22 Female Founders Changing Food & Beverage in 2022
Whether it be products that are more sustainably sourced, allergen friendly, nutritious snacking, culturally informed and ethically sourced, or simply designed to let you eat more dessert, having more women at the CPG table is the future.
Women-owned businesses are a force in the CPG industry. Though they’ve long been the primary buyers- women account for 93% of all purchases in the food sector- they have not always been on the investment or product development side. That is changing fast. According to Chelsea Ford, a business coach and founder of Females in Food, 41% of women-owned businesses have started to serve problems that are specific to them. We know that this is changing on the investor side as well, but today we are highlighting female founders who’ve created products that we LOVE, products that are thoughtfully curated to fill a hole in the marketplace and offer transparency, quality ingredients, and authentic branding. Whether it be products that are more sustainably sourced, allergen friendly, nutritious snacking, culturally informed and ethically sourced, or simply designed to let you eat more dessert, having more women at the CPG table is the future. Because the list can’t be endless (though our list of stellar female founders is), browse through these 22 female owned-businesses to see how they are reinvigorating existing categories and introducing fresh ingredients and products.
For Michele, Cocacao is a labor of love that she founded with her husband, two people who found each other after experiencing loss. Pronounced “co-kah-kow”, Cocacao is vegan, paleo, gluten-free, and certified organic snack that combines coconut and cacao for a chocolatey coconut confection. 2022 is a year for retailer domination- you can find Cocacao at 112 locations across the US (including Hawaii!).
Ali Bonar channeled her nutrition obsession into a degree in Nutritional Sciences and subsequently developed the first oat-based spread. Ali and her cofounders have a very pivotal 2022 ahead of them, as she describes it, “We've spent the last 4 years building the foundation and finding product-market fit, and now it's time to rocket ship. Lots in the pipeline. New core flavors, new products outside Granola Butter, and some big retailers.”
The female founders that Ali admires: Sara Blakely of Spanx, Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni's Ice Cream.
Cofounders Tania and Jahan are gearing up to release new flavors to Brune Kitchen’s current line up of tahini-based gooey/chewy cookies. After launching in August 2021, they are looking to develop Brune’s sales channels to serve their customers more broadly and collaborate with some of their favorite brands. Of their time in the cookie world, Tania and Jahan report “We’ve received so much love, we can’t wait to watch Brune grow this year and beyond! The best part of creating Brune has been getting to know our community and our customers. We are so lucky to connect with people who resonate with the brand and our goal is always to understand them better. As we continue to expand, we’re excited to keep innovating with our Brune family in mind.”
The female founders that Tania and Jahan admire: “We love our fellow female founders, and couldn’t pick just one! Two of our absolute favorites are Ali Bonar of Oathaus and Veronica Garza of Siete Foods. Ali has been an incredible resource to us and to the entire CPG community. She uses her platform to share her journey and motivate others in a transparent and relatable way. Not to mention, we are HUGE fans of Oathaus (don’t sleep on their Vanilla Granola Butter!). We love the brand that Veronica has helped create for those of us who have been on health journeys and really, anyone who loves tasty foods. We are so aligned with Siete’s mission, and have similarly pulled from our heritage to recreate comforting classics that are accessible to all.”
Christina developed Power Veggie Bites to solve a problem: eating something nutritious AND satisfying on those days you can’t catch a breath. She wanted something that would provide the satisfaction of a meal but be available on the go. For 2022, Christina is working on expanding into the areas that they weren't able to previously due to launching during the pandemic, i.e. coffee shops, offices, and independent on-brand retailers while continuing to cultivate a robust DTC program. Otherwise, Christina is “looking forward to life slowly getting a bit more back to "normal", especially here in California. I dearly miss being able to connect with my customers, who have never had the chance to sample my product live, and see it opening up this spring and summer here in SoCal. There is no substitute for direct, immediate feedback and I can't wait to jump back in! “
The female founders that Christina admires: “There are so many female founders that I admire, I could spend all day talking about them! Starting with those that I don't personally know, Sara Blakely (Spanx) has completely changed the game for all female founders, trailblazing not only for herself but setting up programs and opportunities for women who follow in her path. Here in LA, I have so much respect for Natasha Case (Coolhaus) who built her business from a broken down truck to a strong national brand and my friends Hannah Hong and Mollie Cha (Must Love) who just appeared on Shark Tank. All of these women have the drive, smarts, and grit to get the job done and are incredibly optimistic leaders that inspire me everyday!”
Gail launched Caulipower a line of gluten-free cauliflower-based products like pizzas, pasta, chicken wings, tortillas, toasts, and more to create nutritious gluten-free options. With two sons with Celiac, an autoimmune disease that makes it difficult to process gluten, Gail saw the market was missing easy, tasty, gluten-free options that weren’t filled with sugar or salt. Gail was determined that no family sacrifice pizza night. Find Caulipower in Wegmans, Whole Foods, BJs, Stop and Shop, and many other spots!
Barr Necessities bring you the Empowered Cookie, a soft-baked delicious cookie that are somehow also low carb, low-sugar, gluten-free, grain-free, and plant-based. clean, lean sweet treat. Empowered Cookie comes in classic varieties and some new twists, including double chocolate chunk, chocolate chip walnut, lemon lavender poppy, ginger molasses, chocolate chip cherry, and raisin walnut.
