Top 10 Beyond Taste and Innovation by beyond!

TOP 10 BEYOND TASTE AND INNOVATION

CULTURE

Issue 02 Summer 2018

EXCELLENCE CAUSEWAY BUSINESS BOULEVARD An article featuring an award-winning company that believes in making healthier products the right way

The cover spotlights Natasha Case, who vowed to bring architecturally inspired, gourmet ice-cream through her innova ng company Coolhaus

YOUNICK CORNER An encouraging company that provides a range of quinoa-based breakfast granolas free from gluten, dairy and reďŹ ned sugars and made from only 100% natural ingredients

OMNISCIENT VOYAGE NEWSMAKERS LOCALE DEFINITIVE DESTINATION

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

t was 1867 in Switzerland, the world worried after an exponential increase in the death-rate of infants. A pre-mature baby was unable to breastfeed, while many infants were dying due to lack of eﬀective breast milk alternatives. A visionary sage, Henri Nestlé, learned about the case and turned to rescue by feeding the child with his new ‘farine lactée’ infant food. Not only the infant could digest the product, but also, he survived malnutrition heartily. Word of Nestlé’s success spread rapidly, and he built a thriving business through his determination, commitment and a pioneering spirit. Nestlé’s life-saving innovation turned-out to be an archetypal model for all those that follow 150 years of company’s success in meeting and anticipating consumers’ changing needs. Beyond! recognizes the eﬀorts of companies which are striving and thriving beyond limits to innovate with taste and technology. Food is the global language and an expression of cultural existence with no boundaries and unites all people, industries and countries. In our special issue of “Top 10 Beyond Taste and Innovation”, we feature the journey of companies which meet the challenges posed by a diverse market and changing consumer needs through their innovation and creativity.

Editor in Chief CHRISTINE [editor@beyondexclamation.com]

Managing Editor POONAM [poonam@beyondexclamation.com]

Art Director VICTOR

The cover spotlights Natasha Case, who vowed to bring architecturally inspired, gourmet ice-cream through her innovate company Coolhaus. Read about the roller-coaster ride of Natasha’s venture to bring about her innovative and original concept of ‘Farchitechture’ to the millennials.

[design@beyondexclamation.com]

Graphic Artist NICK [nick@beyondexclamation.com]

We further attempt to quench your thirst for taste and innovation with eventful journeys of Appy Food & Drinks, Evo Hemp, Free Flow Wines, Händlmaier, Monogram Foods and Qnola.

The journal also boasts contributing articles on ‘Appetite for disruption: New Coller FAIRR Index highlights risks and opportunities in changing food sector’, by Maria Lettini; ‘Don’t ﬂy your startup blind, a partnership will increase your ﬁeld of vision’, by Jamin Brazil; Sin-Kō-Nah Tonic Syrup by Cameron Larkin, and Tokyo Vegan Guide by Serkan Toso. All the best with the sweet and savory ride. Happy Reading!

Poonam Yadav

[jennifer@beyondexclamation.com]

Development Manager JUSTIN [info@beyondexclamation.com]

CONNECT!

Run the imagery-factory of your mind and think about biting into a slice of lemon: its acidic sourness will make you wince. Now imagine a sip of double espresso: the bitter pang of caffeine is a wake-up call for you. Next imagine a ripe mango, and the flood of sweetness when you sink your teeth into it. Now think about the salty hit from biting into the first crisp in a packet. Round it off with a healthy-hearty meal. Such is our latest journal of “Top 10 Beyond Taste and Innovation”.

Project Manager JENNIFER

www.beyondexclamation.com BeyondExclamation @BeyondEx Beyond Exclamation beyondexclamation

Best food choices to try this summer The thought of adhering to a good diet most likely goes through your mind a dozen times a day. It makes you genuinely question that grilled cheese sandwich or the three level chocolate and butterscotch cake that you conveniently devoured while watching your diet routine ﬂy ideal out of the window. The vast majority of us lead lives where we’ve been unnoticeably sucked into a food routine and are frantically endeavoring to claw our way out of it. In the midst of various way of lifestyle problems to manage, we have a tendency to overlook or disregard a simple remedy of eating fresh, seasonal produce. So, what’s so special about eating foods that are in season? They have twice as much ﬂavor, that additional crunch and are amazingly high on vitamins, minerals and other basic nutrients. Navigate to perceive what else you should eat (and drink!) this season.

TOMATOES While tomatoes are loaded with antioxidants and Vitamin C, they additionally contain valuable phytochemicals, for example, lycopene, which add to interminable diseases—particularly cancer.

CORN Corn is a boring vegetable, yet tastes particularly sweet when it’s in season amid the summer. Both the yellow and white assortments give thiamin and folate (B-vitamins that help give you energy).

ZUCCHINI Some portion of the summer squash family, zucchini contains a ﬁber called pectin, which is connected to increasing heart health and bringing down cholesterol.

WATERMELON As its name infers, this organic product is a hydration legend, and ﬂuids are precisely what you require when the heat is on. Watermelon is around 90 percent water, so it’s without a doubt the most ideal approach to keep yourself hydrated. It assists with digestion and keeps the stomach cool.

ORANGES The sweet citrus fruit is wealthy in potassium, a nutrient that is essential in the summer. Oranges are likewise around 80% water, so popping a couple of delicious slices will keep you hydrated amid your sweatiest summer days.

APPLES, FIGS, AND PEARS These foods are high in ﬁber as well. Keep the skin on apples and pears for the most extreme healthful eﬀect. Make certain to wash completely before eating.

GREEN TEA In case you’re searching for drinks more energizing than water to keep you hydrated, you might need to go green. Studies have recommended that green tea might be useful in battling cancer and heart disease, bringing down cholesterol, revving your digestion and notwithstanding keeping dementia under control.

STRAWBERRIES AND BLUEBERRIES Sweet, juicy berries are loaded with ﬂavonoids, powerful disease contenders found in numerous fruits and vegetables. Among their other aces, they increment blood stream to skin and lessen sensitivity to light, which enhances skin’s appearance, structure and texture.

