ben & Jerry's and the like to jump on the trend. But what about a pint that is better for you, better for the planet, and one that actually tastes good? Enter Wonderlab Doozy. Your new favorite frozen indulgence.
Wonderlab Doozy's line of plant-based gelato (the Banana Cinnamon Date Swirl is heavenly) is made with a blend of premium quality, organic, hemp hearts, whole oats and regeneratively grown, organic & Fair Trade cane sugar. They've combined these plant champs to create an indulgent texture and bold flavor with less sugar and less saturated fat, reminiscent of a true Italian gelato. Delicious, and with zero compromises!
Founder Kirsten Sutaria spoke with Foodboro about her journey to entrepreneurship, the inspiration for Wonderlab, how she manages work/life balance while building a startup CPG company, and gives us the deets on all her current faves.
Before Doozy Pots I had spent 11 years building my career in product development & innovation with brands such as Ben & Jerry’s and Innocent Drinks in the US & UK. I worked at Ben & Jerry’s for 9 years, creating new products such as Greek frozen yogurt and the non-dairy line, I spent a lot of my time there getting deep into understanding the science of ice cream and taking products from concept through commercialization.
What led you to entrepreneurship, and why now?
After a long career with larger, global brands I wanted to take the opportunity to go out on my own and explore product development & innovation on my own terms. I grew up in an entrepreneurial family, as did my husband, and we knew we wanted to start our own business together. It took over 10 years to get the courage and feel comfortable going out on my own but it felt like the right time.
What sets you apart from other plant-based desserts?
Doozy Pots is the only frozen dessert to be made with hemp and oats, most plant-based desserts are made with coconut milk or a blend of nut or oat milk with coconut oil, which makes most of the products very high in saturated fats and often taste overly coconutty. Using a unique blend of hemp hearts & oats allows us to have a creamy texture without feeling too heavy on the palate. Our gelatos are also made with organic ingredients, which you don’t often find in the category.
What have been the challenges of navigating the CPG industry? Especially in frozen foods.
As a small brand, CPG is tough, as you’re competing with brands that have many more resources and much deeper pockets. They say it’s easy to get on the shelf and the hardest part is to get off of the shelf and into someone's basket, over & over again.
As a founder, what do you do to take care of your health?
As a founder, if you don’t consciously make time for your health you can pretty easily slip into a pattern of go-go-go, which isn’t good for your health or mindset. Carving time out in the day for a walk or run, just to get outside is key for me. Making time to make meals and not sit at my desk to eat is becoming a non-negotiable for me. When working from home and running a business it is really important to carve out “time away” or else it can turn into being “on” 24/7.
What foods do you always have in your cupboards/fridge?!
In the fridge, you’ll always find loads of seltzers like Spindrift, Sanzo, Sound and Ugly (RIP💔), a 1 gallon box of La Colombe cold brew and a few alt milks like Elmhurst cashew & hazelnut and Willa’s oat. My freezers (yes I have several at home) are overflowing with Doozy Pots samples, ice cream R&D projects and Daily Harvest bowls. Tucked in the door you’ll find a ton of sauces like Zab’s datil pepper sauce, Killik fermented hot sauces and Maazah chutney.
I love to cook when I have time so the cupboards are loaded with dry goods and spices & condiments. Right now my got tos are Diaspora and Burlap & Barrel spices, Graza olive oil, Everything seasoning from Cleveland Bagel and several bottles of balsamic from my friend Sofia in Modena https://www.acetaiamalagoli.com/ I can’t live without a few kinds of pasta and Sfolglini is my go to, I buy it in the 5lb food service bags.
I love gummy candies but that’s not a reasonable snack so I’ve gotten hooked on Soley dried mango and Rind Snacks.
