In her words
Interview with the Founder of Partake Foods: Meet Denise!
- The leap
- I had the idea for Partake and entered a pitch competition called the Start Something Challenge. Originally, I didn’t even have a name and our original LLC was called Vivi’s Life because it was all about making Vivi’s Life easier and safer. However, we actually won (!) which came with a $10,000 prize and local press.
- The hardest search
- Finding a safe place to make the products. As a food allergy mom, I understand that using safe ingredients isn’t enough - you need to validate your entire supply chain and manufacturing facility. There is a very limited number of top 8 allergen-free facilities in the country and most don’t work with small startups, so I had to beg and plead my case to find a manufacturing facility to work with us.
- The money
- The greatest achievement I’d say was securing our initial round of funding. Of the $130 billion of venture capital funding, only .2% goes to women of color. I feel so grateful that we found a group of investors that believe in Partake and our vision.
- The lonely part
- The hardest part has been the isolation. I don’t think that anyone outside of a fellow founder understands the pressure and all consuming-ness of having a startup. I miss so many fun events with friends, and our family had to cut back a lot to fund the business - I literally sold my engagement ring.
- The big picture
- Initially, I was focused on people with dietary restrictions being able to be partake, but as we’ve grown, and our message has been amplified, my vision is to create a brand that is focused on sharing, inclusivity, and bringing people together, because, at the end of the day, we’re not all that different.
- The recipe that failed
- Yes, I learned that if you try to incorporate blueberries into a cookie, you’re going to end up with a green mess.
- Her advice
- From the wise words of Dory in “Finding Nemo” - just keep swimming! Some days will be awesome, some days will be exhausting and nearly everything will go wrong, but if you’re passionate about what you are doing, surround yourself with people who believe in you and your vision and keep going.
- Her favorite flavor
- Give me all the chocolate! Double Chocolate Chip for sure.