Saucy Lips Foods is a line of sauces created by Natalia and Jess’s mother Gabriela, born of ingredients and recipes from her native Yucatan peninsula. 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! In the upcoming year, Saucy lips is excited about the in-person food shows and the overall growth of our brand. Natalia shares “2022 is starting out busy for us, we launched our simmering sauces last year so we are coming out strong with them this year. On top of that we introduced our new line of Authentic Mexican Flavored Tortilla Chips. We love creating so who knows what else we have in store for this year!”
The female founders Natalia admires: “Maya Kaimal from Maya Kaimal Foods. I admire the recognition she has achieved in the Ethnic/international food category. I also admire Gail Becker from Caulipower for her innovation in the cpg world. There are so many other female founded brands, like ours, to admire as well, they are small but mighty!"
Doozy pots is the culmination of Kirsten Sutara’s lifelong interest in food science, decade of exploring the world of ice cream and curiosity about plant-based nutrition. Doozy pots (a phrase with Italian roots that Kirsten’s grandma often used) is plant-based gelato offered in a multitude of flavors. Doozy Pots gelato is made using hemp and oats not only because of the creamy texture they offer, but they excel as a regenerative food made with sustainable farming practices. So you can have your ice cream and eat it too!
BTR Nation is a nod to the family mantra of her youth, “Be bold, tenacious and resilient!” BTR Nation’s protein emerged from a crisis, when Ashley was busy as a caretaker for both her parents as they battled rare cancers and she craved a snack that tasted good and provided an energy boost and a brain recharge. With her background in food science, Ashley created a bar with superfoods and adaptogens that offer energy without the sugarcrash.
Banzo butter is a garbanzo bean spread that is not hummus but rather closer to a nut butter spread in texture, and sweet instead of savory. Fun fact, garbanzo beans help the environment by releasing nitrogen into the soil. This sustainable snack comes in chocolate, mint-chip, strawberry, pumpkin spice, and original. Amy is a PhD graduate in studies of food science and technology and has lots of experience in allergen-free snacks. She’s passionate about removing the social barriers that allergies can create, especially for kids.
Perfectly Cordial, a brain child of veteran bartender and all things hospitality Rhonda Cammon, aims to bring mixology into the home. By creating fresh and exciting mixers in flavors like pear, rose and pink peppercorn and hibiscus and honeycomb, Rhonda has taken the stress out of at home cocktail and mocktail creation. If the pandemic has turned your cocktail interest into a serious hobby, sign up for a curated box of the month.
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 are fluent in the love language of food.
Clara Paye launched UNiTE Food to deliver diversity to the nutrition bar market with globally-inspired, gluten-free, and plant-based protein bars. With flavors like churro, peanut butter and jelly, Mexican hot chocolate, these bars stand out in the bar aisle. Have a favorite comfort food from your childhood that you’d like to have as a protein bar? Clara invites flavor suggestions, email her at hello@unite.com.
As a child, Alisa dealt with respiratory issues and eventually asthma and lots of coughing. In 2019 Alisa, done with dull supplements and lozenges that contain irritants, launched Kindroot, a reimagining of the stale category of lozenges that drew inspiration from herb-based supplements. Alisa’s interest in herbalism and holistic nutrition informs Kindoot. You can choose options that provide immune support, better sleep, stress reduction, and more. Alisa shared that much of 2021 was spent setting up operation infrastructure and preparing to scale and is ready to get kindroot in front of more people with social initiatives, new retailer launches and partnerships in 2022. As she puts it, “I am extremely excited for this year. From new products to new distribution and partnerships - we have a full year planned ahead including improved formulations, launching at a dream retailer, and continuing to grow out DTC and ecommerce channels. There are some partnerships with lifestyle brands that I love that are in the works and a community-based approach designed to support our customers reach their de-stressing goals.”
The female founders Alisa admires: “The amount of female entrepreneurs launching products at the moment is incredible - that is probably my favorite part about what I do! I love connecting with other women and seeing us drive innovation and change in the industry. Of course, established founders like Jamie Schmidt is always an inspiration and I love how she is transitioning to championing crypto for females. I’ve also formed amazing friendships with Maria Karr of Rumore Beauty who is introducing US consumers to Russian skincare and Ashleigh Nickelsen of BTR bar, who is reinventing our snack game. A few years ago I also had the honor of working with Sandra Carter of OM Mushrooms, who continues to inspire me to this day.”
Laurel cofounded the Daily Crunch with her aunt, Diane Orley, who became a sprouted almond believer after learning about the health benefits of sprouted nuts and the yummy crunchy taste, not to mention how much easier they are to digest. With Laurel’s background in market research and Diane’s dehydration and flavoring process, these nuts were launched to an instant cultish following. Laurel shared that the Daily Crunch team is looking forward to growing the brand and rolling out new packaging and flavors to consumers, including Nashville Hot chicken flavor. The team is also focused on the sustainability of their business and how to offset their plastic footprint. They are one of the first nut companies in North America to source our almonds entirely from a bee-friendly farm and steam pasteurize their almonds instead of fumigating. For 2022, Laurel shared that the team is eager to attend both Expo West and Fancy Food Show in person, “we launched in March 2020 and haven't had a booth at an in-person trade show to date. We are SO excited to have a booth at Expo West in March and be able to speak to consumers and retailers in person. We are also working on R&D where we will be launching a new savory and sweet flavor shortly.”
