During her senior year at Cornell, Jessica Kwong had a decision to make. To say yes and secure a stable job at one of the world's most prestigious snack companies, or to follow her entrepreneurial spark and pursue starting her own business. Fresh out of university, she took the risk and declined the offer, taking her chance in starting Jack and Friends, a NY-based startup aimed at creating inclusive plant-based snacks for anyone of any lifestyle to enjoy. In this episode, we hear more about Jessica's story, as well as the tough decision she had to make. We learn about her background in food science and how it's helped her in her work, as well as tips on how you know you're getting good data, why she decided to bootstrap and her advice for those who may be navigating difficult decisions in their life right now.

When her son Jonah was diagnosed with a milk allergy at 3 months old, Jessica Harris decided the only thing she could do was to change her diet. It wasn't until she started weening him that she soon realised there was no free-from food on the shelf, that nutritionally fit what she wanted to give her child. So she set off into the community, and after asking other mums in similar positions, it became clear they were all looking for the same thing: a fun, delicious, allergen-friendly yoghurt for their kids. Addressing what Jess saw as a gap in the market, she decided to take a leap of faith and with that, Little Bandits was born. In this episode we talk about how Jess got started, the role that mentorship played in her journey, her launch into ASDA, why she decided to fortify, the challenges in finding a free-from manufacturer and the exciting future for the startup as they welcome a new cofounder, free-from veteran Lucy Orton, on board.

While working as a manager for Apple, Ashish realised he wanted to have a career that aligned with his values and was more mission-driven. With the combination of research and intuition, he landed on Vegancuts. Despite having no background in e-commerce, but a desire to make a difference, he set out on a journey to fulfil the potential he saw in the business. In this episode, he shares how he transitioned from tech and the learnings he brought with him into his new role. We also spoke about the whys and hows of Vegancuts' evolution as a brand, how the company selects products for their boxes, when you should do something in-house vs. hire externally, and the importance and process of establishing culture at a workplace. 

Show notes: https://bitesociety.com/blogs/news/out-of-the-box-vegancuts

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After the birth of his daughter, award-winning chef Alejandro Cancino had a decision to make. To stay in the restaurant world, or to take the plunge and start his own business, to try and bring veganism into the mainstream. With three hats to his name, he set to work and founded Fenn Foods, the plant-based manufacturing company and creators behind meat alternative vEEF. In this episode Alejandro sits down to talk about his journey, what it's like owning your own facility, the benefits and struggles of bootstrapping, as well as the importance of resourcefulness. We also cover how to make tough financial decisions and questions to ask yourself to make sure you're on the right path for you and your business.

Where we see waste, Upcircle sees wonder. Having repurposed over 250 tonnes of coffee grounds into sustainable skincare, Anna and Will Brightman continue to make headlines, with the sibling duo appearing on UK's Dragon Den and featuring in publications such as VOGUE and Elle Magazine, among others. Despite their success however, things weren't always easy, with the pair choosing to quit their jobs to pursue their dream. This week we cover their journey, as well as how to organically grow an online presence, everything ethics, and the hows of maintaining balance in the early stages of getting a startup off the ground.

Show notes: https://bitesociety.com/blogs/news/byproduct-beauty-upcircle

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Vikas Garg, CEO of abillionveg, is changing the way we eat through an app that makes eating vegan easier, while encouraging people to make a difference, one review at a time. But abillionveg is no ordinary platform. We spoke with Vikas about the challenges he has faced including the difficulties in building a team, as well as the future for the startup and their goal to donate $1 million this year. This is his story.

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Mushrooms. We've all had them, but never like this. Meet Fable Food Co, a startup focussed on transforming one of nature's finest foods into a tasty meat alternative. We spoke with cofounder Michael Fox about his history of entrepreneurship and the power of packaging, to being endorsed by a michelin star chef and what it means to be a responsible plant based meat producer in the market today.

As a freelance writer engaging with animal activism, but feeling no change, Alice Shopland thought of vegan food as a positive contribution which fit her entrepreneurial interests. Fast forward to now, and what started as an importer of vegan cheese, has now grown to a mission-driven business with accomplishments making New Zealand headlines. How did she get there? Here is her story.

After reflecting on his career, Blair Crichton knew he wanted to have a positive impact on the planet and make a difference. With an interest in climate change, and having been a long-term vegetarian, he took an interest in the food-tech space, leading him to take up opportunities at Impossible Foods, the Good Food Institute and New Age Meats. Fast forward to now, a cofounder of Karana - a startup focussed on creating delicious asian comfort foods using whole plants, starting with pork. How do they do it? Using one of the world's most sustainable crops: Jackfruit.

From meeting in an uber, to launching a pioneering vegan business, Bree Gaudette and Matthew Ronalds are doing it all. With no formal training, but a burning desire to create a vegan alternative close to the cheeses she used to love, Bree set to the kitchen to have a go herself. How did it go? And what were the challenges she faced? This is their story.

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Get in touch on social @bitesociety or by email [email protected] or [email protected]