What are you sitting tight for? Go, buy them and include these in your summer diet!

Business Boulevard An article featuring an awardwinning company that believes in making healthier products the right way

Appetite for disruption: New Coller FAIRR Index highlights risks and opportunities in changing food sector

Younick Corner An encouraging company that provides a range of quinoabased breakfast granolas free from gluten, dairy and reﬁned sugars and made from only 100% natural ingredients

A feature celebrating hundred year old legacy that creates sweet mustard and sells across the globe

Excellence Causeway The cover spotlights Natasha Case, who vowed to bring architecturally inspired, gourmet ice-cream through her innovating company Coolhaus

Don’t fly your startup blind, a partnership will increase your field of vision, a sequel to benefits and pitfalls of a startup partnership

Omniscient Voyage A write-up featuring one of the ﬁrst companies to sell US grown hemp products on a national scale

The ofﬁcial cocktail blogger reviews Sin-Kō-Nah Tonic Syrup

Newsmakers Locale A commentary on the movement that enables the bars and restaurants around the world to move to wine on tap

CONTENTS

Deﬁnitive Destination A journey of creating and delivering ﬂavorful meat snacks, corn dogs, pre-cooked bacon, smoked sausage, appetizers, pet treats and other value added products

A detailed illustration to the Tokyo Vegan Guide

ARCHITECTING

Sweet&Savory

Natasha Case CEO Coolhaus

n the newly advanced technological world, what do you think led to the transformative advances? In a world plagued with old problems, what was behind the bright spots—new thinking, new approaches and eﬀective outcomes? The answer is simple: Fearless Innovation.

This is a story of two women and their brand that dreams beyond boundaries, forecasts extraordinary trends, and is above the niche when it comes to innovation. Reuniting creativity and manufacturing, packaging their creation deliciously into ice-creams and cookies, Natasha Case and Freya Estreller vowed to bring architecturally inspired, gourmet ice-cream to the people of US. With mutual backgrounds in the design and real estate ﬁelds, they began naming their ice cream sandwiches after architects and architectural movements that inspired them, and thus, Coolhaus was born. What started out as an experiment to combine food and architecture has become one of the leading innovative small dessert businesses, growing signiﬁcantly to include 11 trucks in major U.S. cities (Los Angeles, New York, and Dallas), two brick-and-mortar shops in California, and even a namesake published book. Additionally, Coolhaus’ pre-packaged ice cream sandwiches, hand-dipped bars, and hand-packed pints are now available in 6,000+ grocery stores nationally, including Whole Foods and Gelson’s, and larger retailers

like Meijer and Safeway, and now internationally in Asia and the Middle East. The artist is a heightened manifestation of the craftsman The inception of the idea dates back in 2008 when Natasha was studying Architecture at UC Berkeley. Being an enthusiast in exploring simple stuff with design and dignity, she found her passion in infusing food into architecture – Farchitecture (Food + Architecture). The concept originated with the broader notion that design could enhance one’s eating experience, and, by the same token, that food could bring awareness to the design field, especially during the recession. During her first job at Disney Imagineering, Natasha started her experiments with quirky flavors turning them into delicious icecream sandwiches. Her innovative delicacy immediately struck a chord with the ice-cream aficionados. She was on a mission to explore architecture using food as the medium in order to “bring architecture to the people” in the simplest form. Natasha named her coolest inventions after architectural legends, design movements, and rising stars to inspire people to talk about architecture, get them excited to learn more, and make architecture fun and sociable. People couldn’t get enough of the flavors and puns associated with the ice-cream sammies named after famous architects. This gave her the real

push to take the entrepreneurial plunge. The romance of architecture in its creative potential—a marriage of art and pragmatism In late 2008, Natasha was introduced to her business partner, and now wife, Freya Estreller, who worked in real estate. They both shared a common interest in food and aspired to strategize a business together. Their chemistry paced-off with flirtatious emails, shaping out through their first date when Natasha brought the ice cream and cookies that she made for Freya. The magic sparked almost instantaneously and the duo decided to deliver their newfound passion in architecturally inspired gourmet ice-creams to their hometown streets in Los Angeles. The food truck craze has just begun with local delicacies available on the wheels, but craft ice-cream was yet to take-off. Cookies, ice cream, and their combinations presented endless possibilities to deconstruct flavor profiles, and using pun-y names like the “Frank Berry” (Snickerdoodle cookies + Strawberry ice cream) started making knowledge about design and architecture fun and accessible amongst consumers. Natasha and Freya decided they would be the first, putting $2,900 on a credit card for a beat-up postal van that had been renovated as an ice cream truck. They named the company Coolhaus, a triple entendre with the name of architect Rem Koolhaas, the Bauhaus movement and the

idea that an ice cream sandwich is like a tiny, cold house. The pair slayed their business by pushing through life’s challenges, obstacles and setbacks. They developed an untapped strength and tenacity through the process, which led to higher levels of creativity and a conscious control over life in accordance with their vision. You can walk through a wall when you don’t know it’s there In spring 2009, Coolhaus had their ﬁrst big launch to an audience of 100,000 people at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Natasha and Freya had it all worked-out by collaborating with co-packers to make enough ice cream and cookies. Giant freezers kept the products cold and allowed them to “scoop to order” for customers.