The female founders Laurel admires: “I recently met Fawn Weaver who is a fellow Tennesean and the founder of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. She is the first African-American woman to head a major spirits brand with an all-female executive team. If you don't know her AND the Uncle Nearest story, she was just on NPR How I Built This and is an inspiration to all female founders out there. Uncle Nearest is now the fastest growing whiskey in the US (boom!). I also admire my 'CPG CORE CREW' that all launched around the same time..... Clara Payne's from Unite Food, Ashely Kohn from Prevail Jerky, Tal from Fun Sesames, Ashley from BTR NATION are all bad *ss female founders who I admire as they grow their incredible mission based brands. Also, what is it going to take to be part of CHIEF?! To me, that's a female group I would love to be a part of (hint hint to the Chief crew :).”
Julia Collins’ Moonshine Snacks climate-friendly and very tasty crackers offer a glimpse of a more sustainable food industry. 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 offers transparency in the organic ingredients, every step of the supply chain, and the support provided to farmers who are practicing regenerative agriculture practices and more. And maybe most importantly, the crackers are so good!
Amäzi foods offers the dried fruit category a new approach with fresh flavors and an ethical approach. Renee returned to Uganda after her study abroad experience, drawn to return to the flavorful, organic tropical fruits. She saw an opportunity to create a business in Uganda that supported the people of Uganda. Amäzi Foods sources directly from farmers and partners with Ugandan businesses to bring the varieties of dried plantains and jackfruit chews to retailers around the US.
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.
Courtney Boyd Myers harnesses the power of kelp with Akua, a line of kelp jerky, to create a snack that is vitamin rich and is not only sustainable but helps reverse climate change (there’s evidence that shows kelp may help remove carbon). In addition to the many kelp jerky flavors (hibachi teriyaki, spicy chili and lime, and maple rosemary BBQ), Akua is now in the veggie burger market with kelps burgers and kelp ground “beef”. This new plant-based feat recently won "Fave Innovative Product" in the 2021 Foodboro Faves Awards.
Nancy Kalish was a certified health coach and health journalist with overpowering cravings for sweets. The answer? Chickpea-based brownies that break all the rules by eliminating butter, eggs and flour from the ingredient list of delicious, chewy brownies. It’s a brownie that you can eat for any meal and safe for wheat, gluten, dairy, egg, tree nuts, soy, coconut and sesame allergies.
Candace Wu invites you to challenge the notions that you’ve always held: Mondays are bad, cheesecake is full of sugar, carbs, and additives, etc. With her cofounder Jonathan Weinstein, Candace updated the classic New York Dessert for modern health standards. With less than a gram of sugar and a single gram of net carbs, this 100 calorie, keto-approved, gluten and grain free dessert will have you rethinking what a sugar-free diet can look like.
Lil Bucks gives you sprouted buckwheat as the crunchy ingredient you didn’t know was missing from your morning routine, not to mention your salads and desserts. Taking a lesson from the Austrialians, Emily recommends adding sprouted buckwheat to your daily life, not just for the yummy texture but also the gluten-free protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Buckwheat is actually grain free- it’s the seed of a fruit and is a sustainable crop that can be used as a cover crop (i.e. used to manage the fertility, quality, and biodiversity of the soil). After introducing Lil Bucks at local festivals and markets and through DTC sales, Emily is now at Whole Foods throughout the midwest.
Women-owned businesses are a force in the CPG industry. Though they’ve long been the primary buyers- women account for 93% of all purchases in the food sector- they have not always been on the investment or product development side. That is changing fast. According to Chelsea Ford, a business coach and founder of Females in Food, 41% of women-owned businesses have started to serve problems that are specific to them. We know that this is changing on the investor side as well, but today we are highlighting female founders who’ve created products that we LOVE, products that are thoughtfully curated to fill a hole in the marketplace and offer transparency, quality ingredients, and authentic branding. Whether it be products that are more sustainably sourced, allergen friendly, nutritious snacking, culturally informed and ethically sourced, or simply designed to let you eat more dessert, having more women at the CPG table is the future. Because the list can’t be endless (though our list of stellar female founders is), browse through these 22 female owned-businesses to see how they are reinvigorating existing categories and introducing fresh ingredients and products.
For Michele, Cocacao is a labor of love that she founded with her husband, two people who found each other after experiencing loss. Pronounced “co-kah-kow”, Cocacao is vegan, paleo, gluten-free, and certified organic snack that combines coconut and cacao for a chocolatey coconut confection. 2022 is a year for retailer domination- you can find Cocacao at 112 locations across the US (including Hawaii!).
Ali Bonar channeled her nutrition obsession into a degree in Nutritional Sciences and subsequently developed the first oat-based spread. Ali and her cofounders have a very pivotal 2022 ahead of them, as she describes it, “We've spent the last 4 years building the foundation and finding product-market fit, and now it's time to rocket ship. Lots in the pipeline. New core flavors, new products outside Granola Butter, and some big retailers.”
