by Jonas Clark | Sep 20, 2022
goTeff is a snack brand powered by Ethiopian super-grain teff. The versatile snack can be enjoyed as a straight-from-the-bag snack, or as a cereal, yoghurt topper, or as a crouton alternative for salads. Products are gluten, nut, and dairy free. The startup was profiled by Boston Globe.
Additionally, goTeff works directly with Ethiopian farmers to bolster their trade. Currently, goTeff is partners with Girls Gotta Run, an organization dedicated to helping girls stay in school. goTeff, a 2019 BVP Second Place winner, was founded by Saron Mechale, ‘19.
Photo Credit: Saron Mechale
by Jonas Clark | Sep 16, 2022
Imperfect Foods was founded by Ben Chesler, ’15, a food waste entrepreneur who is actively working to change the food system to reduce waste and increase the amount of affordable produce available to consumers. After co-founding the Food Recovery Network, the largest student movement against hunger and food waste, Ben Chesler moved into the for-profit space with Imperfect Foods.. At Imperfect, Ben created a supply chain of “ugly” produce and other groceries that would normally go to waste in the supply chain, and turning that into products that can be sold to consumers.
Imperfect now has over 200,000 customers across 25 markets and has rescued over 100 million pounds of food. In September 2022, Imperfect Foods was acquired by online grocer Misfits Market to take their impact to a larger scale.
Photo Credit: Ben Chesler
by Jonas Clark | Aug 30, 2022
Rip Van was started by Amsterdam-native Rip Pruisken, ’10 and Marco De Leon, ’12, from their Brown University dorm room in 2010. The two used Kickstarter to launch their business, calling their product Van Wafels. The two founders slept in a Volvo station wagon as they drove across the country to deliver their product to stores. They spent two years on campus trying to improve product marketing and the quality of the snack, which is now available in stores nationwide. Rip Van now offers an expanding product line of healthier takes on classic snacks.
Read their profile in Forbes here. Both founders were named Forbes 30 Under 30 awardees in 2016.
From Left: Marco De Leon, Rip Pruisken
Photo Credit: Rip Van
by Jonas Clark | Aug 29, 2022
Runa was founded by two Brown University students and friends, Tyler Gage, ’08 and Dan MacCombie, ’04, after a soul-searching trip to the Amazon rainforest. Fueled with positive energy and with new-found purpose, the two returned to Ecuador a year later and built the world’s first supply chain for Guayusa and created a new way for more people to experience this unique feeling.
Runa was named one of Inc Magazine’s 500 Fastest Growing Companies in the US in 2015 and 2016. Read Tyler Gage’s profile in Forbes here.
From left: Tyler Gage and Dan MacCombie
Photo Credit: OBSERVER
by Jonas Clark | Aug 28, 2022
Founded by Scott Norton, ’08 and Mark Ramadan, ’08, Sir Kensington’s is a globally inspired, New York admired company best known for making condiments with character. With a mission to reimagine ordinary and overlooked foods with fearless integrity and charm, Sir Kensington’s has become an integral offering at the nation’s leading retailers and restaurants. The company joined Unilever in 2017 and is a certified B Corporation.
Both founders were named on Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2012 – read their Forbes profile here.
From Left: Mark Ramadan and Scott Norton.
Photo Credit: Sir Kensington