The only problem was to reach the venue. Their old ice cream truck had no engine, so the duo bought a AAA premier membership, which comes with a free 200-mile tow. Such strategic out-of-the-box thinking and complementary business skill set were the real Get-Set-Go behind Coolhaus. Natasha and Freya sold their ice cream sandwiches at $3.50 a piece, including an edible wrapper. Coolhaus was already trending on Instagram and Twitter before the end of the festival. A few weeks later, the couple already had a built-in audience and were up-with-their-fleet running across LA. At first, the duo focused on expanding Coolhaus’ convoy of trucks, taking on New York in 2011. They also established a Coolhaus store in Culver City, California in the same year. Eventually they added a second store in Pasadena along with several more trucks across United States. These ladies have hit that sweet spot of ice creams that were clever, whimsical, and crave-inducing with vegan varieties, heartier gelato base, and splendid sorbets. Now, a multi-million-dollar cult brand, Coolhaus boasts impressive flavors with the interesting names like Louis Ba-Kahn, Whiskey Lucky Charms, Aunt Gladys’ Fruit Cake, Street Cart Churro, Mintimalism, Cara-Mia Lehrer,

Campfire Smore’s… and the list goes on. Coolhaus distributes in gourmet grocery stores nationwide, ranging from Whole Foods to Safeway to Publix markets with 30 SKU’s including hand-crafted ice cream sandwiches, artisan pints and chocolate-dipped bars. In May 2014, Natasha published her cookbook, Coolhaus Ice Cream Book: Custom-Built Sandwiches with Crazy-Good Combos of Cookies, Ice Creams, Gelatos, and Sorbet. Encourage crazy ideas and respect all the flavors you have in your life In observing their partners and in reflecting on their own work, the ladies discovered that breakthroughs happened most frequently when people were willing to be bold, to act with urgency, and embrace risks with the potential to produce exponential social returns. At Coolhaus, they love all types of food and strive to push the boundaries of traditional dessert by creating unique, sweet-meets-savory flavors you can’t find anywhere else. When Natasha and Freya sit for a meal, it becomes obvious for them to think about

ways to turn the flavors they encounter into a good sandwich combo. A true invention of ginger cookies and chocolate wasabi ice cream came from their sushi dinner of pickled ginger radish and wasabi. Their adventurous palates have led to the creation of pint flavors, like Milkshake & Fries, Balsamic Fig & Mascarpone and Street Cart Churro Dough, that consistently shake up the freezer aisle. Coolhuas is extremely dedicated to innovation and committed to superlative quality. All Coolhaus ice cream is made at a 20% overrun making it one of the creamiest, most delicious ice creams on the market. Each treat is handcrafted with hormone free, real California milk, cage free eggs, fair-trade chocolate and the freshest, most unique ingredients available, meaning some flavors and ingredients are seasonal to promote peak flavor and responsible sourcing. You must close your ears to critics and Keep Moving! Natasha started the brand as one ice cream truck and is proud to have her product in over 6000 stores

nationwide. She faced negative criticism for the crazy idea and challenges behind the scenes; being a founder never stops throwing you curveballs. She has been searching for a way to make architecture more accessible to the public and her success reﬂects in twitter posts from celebrity Coolhaus fans like John Legend and Kumail Nanjiani. Every forward-thinking company needs a mission, vision and values to unify the workforce. Coolhaus is a proud women-owned brand and that can be a challenge with most of the industry being run by men. But by staying true to their vision, creating the best possible product and encouraging and promoting other women-owned the company thrives gloriously. Ever since its launch, Coolhaus has been bestowed upon with many awards and accolades. Natasha has been named a Forbes 30 under 30 Food & Beverage, LinkedIn 10 under 35 for Food & Leisure, Zagat 30 Under 30, as well as being featured in many national publications and radio like Cosmo, Dwell, and NPR, and TV shows including Food Network’s Chopped, Barefoot Contessa, Unique Sweets, Good Morning America, King of Cones, Andy Cohen Live and many more. It is an honorable achievement for Coolhaus as they are now available in grocery stores across the country. The company envisions creating innovative ﬂavors with the highest quality ingredients. They are excited to be launching new holiday SKUs in November.

Healthier Generations

Bobby Patel Founder Appy Food & Drinks

ice, soy, corn, wheat and palm oil are the “new frontier” of climate action, stated Oxfam as it published new data detailing the “massive” environmental impact of the world’s major commodities. If they were grouped together and listed as a country, the above ﬁve commodities would make it to the third position in terms of largest carbon emitters in the world, behind only China and USA. Moreover, it’s high time for the food & drinks sector to get serious about driving down their supply chain emissions with sciencebased targets that also reduce the risk for smallholder suppliers. While this is the environmental side of the story, the world is even neglecting on the sweet danger of sugar and processed food. Sugar in all forms is highly addictive, unbalances the body and processed sugars contributes to health problems like metabolic disorder and cancer.

Contrary to all, always glued to uprightness is Appy Food & Drinks, an award-winning company that believes in making healthier products the right way. With over 10 years of market knowledge and passion to develop their own formulations, the company aims to create better products for upcoming generations. Appy Food & Drinks uses the most innovative and natural ingredients, such as organically grown Stevia, and ethical and environment-friendly methods, for production. Value comes from believing in yourself, and the market Appy Food & Drinks was born out of a passion to improve the food and drink industry by offering consumers better options than what was readily available on supermarket shelves. Over the past century, industrial agriculture and the globalized food system have successfully produced longer lasting, cheaper and more diverse food items. One can now enjoy tropical fruits in winter, purchase whole chickens at dirt-cheap price, and eat fresh bread long after it was baked. Nowadays, there are ads for “local” produce, “free-run” eggs and “pasture-raised” beef all over grocery stores. The variety of choice signifies that consumers are thinking more about the food they eat: not just its nutritional content, but also how it was produced. The visionary company, Appy Food & Drinks, felt a strong urge to provide people with a choice of wholesome products that are affordable as well as ethically made. Food is no longer simply a matter of taste or convenience. The

food choices all over the world have become ethical and environmental issues. The company aims at catering foods and refreshments that taste good, feel good and are a force for good.