The female founders that Ali admires: Sara Blakely of Spanx, Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni's Ice Cream.
Cofounders Tania and Jahan are gearing up to release new flavors to Brune Kitchen’s current line up of tahini-based gooey/chewy cookies. After launching in August 2021, they are looking to develop Brune’s sales channels to serve their customers more broadly and collaborate with some of their favorite brands. Of their time in the cookie world, Tania and Jahan report “We’ve received so much love, we can’t wait to watch Brune grow this year and beyond! The best part of creating Brune has been getting to know our community and our customers. We are so lucky to connect with people who resonate with the brand and our goal is always to understand them better. As we continue to expand, we’re excited to keep innovating with our Brune family in mind.”
The female founders that Tania and Jahan admire: “We love our fellow female founders, and couldn’t pick just one! Two of our absolute favorites are Ali Bonar of Oathaus and Veronica Garza of Siete Foods. Ali has been an incredible resource to us and to the entire CPG community. She uses her platform to share her journey and motivate others in a transparent and relatable way. Not to mention, we are HUGE fans of Oathaus (don’t sleep on their Vanilla Granola Butter!). We love the brand that Veronica has helped create for those of us who have been on health journeys and really, anyone who loves tasty foods. We are so aligned with Siete’s mission, and have similarly pulled from our heritage to recreate comforting classics that are accessible to all.”
Christina developed Power Veggie Bites to solve a problem: eating something nutritious AND satisfying on those days you can’t catch a breath. She wanted something that would provide the satisfaction of a meal but be available on the go. For 2022, Christina is working on expanding into the areas that they weren't able to previously due to launching during the pandemic, i.e. coffee shops, offices, and independent on-brand retailers while continuing to cultivate a robust DTC program. Otherwise, Christina is “looking forward to life slowly getting a bit more back to "normal", especially here in California. I dearly miss being able to connect with my customers, who have never had the chance to sample my product live, and see it opening up this spring and summer here in SoCal. There is no substitute for direct, immediate feedback and I can't wait to jump back in! “
The female founders that Christina admires: “There are so many female founders that I admire, I could spend all day talking about them! Starting with those that I don't personally know, Sara Blakely (Spanx) has completely changed the game for all female founders, trailblazing not only for herself but setting up programs and opportunities for women who follow in her path. Here in LA, I have so much respect for Natasha Case (Coolhaus) who built her business from a broken down truck to a strong national brand and my friends Hannah Hong and Mollie Cha (Must Love) who just appeared on Shark Tank. All of these women have the drive, smarts, and grit to get the job done and are incredibly optimistic leaders that inspire me everyday!”
Gail launched Caulipower a line of gluten-free cauliflower-based products like pizzas, pasta, chicken wings, tortillas, toasts, and more to create nutritious gluten-free options. With two sons with Celiac, an autoimmune disease that makes it difficult to process gluten, Gail saw the market was missing easy, tasty, gluten-free options that weren’t filled with sugar or salt. Gail was determined that no family sacrifice pizza night. Find Caulipower in Wegmans, Whole Foods, BJs, Stop and Shop, and many other spots!
Barr Necessities bring you the Empowered Cookie, a soft-baked delicious cookie that are somehow also low carb, low-sugar, gluten-free, grain-free, and plant-based. clean, lean sweet treat. Empowered Cookie comes in classic varieties and some new twists, including double chocolate chunk, chocolate chip walnut, lemon lavender poppy, ginger molasses, chocolate chip cherry, and raisin walnut.
Saucy Lips Foods is a line of sauces created by Natalia and Jess’s mother Gabriela, born of ingredients and recipes from her native Yucatan peninsula. 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! In the upcoming year, Saucy lips is excited about the in-person food shows and the overall growth of our brand. Natalia shares “2022 is starting out busy for us, we launched our simmering sauces last year so we are coming out strong with them this year. On top of that we introduced our new line of Authentic Mexican Flavored Tortilla Chips. We love creating so who knows what else we have in store for this year!”
The female founders Natalia admires: “Maya Kaimal from Maya Kaimal Foods. I admire the recognition she has achieved in the Ethnic/international food category. I also admire Gail Becker from Caulipower for her innovation in the cpg world. There are so many other female founded brands, like ours, to admire as well, they are small but mighty!"
Doozy pots is the culmination of Kirsten Sutara’s lifelong interest in food science, decade of exploring the world of ice cream and curiosity about plant-based nutrition. Doozy pots (a phrase with Italian roots that Kirsten’s grandma often used) is plant-based gelato offered in a multitude of flavors. Doozy Pots gelato is made using hemp and oats not only because of the creamy texture they offer, but they excel as a regenerative food made with sustainable farming practices. So you can have your ice cream and eat it too!
BTR Nation is a nod to the family mantra of her youth, “Be bold, tenacious and resilient!” BTR Nation’s protein emerged from a crisis, when Ashley was busy as a caretaker for both her parents as they battled rare cancers and she craved a snack that tasted good and provided an energy boost and a brain recharge. With her background in food science, Ashley created a bar with superfoods and adaptogens that offer energy without the sugarcrash.