No doubt, there has been a lot of innovation in the plant-based space with cauliflower "chicken" nuggets, pea protein bars, vegan jerky, cashew cheeses, and the list goes on. Frozen dessert is no exception, with brands like Halo Top, Ben & Jerry's and the like to jump on the trend. But what about a pint that is better for you, better for the planet, and one that actually tastes good? Enter Wonderlab Doozy. Your new favorite frozen indulgence.
Wonderlab Doozy's line of plant-based gelato (the Banana Cinnamon Date Swirl is heavenly) is made with a blend of premium quality, organic, hemp hearts, whole oats and regeneratively grown, organic & Fair Trade cane sugar. They've combined these plant champs to create an indulgent texture and bold flavor with less sugar and less saturated fat, reminiscent of a true Italian gelato. Delicious, and with zero compromises!
Founder Kirsten Sutaria spoke with Foodboro about her journey to entrepreneurship, the inspiration for Wonderlab, how she manages work/life balance while building a startup CPG company, and gives us the deets on all her current faves.
Before Doozy Pots I had spent 11 years building my career in product development & innovation with brands such as Ben & Jerry’s and Innocent Drinks in the US & UK. I worked at Ben & Jerry’s for 9 years, creating new products such as Greek frozen yogurt and the non-dairy line, I spent a lot of my time there getting deep into understanding the science of ice cream and taking products from concept through commercialization.
What led you to entrepreneurship, and why now?
After a long career with larger, global brands I wanted to take the opportunity to go out on my own and explore product development & innovation on my own terms. I grew up in an entrepreneurial family, as did my husband, and we knew we wanted to start our own business together. It took over 10 years to get the courage and feel comfortable going out on my own but it felt like the right time.
What sets you apart from other plant-based desserts?
Doozy Pots is the only frozen dessert to be made with hemp and oats, most plant-based desserts are made with coconut milk or a blend of nut or oat milk with coconut oil, which makes most of the products very high in saturated fats and often taste overly coconutty. Using a unique blend of hemp hearts & oats allows us to have a creamy texture without feeling too heavy on the palate. Our gelatos are also made with organic ingredients, which you don’t often find in the category.
What have been the challenges of navigating the CPG industry? Especially in frozen foods.
As a small brand, CPG is tough, as you’re competing with brands that have many more resources and much deeper pockets. They say it’s easy to get on the shelf and the hardest part is to get off of the shelf and into someone's basket, over & over again.
As a founder, what do you do to take care of your health?
As a founder, if you don’t consciously make time for your health you can pretty easily slip into a pattern of go-go-go, which isn’t good for your health or mindset. Carving time out in the day for a walk or run, just to get outside is key for me. Making time to make meals and not sit at my desk to eat is becoming a non-negotiable for me. When working from home and running a business it is really important to carve out “time away” or else it can turn into being “on” 24/7.
What foods do you always have in your cupboards/fridge?!
In the fridge, you’ll always find loads of seltzers like Spindrift, Sanzo, Sound and Ugly (RIP💔), a 1 gallon box of La Colombe cold brew and a few alt milks like Elmhurst cashew & hazelnut and Willa’s oat. My freezers (yes I have several at home) are overflowing with Doozy Pots samples, ice cream R&D projects and Daily Harvest bowls. Tucked in the door you’ll find a ton of sauces like Zab’s datil pepper sauce, Killik fermented hot sauces and Maazah chutney.
I love to cook when I have time so the cupboards are loaded with dry goods and spices & condiments. Right now my got tos are Diaspora and Burlap & Barrel spices, Graza olive oil, Everything seasoning from Cleveland Bagel and several bottles of balsamic from my friend Sofia in Modena https://www.acetaiamalagoli.com/ I can’t live without a few kinds of pasta and Sfolglini is my go to, I buy it in the 5lb food service bags.
I love gummy candies but that’s not a reasonable snack so I’ve gotten hooked on Soley dried mango and Rind Snacks.
Unlock this article by becoming a Foodboro Member. You'll get access to exclusive content, events, discounts and a private community to help you navigate the future of food & beverage
.png)