The company plans its fortune, but the leader directs the steps With diabetes in his family, the company’s founder, Bobby Patel had first-hand experience of the detrimental effects caused by a processed and high sugar diet, and was determined to encourage future generations to adopt a healthier way of living. Bobby’s entrepreneurial journey started with the creation of a global distribution company that gave him a taste for the food & drink industry, and allowed him to establish strong relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers. This successful venture was closely followed by the development of a creative branding agency which later became a part of Appy Food & Drinks’ in-house design team. Such rewarding associations provided the founder with the necessary tools to build the now multi-award winning company, and he regularly shares his extensive knowledge by being a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs. There have been many achievements since the launch of Appy Food & Drinks. However being taken on by Tesco, one of the biggest supermarket chains in the UK, within the first year of trading was a very proud moment for the company; the fact that such a respected retailer was happy to list their products reinforced their belief that they were doing something right. This in-turn motivated the team to keep going so

that they can make a real difference within the food and beverage industry. ‘People before profit’ – the sustainable mantra for success People are at the core of all business and life. Not technology. Not financials. People. The success behind Appy Food & Drinks is actually the team that has grown throughout the years and become a real family. The team behind Appy Food & Drinks is a small yet incredibly dedicated and passionate group of creative people. The company’s ‘people before profit’ mantra begins with the people behind the brand, and each individual plays an important role within the business. The founder is a firm believer that everyone’s talent is equally valuable, and as such every team player is given the opportunity to express ideas, share solutions, and to create. The food and beverages industry is extremely competitive, so the strategy at Appy Food & Drinks while launching a new product has been to offer the consumer something different, specifically healthy goods that are also affordable. By filling a gap in the market, the company quickly established itself as the go-to brand for shoppers seeking better options than what was traditionally available in supermarket aisles. Customers are now very much aware of what products and ingredients to avoid, so the company’s clean history of being first-and-ever to bring wholesome items made with sustainably sourced materials certainly goes in their favor. Consumers have been loyal to the Appy brand because they trust the logo and what it stands for. Kindness and courtesy is the root of good customer service Appy Food & Drinks has developed an extensive portfolio of healthy products that are now sold worldwide, and is able to help other businesses to do the

same. The brand prides itself on doing things in the right way – from being experts in sourcing sustainable and natural ingredients, through to designing earth-friendly packaging that will help goods to stand out against the competition. The company’s expertise in the sector can assist emerging, as well as established, brands in creating unique tailor-made products to suit their target market. In addition, Appy Food and Drinks utilizes their far-reaching connections to fast-track the launch process of their products both in the UK and overseas.

The company is now able to offer, with extensive expertise, a private label service to retailers who want to increase their turnover with products that are always on trend. The company’s growing product portfolio includes the world’s first stevia based kids juice drink range, which cut calories and sugar by 50%. A goal without a plan is just a wish Appy Food & Drinks has lots of plans in the pipeline. The team has just moved to a new working space that shares their green values to reduce their impact on the environment, and they are on track to cut 250 tonnes of plastic by 2021. In addition, the company plans on expanding the product portfolio for its own brand further to suit different global markets’ needs, as well as sourcing sustainable ingredients for its private label clients and help them to develop their own healthy lowcost goods. A successful business is dependent on solid branding and a well-thought-out marketing strategy. Appy believes in its products and is confident that it offers better choices for customers; however, the customer needs to believe this too. A coherent and consistent message is crucial to gain consumers’ trust, and to build the necessary loyalty a brand needs in order to grow. One advice is to stay true to your values and business vision, and to communicate this through every aspect of your brand – from product packaging through to advertising materials.

Appetite for disruption: New Coller FAIRR Index highlights risks and opportunities in changing

FOOD SECTOR Maria Lettini Director FAIRR Initiative

n sectors from coal to cars, investors have seen how megatrends like climate change and technology can transform an industry and make once-leading companies rapidly seem outdated and unattractive. For many investors, the next sector ripe for such disruption is global food production: possibly the world’s largest industry.

Today, modern methods of intensive farming have helped the meat, ﬁsh and dairy sector become a proﬁtable part of the global food supply chain. But as these companies expand, and investors, consumers and other stakeholders gain more knowledge about the food system, there is a growing need for a deeper dialogue around issues such as climate risk and antibiotic overuse, as well healthier consumption choices and innovation in the plant-based protein sector.

That is why many of the investors in the FAIRR network, who collectively manage $5.9trn in assets, have supported the creation of the new Coller FAIRR Protein Producer Index. The new index, launched this week, assesses 60 of the largest livestock and fisheries companies. These companies are valuable in themselves, with a combined market cap of close to $300bn, but also have wider influence as they supply the animal protein for the countless nuggets, burgers and dairy products consumed every day. Looking through the lens of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. the Coller FAIRR Index is the first of its kind to capture the enormous investment risks and opportunities that are building in this area. From antibiotics stewardship to water management, greenhouse gas inventories to investment in “plant-based meats”, there are some stand-out best-in-class practices emerging in each of the nine sustainability risk factors analysed by the index. However, it is also clear that, too often, this leadership is not being followed by the majority of the sector. Overall, 60% of the animal protein

producers in the index — 36 large companies worth $152bn — are categorised as “high risk” for investors. On the issue of antibiotics alone, three in four companies display inadequate polices or have no measures in place to reduce their excessive use of antibiotics, despite emerging regulation and public and investor pressure for them to do so. Major suppliers to McDonalds and KFC, including Chinese ﬁrm Fujian Sunner and Indian ﬁrm Venky’s, are among those graded

“high risk”, both in overall management of sustainability and in antibiotics stewardship in particular. Furthermore, 72% of index companies performed poorly on management and disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions, putting the implementation of the Paris Agreement in jeopardy. What is clear is that investors need ESG data and transparency to make better investment decisions, yet this information is lacking in the meat, ﬁsh and dairy

sector. This is the ﬁrst index to help investors bridge that knowledge gap. It is the ﬁrst iteration of the Coller FAIRR Index, and it aims to be a useful starting point to further dialogues between investors and these important food suppliers to help both harness the upside of disruption and to manage the challenges ahead.

Beautifully Healthy

33 Danielle Copperman Founder Qnola

here’s an illusionary myth owing to the cereals and granolas being a healthy breakfast substitute for ﬁtness enthusiasts. Breakfast is often described as the most important meal of the day, providing as it does sustenance and energy for whatever activities lay ahead. The ﬁrst thing to consider is how the failure to eat something at the start of the day can have surprisingly serious health consequences for those concerned.