Banzo butter is a garbanzo bean spread that is not hummus but rather closer to a nut butter spread in texture, and sweet instead of savory. Fun fact, garbanzo beans help the environment by releasing nitrogen into the soil. This sustainable snack comes in chocolate, mint-chip, strawberry, pumpkin spice, and original. Amy is a PhD graduate in studies of food science and technology and has lots of experience in allergen-free snacks. She’s passionate about removing the social barriers that allergies can create, especially for kids.
Perfectly Cordial, a brain child of veteran bartender and all things hospitality Rhonda Cammon, aims to bring mixology into the home. By creating fresh and exciting mixers in flavors like pear, rose and pink peppercorn and hibiscus and honeycomb, Rhonda has taken the stress out of at home cocktail and mocktail creation. If the pandemic has turned your cocktail interest into a serious hobby, sign up for a curated box of the month.
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 are fluent in the love language of food.
Clara Paye launched UNiTE Food to deliver diversity to the nutrition bar market with globally-inspired, gluten-free, and plant-based protein bars. With flavors like churro, peanut butter and jelly, Mexican hot chocolate, these bars stand out in the bar aisle. Have a favorite comfort food from your childhood that you’d like to have as a protein bar? Clara invites flavor suggestions, email her at hello@unite.com.
As a child, Alisa dealt with respiratory issues and eventually asthma and lots of coughing. In 2019 Alisa, done with dull supplements and lozenges that contain irritants, launched Kindroot, a reimagining of the stale category of lozenges that drew inspiration from herb-based supplements. Alisa’s interest in herbalism and holistic nutrition informs Kindoot. You can choose options that provide immune support, better sleep, stress reduction, and more. Alisa shared that much of 2021 was spent setting up operation infrastructure and preparing to scale and is ready to get kindroot in front of more people with social initiatives, new retailer launches and partnerships in 2022. As she puts it, “I am extremely excited for this year. From new products to new distribution and partnerships - we have a full year planned ahead including improved formulations, launching at a dream retailer, and continuing to grow out DTC and ecommerce channels. There are some partnerships with lifestyle brands that I love that are in the works and a community-based approach designed to support our customers reach their de-stressing goals.”
The female founders Alisa admires: “The amount of female entrepreneurs launching products at the moment is incredible - that is probably my favorite part about what I do! I love connecting with other women and seeing us drive innovation and change in the industry. Of course, established founders like Jamie Schmidt is always an inspiration and I love how she is transitioning to championing crypto for females. I’ve also formed amazing friendships with Maria Karr of Rumore Beauty who is introducing US consumers to Russian skincare and Ashleigh Nickelsen of BTR bar, who is reinventing our snack game. A few years ago I also had the honor of working with Sandra Carter of OM Mushrooms, who continues to inspire me to this day.”
Laurel cofounded the Daily Crunch with her aunt, Diane Orley, who became a sprouted almond believer after learning about the health benefits of sprouted nuts and the yummy crunchy taste, not to mention how much easier they are to digest. With Laurel’s background in market research and Diane’s dehydration and flavoring process, these nuts were launched to an instant cultish following. Laurel shared that the Daily Crunch team is looking forward to growing the brand and rolling out new packaging and flavors to consumers, including Nashville Hot chicken flavor. The team is also focused on the sustainability of their business and how to offset their plastic footprint. They are one of the first nut companies in North America to source our almonds entirely from a bee-friendly farm and steam pasteurize their almonds instead of fumigating. For 2022, Laurel shared that the team is eager to attend both Expo West and Fancy Food Show in person, “we launched in March 2020 and haven't had a booth at an in-person trade show to date. We are SO excited to have a booth at Expo West in March and be able to speak to consumers and retailers in person. We are also working on R&D where we will be launching a new savory and sweet flavor shortly.”
The female founders Laurel admires: “I recently met Fawn Weaver who is a fellow Tennesean and the founder of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. She is the first African-American woman to head a major spirits brand with an all-female executive team. If you don't know her AND the Uncle Nearest story, she was just on NPR How I Built This and is an inspiration to all female founders out there. Uncle Nearest is now the fastest growing whiskey in the US (boom!). I also admire my 'CPG CORE CREW' that all launched around the same time..... Clara Payne's from Unite Food, Ashely Kohn from Prevail Jerky, Tal from Fun Sesames, Ashley from BTR NATION are all bad *ss female founders who I admire as they grow their incredible mission based brands. Also, what is it going to take to be part of CHIEF?! To me, that's a female group I would love to be a part of (hint hint to the Chief crew :).”
Julia Collins’ Moonshine Snacks climate-friendly and very tasty crackers offer a glimpse of a more sustainable food industry. 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 offers transparency in the organic ingredients, every step of the supply chain, and the support provided to farmers who are practicing regenerative agriculture practices and more. And maybe most importantly, the crackers are so good!
Amäzi foods offers the dried fruit category a new approach with fresh flavors and an ethical approach. Renee returned to Uganda after her study abroad experience, drawn to return to the flavorful, organic tropical fruits. She saw an opportunity to create a business in Uganda that supported the people of Uganda. Amäzi Foods sources directly from farmers and partners with Ugandan businesses to bring the varieties of dried plantains and jackfruit chews to retailers around the US.
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.
