Female Food Disruptors
In a male-dominated industry, women continue breaking through the glass ceiling and making their mark. There are countless women in the food industry taking risks and changing the world, and we were lucky enough to chat with five of the amazing ladies behind some of the most innovative brands on the market.
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Shandee Chernow, CEO – CertiStar
Sufferer of life-threatening allergies, Shandee Chernow sought to make dining out a more seamless experience with her company CertiStar. The platform utilizes patent-pending technology that allows restaurants to manage their menus, recipes, and inventory to empower staff serving customers with food allergies. “Many restaurants and chefs believe that they are very adept at handling food allergic customers, but even the best chef still has to have a long conversation and put a lot of effort into keeping an allergic guest safe,” explains Shandee. “We make the whole experience less stressful for the guest and staff and are able to provide an accurate list with many more options for the customer with significant time savings for the restaurant.”CertiStar is currently available in more than 600 locations, including on Carnival Cruise Lines, LEGOLAND California, and many restaurants. Utilizing technology to accurately, efficiently, and safely help diners receive the best service is the way of the future and CertiStar is a pioneer in safe dining.CertiStar.com
Erica Barrett, CEO - Dough Boy Pizza
Not your everyday pizza shop, Dough Boy Pizza is completely driven by technology. Chef Erica Barrett opened this fast-casual concept, which features Neapolitan-style pizzas, where customers order directly from electronic kiosks, no cashiers necessary. “Technology-driven restaurants are the future of the food industry,” Ericatells us. “It was important for me to build a restaurant of the future that was geared toward Millennials and Gen Zs.” Erica’s tech-driven concept allows her to control labor and food costs, making it essentially recession-proof, she says.“Customers are blown away to be able to order the pizza themselves and get an artisan product in five minutes customized how they would like,” she explains. In fact, Dough Boy Pizza has been so successful since its opening in August 2022, that the brand is now franchising with plans to open additional locations country-wide.Instagram: OfficialDoughBoyPizza
Cassandra Curtis, Co-Founder and ChiefInnovation Officer - Once Upon a Farm
After becoming a mother, Cassandra Curtis discovered there weren’t many options in the stores for organic, refrigerated, pre-made food for babies that were actually healthy. As a busy mom, Cassandra didn’t have the time to shop, chop, and prep nutritious and delicious food for her kids. This inspired her to create the first refrigerated, HPP organic, non-GMO baby food brand, Once Upon a Farm.The company uses high-pressure processing to ensure that children get both the taste and the nutrients that are as close to the farm as possible. Now shoppers canenjoy their array of fruit and veggie blends, dairy-free smoothies, overnight oats, and frozen meals. Once Upon a Farm is the first baby and kids’ food brand to receive the Clean Label Project Purity Award, which means they’ve been found to be free of 400+ different contaminants such as heavy metals, chemicals, and pesticides.Oh, and did we mention that actress Jennifer Garner is a co-founder? “She heard about Once Upon a Farm and what we were doing to help solve a problem for parents in finding clean snacks for their kids,” Cassandra tells us. Jennifer officially joined the company as a co-founder and chief brand officer, sharing her passion for working with a mission-driven company and the social impact this company can make on society.“Together, we’re working toward the same goal of making nutritious and delicious food accessible to kids everywhere,” says Cassandra. “We are actually just getting started!”
Amy Lacey, Founder - Cali’flour Foods
If you’re wondering how the cauliflower craze all began, it was with Amy Lacey. After being diagnosed with Lupus and Sjogren’s Syndrome, Amy sought for a way to enjoy pizza again with her family without it causing pain and inflammation. She turned to cauliflower for a gluten- and grain-free alternative and perfected her recipe, which soon went viral. Since its inception in 2016, Cali’flour Foods has expanded from pizza crusts to low-carb, keto-friendly entrees, flatbreads, and crackers, with no plans of slowing down anytime soon. “I love working with cauliflower because it is so bland—it takes on whatever flavors you put with it,” Amy tells us. “I received so many letters from diabetics, cancer patients, and those with Lupus, Crohn’s, and one I didn’t expect—people wanting to lose weight—thanking me for the products.”Lacey’s biggest challenge, she says, is educating consumers on what makes their products different. Not all products are healthy, and it’s important to read ingredients and educate yourself against clever marketing. So, what’s next? The future of the brand is to take typically “unhealthy” comfort foods and make them healthy again.CaliflourFoods.com
Anouk Gotlik, CEO - Belgian Boys
Taking a page out of European grocery stores' playbooks, Belgian Boys, producers of prepared breakfasts like waffles, pancakes, and French toast, CEO Anouk Gotlib sought to move from the freezer aisle to the refrigerator aisle."I didn't understand why consumers would buy something they eat every single day and stock their freezer with it", Anouk explains. "Shoppers can find our easy -to-prepare breakfast options alongside other breakfast staples like eggs, yogurt, milk and orange juice. When they experience shopping for our products refrigerated, it is so much more convenient."The transition from freezer to refrigerator wasn't easy here in the States. "We pitched it and heard so many no's from retailers", said Anouk. But once they were finally able to convince them to make the switch, they've seen a 3- to 5x increase in sales. With a determination to become a household name, Belgian Boys offers products that encourage families to prep less, smile more, and indulge better.BelgianBoys.com
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