Danielle Copperman, the founder of Qnola, took the dive to break the myth. A pioneer in the F&B industry, Qnola, provides a range of quinoa-based breakfast granolas free from gluten, dairy and reﬁned sugars and made from only 100% natural ingredients. Passion is the reason we journey, perseverance lights our way! Before launching Qnola, Danielle had no previous background or experience in business or food development. Having left school at the age of 18, Danielle moved to London to pursue modelling full time, which is when she drastically changed her diet and started making Qnola for herself at home. Before Qnola, Danielle (like many of us) was addicted to sugary, shop bought cereals; when she cut out gluten and sugar from her diet, she was inspired to make something

just as delicious and just as simple and quick to prepare, using whole and functional ingredients.

There is a fine line between healthy and unhealthy, and we often overlook the amount of sugar or the different types of sugars in food products. Many people check labels for fat and calorie figures, but don’t check sugar content, types of sugars used or other sweeteners, flavourings, additives and preservatives. You can be buying products that are advertised as healthy and that seem healthy but that are still not 100% healthy if you look closely. Cutting down sugar is really important to reduce blood sugar imbalances and hormone imbalances, reduce the risk of weight gain and to reduce fatigue in order to have more energy. Sugar is also closely

linked to main illnesses, both physically and mentally, and so cutting down on it could help considerably reduce certain health issues too. A journey of thousand miles begins with a single post on Instagram. According to insights by researchers and scientists, we should all be aiming to consume around 15–25% of our daily energy intake at breakfast. It is a proven fact that eating a nutritious breakfast sets the tone for the day and promotes weight maintenance by maintaining blood glucose levels and your metabolism.

For Danielle, being a multitasker with a busy schedule, giving up sugar and grains meant giving up energyrich sources, including traditional granolas. This left her feeling lost in the mornings, and in search of a healthy alternative – something which, at that point, didn’t exist in the market. Danielle started making Qnola for herself as a healthier alternative to sugary shop-bought granolas and as a model, something quick and easy to take to photo-shoots. After posting an image of Qnola on Instagram in the very early stages, Danielle started receiving personal orders from health-conscious followers. The demand-driven product then developed into a worldwide brand, one department store and health food shop at a time. Danielle noticed there was a high demand for the product in the UK and wanted to create a more honest and reliable breakfast option that was ready-to-eat to give people a more functional start to the day, and to provide more sustainable energy and set the tone for the rest of the day.

Qnola only uses ingredients that are close to their natural form i.e.; not heavily processed, heated or refined, and as fresh and functional as possible. The company sources the ingredients from vendors as locally as possible and is proud to be using quinoa grown right in their parent country, Britain. Wake up well and seize the day! Qnola is a range of quinoa-based breakfast granolas free from gluten, dairy and refined sugars and made from only 100% natural ingredients. Qnola products have an extremely original USP as they include quinoa in all of their products. None of Qnola’s competitors use quinoa in their recipes, and an inclusion of this high fibre, high protein seed / grain is what sets the Qnola products apart from the rest. The company claims that they have the lowest amount in sugar in their products. The only sugar used in making of Qnola is entirely natural and minimally refined coconut palm sugar. The healthy, tasty, gluten free and vegan breakfast-substitutes from Qnola differentiates them from most of their competitors with cereals on the market. Qnola’s original products are paleo and vegan, which are super high in fibre, protein and antioxidants. Earlier this year, the company launched a new range with grains (which aren’t paleo), to keep up with demand and customer desires as they plan to expand into new markets. Along with the exponential growth of her company, Danielle taught herself all aspects of running a business and continues to grow and develop as the

industry adapts and consumers needs evolve. Knowing your market is the beginning of all wisdom. Over the last few years, there’s been a tremendous demand for plant-based protein, and calls to reduce the use of plastic in food and drinks industry. Consumers are more educated than ever before and are conscious that the food they are buying is both good for them and isn’t harmful on the environment at the same time. Qnola is quite perceptive about the fact. The company is proud about using a base of organic British quinoa combined with nuts and seeds, which are naturally high in protein and ﬁbre. Consumers are increasingly seeking products that will help sustain them throughout the day and leave them fuller for longer. Qnola is a nourishing morning meal that provides many of the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs to thrive. As a small business, the company does its best to keep their carbon footprint as low as possible and is always looking into ways which can

reduce the amount of plastic use in packaging. Their manufacturer has recently installed solar panels, meaning their energy consumption and production will soon be selfsufficient. It’s the small victories that help win the big battles! The victory moment and the journey ahead. Qnola celebrating its largest order from Selfridge’s food hall was a major moment for the team. Their journey from selling directly to customers and in small deli’s to this globally acclaimed department store has been truly remarkable. Danielle adores all of the amazing press the product has received. All the instagram tags and posts from people enjoying her creation have made it all very worthwhile for the founder! Qnola has planned a lot of strategic outcomes for future. There are a lot of things in the pipeline. Some of them aren’t officially signed off but the company vaguely reveals that they plan to launch some exciting new products to their breakfast range, including snacks and clusters – all free from gluten, grains, dairy and refined sugar.

Jayme Plunkett talking to a group of young entrepreneurs at FocusVision’s Fresno oﬃce, 2016

Don’t ﬂy your startup blind, a partnership will increase your ﬁeld of vision

“

he rule for decision making in life and business goes like this: The fewest blind spots wins.” -Paul Singh

Neither staff, board members, nor consultants have sufficient incentive, expertise, or capability to walk alongside you and see the pitfalls lurking in your blind spots. Only a partner can consistently help gather and interpret the disparate data inputs from customers, markets, and employees to ensure your firm minimizes failures.