Courtney Boyd Myers harnesses the power of kelp with Akua, a line of kelp jerky, to create a snack that is vitamin rich and is not only sustainable but helps reverse climate change (there’s evidence that shows kelp may help remove carbon). In addition to the many kelp jerky flavors (hibachi teriyaki, spicy chili and lime, and maple rosemary BBQ), Akua is now in the veggie burger market with kelps burgers and kelp ground “beef”. This new plant-based feat recently won "Fave Innovative Product" in the 2021 Foodboro Faves Awards.
Nancy Kalish was a certified health coach and health journalist with overpowering cravings for sweets. The answer? Chickpea-based brownies that break all the rules by eliminating butter, eggs and flour from the ingredient list of delicious, chewy brownies. It’s a brownie that you can eat for any meal and safe for wheat, gluten, dairy, egg, tree nuts, soy, coconut and sesame allergies.
Candace Wu invites you to challenge the notions that you’ve always held: Mondays are bad, cheesecake is full of sugar, carbs, and additives, etc. With her cofounder Jonathan Weinstein, Candace updated the classic New York Dessert for modern health standards. With less than a gram of sugar and a single gram of net carbs, this 100 calorie, keto-approved, gluten and grain free dessert will have you rethinking what a sugar-free diet can look like.
Lil Bucks gives you sprouted buckwheat as the crunchy ingredient you didn’t know was missing from your morning routine, not to mention your salads and desserts. Taking a lesson from the Austrialians, Emily recommends adding sprouted buckwheat to your daily life, not just for the yummy texture but also the gluten-free protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Buckwheat is actually grain free- it’s the seed of a fruit and is a sustainable crop that can be used as a cover crop (i.e. used to manage the fertility, quality, and biodiversity of the soil). After introducing Lil Bucks at local festivals and markets and through DTC sales, Emily is now at Whole Foods throughout the midwest.
Women-owned businesses are a force in the CPG industry. Though they’ve long been the primary buyers- women account for 93% of all purchases in the food sector- they have not always been on the investment or product development side. That is changing fast. According to Chelsea Ford, a business coach and founder of Females in Food, 41% of women-owned businesses have started to serve problems that are specific to them. We know that this is changing on the investor side as well, but today we are highlighting female founders who’ve created products that we LOVE, products that are thoughtfully curated to fill a hole in the marketplace and offer transparency, quality ingredients, and authentic branding. Whether it be products that are more sustainably sourced, allergen friendly, nutritious snacking, culturally informed and ethically sourced, or simply designed to let you eat more dessert, having more women at the CPG table is the future. Because the list can’t be endless (though our list of stellar female founders is), browse through these 22 female owned-businesses to see how they are reinvigorating existing categories and introducing fresh ingredients and products.
For Michele, Cocacao is a labor of love that she founded with her husband, two people who found each other after experiencing loss. Pronounced “co-kah-kow”, Cocacao is vegan, paleo, gluten-free, and certified organic snack that combines coconut and cacao for a chocolatey coconut confection. 2022 is a year for retailer domination- you can find Cocacao at 112 locations across the US (including Hawaii!).
Ali Bonar channeled her nutrition obsession into a degree in Nutritional Sciences and subsequently developed the first oat-based spread. Ali and her cofounders have a very pivotal 2022 ahead of them, as she describes it, “We've spent the last 4 years building the foundation and finding product-market fit, and now it's time to rocket ship. Lots in the pipeline. New core flavors, new products outside Granola Butter, and some big retailers.”
The female founders that Ali admires: Sara Blakely of Spanx, Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni's Ice Cream.
Cofounders Tania and Jahan are gearing up to release new flavors to Brune Kitchen’s current line up of tahini-based gooey/chewy cookies. After launching in August 2021, they are looking to develop Brune’s sales channels to serve their customers more broadly and collaborate with some of their favorite brands. Of their time in the cookie world, Tania and Jahan report “We’ve received so much love, we can’t wait to watch Brune grow this year and beyond! The best part of creating Brune has been getting to know our community and our customers. We are so lucky to connect with people who resonate with the brand and our goal is always to understand them better. As we continue to expand, we’re excited to keep innovating with our Brune family in mind.”
The female founders that Tania and Jahan admire: “We love our fellow female founders, and couldn’t pick just one! Two of our absolute favorites are Ali Bonar of Oathaus and Veronica Garza of Siete Foods. Ali has been an incredible resource to us and to the entire CPG community. She uses her platform to share her journey and motivate others in a transparent and relatable way. Not to mention, we are HUGE fans of Oathaus (don’t sleep on their Vanilla Granola Butter!). We love the brand that Veronica has helped create for those of us who have been on health journeys and really, anyone who loves tasty foods. We are so aligned with Siete’s mission, and have similarly pulled from our heritage to recreate comforting classics that are accessible to all.”