Upon starting Decipher, Jayme and I chose to bootstrap our company vs find outside funding. By the end of the year we were high-fiving each other and our 6 staff members as we reported over $1m in sales from marquee clients including Intuit and Disney. In our smugness, we hired a consultant to do a strategy retreat mid-January 2001 (9 months after launch). During the 2-hour drive to our retreat destination I fielded calls from all but 2 of our customers and we had just lost 93% of our business. That Sunday we had one of the most difficult conversations a partnership will ever have, “Should we shut down Decipher or continue?” I felt we would be safer getting jobs, but Jayme pressed that this was the time to take advantage of the market shakeup. We left that conversation with the grim determination that we would do whatever we had to do to make Decipher thrive.

The first half of 2001 continued to be highly challenging. We ultimately laid off all but one staff member who was willing to take his pay in room and board. I’d do between 20 and 50 cold calls a day, and Jayme and I would make the drive from Fresno to the Silicon Valley once a week. This was our schedule… 4am, fuel: Coffee, donut and gas 4–8am, drive: We used this time to program surveys (the one not driving), discuss customer opportunities, and laugh 9am, sales meeting 1: Our narrative was basically, “Do you have any needs?” If yes, we would respond, “Great! We can do that!” We did just about everything over those recovering years from designing and building usability labs for our corporate customers to doing intercept surveys in malls. If it paid, we did it. 11am, sales meeting 2 2pm, sales meeting 3 4pm, sales meeting 4 7pm, sales meeting 5: This was usually more social and hopefully involved a drink. 10pm, fuel: Coffee, donut and gas 10–1am, drive: Thank you ACDC, kick ass speakers and air conditioning! Oh yeah, and laughter! Especially laughter. Because of Jayme’s visibility to see what I could not, we kept our foot on the gas. Finally, in July things started to turn around and we started seeing

double-digit month over month growth. For years to come, we religiously would make a trip to the bay area twice monthly. These trips always included 5 sales meetings. In hindsight, it would have been so easy to go Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh Character) but it simply didn’t occur to us. We knew we had to succeed, so we did…and smiled the whole time. These are the 4 things that, I believe, are the foundation of a successful partnership. These are NOT natural but can be intentionally cultivated. ·

Transparency: Measure everything. As a leader, the temptation is to measure success by being busy. Life simply doesn’t work like that. You must be intentional. Declare what you will do, when it’ll be done and how it will move the needle. Finally, keep people aware of your progress.

Self-awareness: Take a critical eye towards yourself, your performance, your ideas and your work. This will foster productive conversations, humility and combat single-mindedness (I’m right and you are dumb).

Vulnerable: Don’t just be open to feedback, seek it! Once received, honestly review and apply what ﬁts while discarding what doesn’t.

ur current social obsession with food is unquestionable. Be that as it may, while the advent of the foodie might be a 21st century marvel, from an evolutionary point of view, taste has long characterized our identity as a species. The world of taste has evolved with the time. But the cravings for good taste has stayed constant over the decades. One such king of tasty mustards is Händlmaier – a century old global brand of sweet Bavarian mustards.

It doesn’t bother to Händlmaier, whether its products are acquired in discount chains or gourmet shops, such as in London’s traditional “Harrods.” Customers can’t argue with good taste – especially when it concerns Händlmaier. The mustard brand has developed a special world that is appreciated and loved worldwide, through its distinctive design, innovative flavors and trendsetting packaging. They always focus on the needs of their customers and, alongside handy sachets for travelling, Händlmaier offers large packaging for use in catering. A hundred year old secret recipe It all began in 1910, when master butcher Karl and his wife Johanna Händlmaier founded a butcher shop on Gesandtenstraße in Regensburg. Johanna wanted to offer their customers something special in

Franz Wunderlich CEO HĂ¤ndlmaier

44 addition to their sausages. Thus, she created the sweet homemade mustard in 1914, thereby laying the foundation of the company you know today. In 1945, after the end of the Second World War, Karl’s son Josef took over the business along with his wife Luise. The mustard making tradition continued of course. After a short time, they opened six stores of their own that were sold to the Ostermeier sausage manufacturer in 1964 to focus solely on the production and sale of the sweet mustard. That same year, Luise Händlmaier GmbH was established. After the death of Luise Händlmaier in 1981, the company was run by Christa Aumer, Luise’s daughter and Christa’s son Franz Wunderlich led the company. Growth

was visible to them and the more growth meant more space. In 1992, the company left its headquarters in Regensburg’s old town and built a new mustard factory in a commercial area just outside the city and the boom followed. Today, Händlmaier supplies all grocery chains in Germany, is represented in Austria, South Tyrol and Switzerland, and intends to make the sweet mustard tasty for EU newcomers in the Czech Republic in the near future. To put in numbers, about 37 tons of mustard ﬁlled with 90,000 glasses leave the factory each day. Always makes only the best The philosophy that’s followed at Händlmaier is to always make only

the best. And thus, all they use for their products is unique quality; the best raw materials that can be got on the world market and from Mother Nature! Fresh mustard seeds from Canada, clear water, brown sugar, wine vinegar and of course the secret spices that that they never reveals. For Händlmaier, nature is of highest order and must be protected and preserved for generations to come. And the same can be seen in their

Relying on the employees is the greatest achievement All Händlmaier products are characterized by their high quality, reﬂected in the raw materials, in each production step and in the expertise of their employees. Händlmaier is particularly proud of their employees. Many of them have been with the company for decades and are responsible for its success. To make their everyday work as pleasant as possible, the ﬁrm continually invests in its production locations

process. All packaging materials are sorted and sent for recycling. Their wastewater is treated and puriﬁed before it reaches the sewage system. The transport of their goods is optimized so that the loading area of each individual truck is optimally used. The various delivery points are assembled to optimal routes. Thus, there are no double trips and as short as possible. This in turn saves gas and protects the environment.

and administration building and create a sense of well-being with the landscaped grounds. It is very important to Franz that their employees feel at home when they are at the workplace. Because he believes it’s not just working time that they spend here, it’s lifetime! Keeping in mind the same, Franz has tried to make the environment of the company as pleasant as possible.

Numerous green areas are created around the company building, trees and flowers are planted. The offices are bright and friendly. There is a cozy kitchen with a dining room where all staff meet at lunchtime to eat together. Because of which, they have grown together to a great and strong team, and stand with a lot of commitment and dedication to the goals of the company. A dream that began a century ago and continues to prosper even today Händlmaier’s synergy between innovative products and traditional ideas has gifted the company with awards and honors on a regular basis. For example, Händlmaier has received the highest award in the food industry three times now. The Top Brand award makes it clear that, out of all their competitors, they were able to achieve the biggest expansion to their range of distribution. In 2015, the publication Deutsche Standards (German Standards) named them ‘Brand of the Century’ in the category ‘Mustard’. This is a mark of their success at establishing their own ‘brand world’ – one that is always oriented towards the needs of their customers, making it a beloved and highly valued brand, both within Germany and around the world. Franz sees a beautiful Händlmaier jar present in every home where sausages and grilled meats are enjoyed. Händlmaier fan clubs prove that they have now reached cult status with their products, which are available both in Bavaria and in the United States.

49 Ari Sherman Co-founder & President Evo Hemp

Jourdan Samel CEO & Co-founder Evo Hemp

here will never arrive that perfect time for you to perform an action. There isn’t a perfect time to release a product, write a book, change your habits or embrace a new one. Start where you stand and work hard to ascend up the ladder of success.

The above statement might seem to be a bit far-fetched to execute in our practical life, but, surprisingly, it holds a massive weight of truth. For Jourdan Samel and Ari Sherman it was never about the right time, rather it was always about executing their ideas and belief into reality. They chose Hemp as their primal product offering, a plant species shadowed under the obscure corner of prohibition. Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is one of the oldest and versatile plants in the world. It boasts the potential to create over 50,000 different products and has numerous health benefits. Yet, owing to its close-quartered relationship with marijuana, another form of cannabis, hemp had gone down to be deemed as illegal. Over the years, accessibility to information and booming rate of awareness has propelled the Hemp market into a billion dollar industry. Much of this shifting trend or rather demand can be owed to Jourdan and Ari, who cofounded Evo Hemp. Evo Hemp was one of the first companies to sell US grown hemp products on a national scale. Today, the company holds over 3,000 retail stores nationwide including Kroger, Whole Foods Market and Costco.

Great Things never came from Comfort Zone Both Jourdan and Ari always had that entrepreneurial spirit. Ari was only 7, when he began his ﬁrst venture. He had opened a concession stand outside his neighborhood pool and sold snacks. Experiences like this has helped both Jourdan and Ari to build something from the bottom and cultivating success therein. Right out of college, Jourdan and Ari decided to learn about the economic and environmental beneﬁts of industrial hemp farming. “My mother is a nurse and she suggested we look into hemp foods,” recalls Ari.

It was only after conducting a thorough research that they found out about the umpteen number of nutritional benefits of hemp foods. They realized that hemp foods are the most nutritionally complete food source in the world. This was that pivotal moment when they decided to step out of their comfort zone and formed Evo Hemp in 2012, spreading awareness about hemp products in the process. The Changing face of the Industry The history of hemp goes centuries back. It was almost 10,000 years ago when the first hemp fibre weaving had begun. In America, Hemp had a long-standing popularity amongst farmers, until a smear campaign associating it with

Marijuana assured its demise. Movies like Reefer Madness and the World War II propaganda all but cemented the fall of hemp. Years overshadowed by its sexier cousin, marijuana, the hemp industry now, because of companies like Evo Hemp, is starting to make a name for itself for all the right reason. Over the years there has been a changing scenario in the Food and Beverages industry. This is due to disruptive companies like Amazon, which are transforming the brick and mortar retail experience with their acquisition of the Whole Foods Market. People are making purchasing decisions online owing to this shift. The hemp derived CBD market is slowly but steadily penetrating the F&B industry and we can expect to see many new and established brands stepping into the market to launch CBD products in the next few years. As one of the flag bearers in the industry, Evo Hemp strives to maintain a standard of quality that echoes efficiency. The products of Evo Hemp are organically grown and the extracts are created using an organic certified subcritical CO2 system. The company supports poor rural communities, like its partnership with Alex White Plume and the Lakota Tribe. A Look at the Journey – Past and Future “The journey has been exciting and exhausting at the same time,” rightly mentions Ari. Both Ari and

Jourdan build and expanded its business from the grassroots with limited financial resources behind their back. It was at one of their friends catering kitchen where the two co-founders handmade the first lot of 75.000 hemp bards. At present, Evo Hemp has 4 different co-manufacturing facilities, two sales teams and two marketing teams to its name.

Even after the rising popularity of Hemp products, there still exists a false perception regarding the plant. For Evo Hemp, there biggest challenge has been related to marketing hemp products. Speaking about the challenge, Ari claims “Web serviced such as Facebook, Google, Bing and Yahoo restrict how hemp companies can advertise with most banning them all together.” In the near future, Evo Hemp will be seen bringing CBD supplements into the national big box retailers such as Costco, Kroger, Target and more. The company hopes to expand its reach of services to customers beyond US. “We still have a long way to go but seeing celebrities randomly tag photos of our products on their social media channels is pretty rewarding,” concludes an optimistic and excited Ari.

Sin-Kō-Nah Tonic Syrup Cameron Larkin The Oﬃcial Cocktail Blogger

hat is Tonic Syrup? Tonic Syrup originated back in the 1820s. Infused with Cinchona Bark, which is the natural source of Quinine. Originally used for the British India Officers to ease fever and eliminate malaria but mixing it with Soda and Gin has seen it became an icon of the Colonial Empire. Tasting Notes The Cinchona Bark gives off a unique bitter flavour and gives a brown colour to the syrup. A taste of juniper berries, lemon, lime and oranges are involved.