Christina developed Power Veggie Bites to solve a problem: eating something nutritious AND satisfying on those days you can’t catch a breath. She wanted something that would provide the satisfaction of a meal but be available on the go. For 2022, Christina is working on expanding into the areas that they weren't able to previously due to launching during the pandemic, i.e. coffee shops, offices, and independent on-brand retailers while continuing to cultivate a robust DTC program. Otherwise, Christina is “looking forward to life slowly getting a bit more back to "normal", especially here in California. I dearly miss being able to connect with my customers, who have never had the chance to sample my product live, and see it opening up this spring and summer here in SoCal. There is no substitute for direct, immediate feedback and I can't wait to jump back in! “
The female founders that Christina admires: “There are so many female founders that I admire, I could spend all day talking about them! Starting with those that I don't personally know, Sara Blakely (Spanx) has completely changed the game for all female founders, trailblazing not only for herself but setting up programs and opportunities for women who follow in her path. Here in LA, I have so much respect for Natasha Case (Coolhaus) who built her business from a broken down truck to a strong national brand and my friends Hannah Hong and Mollie Cha (Must Love) who just appeared on Shark Tank. All of these women have the drive, smarts, and grit to get the job done and are incredibly optimistic leaders that inspire me everyday!”
Gail launched Caulipower a line of gluten-free cauliflower-based products like pizzas, pasta, chicken wings, tortillas, toasts, and more to create nutritious gluten-free options. With two sons with Celiac, an autoimmune disease that makes it difficult to process gluten, Gail saw the market was missing easy, tasty, gluten-free options that weren’t filled with sugar or salt. Gail was determined that no family sacrifice pizza night. Find Caulipower in Wegmans, Whole Foods, BJs, Stop and Shop, and many other spots!
Barr Necessities bring you the Empowered Cookie, a soft-baked delicious cookie that are somehow also low carb, low-sugar, gluten-free, grain-free, and plant-based. clean, lean sweet treat. Empowered Cookie comes in classic varieties and some new twists, including double chocolate chunk, chocolate chip walnut, lemon lavender poppy, ginger molasses, chocolate chip cherry, and raisin walnut.
Saucy Lips Foods is a line of sauces created by Natalia and Jess’s mother Gabriela, born of ingredients and recipes from her native Yucatan peninsula. 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! In the upcoming year, Saucy lips is excited about the in-person food shows and the overall growth of our brand. Natalia shares “2022 is starting out busy for us, we launched our simmering sauces last year so we are coming out strong with them this year. On top of that we introduced our new line of Authentic Mexican Flavored Tortilla Chips. We love creating so who knows what else we have in store for this year!”
The female founders Natalia admires: “Maya Kaimal from Maya Kaimal Foods. I admire the recognition she has achieved in the Ethnic/international food category. I also admire Gail Becker from Caulipower for her innovation in the cpg world. There are so many other female founded brands, like ours, to admire as well, they are small but mighty!"
Doozy pots is the culmination of Kirsten Sutara’s lifelong interest in food science, decade of exploring the world of ice cream and curiosity about plant-based nutrition. Doozy pots (a phrase with Italian roots that Kirsten’s grandma often used) is plant-based gelato offered in a multitude of flavors. Doozy Pots gelato is made using hemp and oats not only because of the creamy texture they offer, but they excel as a regenerative food made with sustainable farming practices. So you can have your ice cream and eat it too!
BTR Nation is a nod to the family mantra of her youth, “Be bold, tenacious and resilient!” BTR Nation’s protein emerged from a crisis, when Ashley was busy as a caretaker for both her parents as they battled rare cancers and she craved a snack that tasted good and provided an energy boost and a brain recharge. With her background in food science, Ashley created a bar with superfoods and adaptogens that offer energy without the sugarcrash.
Banzo butter is a garbanzo bean spread that is not hummus but rather closer to a nut butter spread in texture, and sweet instead of savory. Fun fact, garbanzo beans help the environment by releasing nitrogen into the soil. This sustainable snack comes in chocolate, mint-chip, strawberry, pumpkin spice, and original. Amy is a PhD graduate in studies of food science and technology and has lots of experience in allergen-free snacks. She’s passionate about removing the social barriers that allergies can create, especially for kids.
Perfectly Cordial, a brain child of veteran bartender and all things hospitality Rhonda Cammon, aims to bring mixology into the home. By creating fresh and exciting mixers in flavors like pear, rose and pink peppercorn and hibiscus and honeycomb, Rhonda has taken the stress out of at home cocktail and mocktail creation. If the pandemic has turned your cocktail interest into a serious hobby, sign up for a curated box of the month.
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 are fluent in the love language of food.
Clara Paye launched UNiTE Food to deliver diversity to the nutrition bar market with globally-inspired, gluten-free, and plant-based protein bars. With flavors like churro, peanut butter and jelly, Mexican hot chocolate, these bars stand out in the bar aisle. Have a favorite comfort food from your childhood that you’d like to have as a protein bar? Clara invites flavor suggestions, email her at hello@unite.com.
As a child, Alisa dealt with respiratory issues and eventually asthma and lots of coughing. In 2019 Alisa, done with dull supplements and lozenges that contain irritants, launched Kindroot, a reimagining of the stale category of lozenges that drew inspiration from herb-based supplements. Alisa’s interest in herbalism and holistic nutrition informs Kindoot. You can choose options that provide immune support, better sleep, stress reduction, and more. Alisa shared that much of 2021 was spent setting up operation infrastructure and preparing to scale and is ready to get kindroot in front of more people with social initiatives, new retailer launches and partnerships in 2022. As she puts it, “I am extremely excited for this year. From new products to new distribution and partnerships - we have a full year planned ahead including improved formulations, launching at a dream retailer, and continuing to grow out DTC and ecommerce channels. There are some partnerships with lifestyle brands that I love that are in the works and a community-based approach designed to support our customers reach their de-stressing goals.”
The female founders Alisa admires: “The amount of female entrepreneurs launching products at the moment is incredible - that is probably my favorite part about what I do! I love connecting with other women and seeing us drive innovation and change in the industry. Of course, established founders like Jamie Schmidt is always an inspiration and I love how she is transitioning to championing crypto for females. I’ve also formed amazing friendships with Maria Karr of Rumore Beauty who is introducing US consumers to Russian skincare and Ashleigh Nickelsen of BTR bar, who is reinventing our snack game. A few years ago I also had the honor of working with Sandra Carter of OM Mushrooms, who continues to inspire me to this day.”
Laurel cofounded the Daily Crunch with her aunt, Diane Orley, who became a sprouted almond believer after learning about the health benefits of sprouted nuts and the yummy crunchy taste, not to mention how much easier they are to digest. With Laurel’s background in market research and Diane’s dehydration and flavoring process, these nuts were launched to an instant cultish following. Laurel shared that the Daily Crunch team is looking forward to growing the brand and rolling out new packaging and flavors to consumers, including Nashville Hot chicken flavor. The team is also focused on the sustainability of their business and how to offset their plastic footprint. They are one of the first nut companies in North America to source our almonds entirely from a bee-friendly farm and steam pasteurize their almonds instead of fumigating. For 2022, Laurel shared that the team is eager to attend both Expo West and Fancy Food Show in person, “we launched in March 2020 and haven't had a booth at an in-person trade show to date. We are SO excited to have a booth at Expo West in March and be able to speak to consumers and retailers in person. We are also working on R&D where we will be launching a new savory and sweet flavor shortly.”
The female founders Laurel admires: “I recently met Fawn Weaver who is a fellow Tennesean and the founder of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. She is the first African-American woman to head a major spirits brand with an all-female executive team. If you don't know her AND the Uncle Nearest story, she was just on NPR How I Built This and is an inspiration to all female founders out there. Uncle Nearest is now the fastest growing whiskey in the US (boom!). I also admire my 'CPG CORE CREW' that all launched around the same time..... Clara Payne's from Unite Food, Ashely Kohn from Prevail Jerky, Tal from Fun Sesames, Ashley from BTR NATION are all bad *ss female founders who I admire as they grow their incredible mission based brands. Also, what is it going to take to be part of CHIEF?! To me, that's a female group I would love to be a part of (hint hint to the Chief crew :).”
Julia Collins’ Moonshine Snacks climate-friendly and very tasty crackers offer a glimpse of a more sustainable food industry. 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 offers transparency in the organic ingredients, every step of the supply chain, and the support provided to farmers who are practicing regenerative agriculture practices and more. And maybe most importantly, the crackers are so good!
Amäzi foods offers the dried fruit category a new approach with fresh flavors and an ethical approach. Renee returned to Uganda after her study abroad experience, drawn to return to the flavorful, organic tropical fruits. She saw an opportunity to create a business in Uganda that supported the people of Uganda. Amäzi Foods sources directly from farmers and partners with Ugandan businesses to bring the varieties of dried plantains and jackfruit chews to retailers around the US.
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.
Courtney Boyd Myers harnesses the power of kelp with Akua, a line of kelp jerky, to create a snack that is vitamin rich and is not only sustainable but helps reverse climate change (there’s evidence that shows kelp may help remove carbon). In addition to the many kelp jerky flavors (hibachi teriyaki, spicy chili and lime, and maple rosemary BBQ), Akua is now in the veggie burger market with kelps burgers and kelp ground “beef”. This new plant-based feat recently won "Fave Innovative Product" in the 2021 Foodboro Faves Awards.
Nancy Kalish was a certified health coach and health journalist with overpowering cravings for sweets. The answer? Chickpea-based brownies that break all the rules by eliminating butter, eggs and flour from the ingredient list of delicious, chewy brownies. It’s a brownie that you can eat for any meal and safe for wheat, gluten, dairy, egg, tree nuts, soy, coconut and sesame allergies.
Candace Wu invites you to challenge the notions that you’ve always held: Mondays are bad, cheesecake is full of sugar, carbs, and additives, etc. With her cofounder Jonathan Weinstein, Candace updated the classic New York Dessert for modern health standards. With less than a gram of sugar and a single gram of net carbs, this 100 calorie, keto-approved, gluten and grain free dessert will have you rethinking what a sugar-free diet can look like.
Lil Bucks gives you sprouted buckwheat as the crunchy ingredient you didn’t know was missing from your morning routine, not to mention your salads and desserts. Taking a lesson from the Austrialians, Emily recommends adding sprouted buckwheat to your daily life, not just for the yummy texture but also the gluten-free protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Buckwheat is actually grain free- it’s the seed of a fruit and is a sustainable crop that can be used as a cover crop (i.e. used to manage the fertility, quality, and biodiversity of the soil). After introducing Lil Bucks at local festivals and markets and through DTC sales, Emily is now at Whole Foods throughout the midwest.
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