Drinking and mixing the syrup gives of an easy bitter ﬂavour and you can taste the delicate sweet citrus. What it is best used for or paired with? First test was adding a teaspoon to a Gin and Tonic. I felt like I was getting healthy while drinking it; a win-win situation!

With the bitterness I just had to try Sin-Kō-Nah in a Negroni Ingredients 30mls Blind Tiger Organic Gin 30mls Antica Formula Vermouth 20mls Sin-Kō-Nah Tonic Syrup Dash of Promise Ash Bitters (Canada) Method Pour all ingredients into a short glass over a large ice cube, stir and garnish with a large orange peel. Price Point 500ml (makes approx 6.25 litres of Tonic Water) $45 200ml (makes around 2.5 litres of Tonic Water) $24 Where to get it from Online: tonicsyrup.com/sinkonah/ Overall Opinion and Review Drinking with health beneﬁts it’s a proven muscle relaxant also used to treat stress, heartburn, upset stomach and leg cramps (so, have a few drinks and let the body unwind). Visually; the label is great and has this great sticky textured feel to it. The bottle it’s self is well presented. The brown tonic syrup isn’t very appealing especially in a gin and tonic but to be honest, it gets away with that once you have a taste! To simplify it all add some Sin-Kō-Nah to a gin and tonic and let the mind and body relax. I would love to hear what you think about Sin-Kō-Nah and how you’ve incorporated it into your recipes.

Drink Sustainably

Jordan Kivelstadt CEO & Co-founder Free Flow Wines, LLC

nly a couple of years back, wine leaving a tap was almost certainly bottom-shelf box wine or a mass-produced offering attempting to cut expenses. Recently, however, there have been rumblings in the wine world about new advancements, environmental advantages and diminished overheads, and before you know it, wine on tap is all over the world. But, why wine on tap? Moving away from conventional glass wine bottles towards shipping and serving wine in greater bulk, from kegs, is advantageous for the environment, decreases waste and consumes less room. It additionally enhances serving pace and minimizes expenses for bars and restaurants. At the forefront of wine on tap movement is Napa, California-based, Free Flow Wines. Founded by two wineindustry veterans, Jordan Kivelstadt & Dan Donahoe in 2009, Free Flow Wines has since then led the movement to reach global audience and enabled the bars and restaurants around the world to move to wine on tap. The founders wanted to innovate beyond the bottle and give wine lovers a better glass of wine, by eliminating spoiled & oxidized wine, and reducing the carbon footprint of wines service by the glass. They developed Free Flow Wines services (keg leasing, filling & logistics services) to help serve delicious wines in the most environmentally friendly way – on tap. To date, Free Flow Wines has proudly eliminated more than 24 million pounds of trash (glass, corks, foils & cartons) from the landfill.

Since foundation, Free Flow Wines hasn’t deflected from its initial goal that’s to create a cost effective, environmentally friendly way to ensure wine drinkers are always drinking the best possible version of the wines they love. Saving the world…one keg at a time. The beginning of this amalgamation between taste and innovation began in Dan’s garage in San Francisco with the purchase of 60 used beer kegs and the first nationally distributed premium wine brand available in keg called Silvertap. Soon, friends began asking them to help put their wines in keg and move them around the country.

Since then, Free Flow has gotten out of the branded wine business and provide services to more than 250 wineries to help manage and grow their wine on tap programs. Alongside its ﬁlling, leasing & logistics services, Free Flow also provides a host of education, sales & marketing support to help get more taps ﬂowing across the country.

Building and driving a revolutionary movement from the ground up is never easy and the founders have learned a lot along the way; from the best ways to package the wine into kegs to developing best practices for dispense. Also, critical components to building the category that Free Flow leads – have been solidifying strong relationships with key partners from the dispense equipment manufacturers & installers, distributors and restaurant operators. Free Flow works closely with restaurant operators from small independent accounts to large national accounts to help them understand the benefits of wine-on-tap from ROI and profitability, to best practices and staff training for educating their consumers and selling more wine. The operational efficiency benefits are key for restaurant operators and that’s Free Flow intends to do every time, all the time. Meet the Maestro Jordan has been leading the growth of the business since the beginning. He was trained as an engineer at Tufts University before moving on

to management consulting for over two years. In 2006, Jordan began his career in the wine industry as production manager for The Donum Estate. Since then he has made wine in four countries, founded his own bottle brand, Kivelstadt Cellars, manages his family’s organic 10-acre Sonoma County, California vineyard and continues to innovate in the industry he loves. Innovative and qualitative at the same time Today’s consumers demand quality-focused, sustainable alternative packaging solutions. Millennials want something new and approachable without sacrificing in quality. And Free Flow’s wine-on-tap and wine-in-acan both meet these demands. Free Flow is the only company that leases, fills and manages the logistics of reusable stainless-steel kegs for wineries. The firm knows how to take care of wine and understand how to maintain quality from keg to the tap. Included in its keg services, Free Flow has also expanded its offerings to include bulk wine storage, a 2nd facility in Bayonne, NJ and canning services to help support this new and quickly growing category. While leading this kind of movement, Free Flow has always welcomed challenges and has proudly tackled them. Some of them include resistance to change and initial perception issues that “keg wine” and “canned wine” are of lesser quality. But, Free Flow

have proven again and again that wine-on-tap in stainless-steel kegs and wine-in-a-can are qualityfocused, premium and delicious. Free Flow started with only premium wines in keg including Copain, Saintsbury, Treftehen & Au Bon Climat to name a few, which quickly convinced both winemakers, operators & consumers of the value proposition. The beneﬁts to wineries, consumers and operators is now widely

understood, it’s just a matter of being able to work through the spatial & cost constraints to get more taps pouring. The future that looks bright Talking about the moment when the founders felt their work has paid off, Jordan said, “after the first few years, where we spent a lot of time promoting the concept to convince the skeptics – all parties involved (winemakers, distributors, restaurant operators & consumers) now get it and reach out to us proactively wanting to get wine on tap. They are seeking it out independently and every day, we are learning about more accounts featuring wine on tap in a profound way. This surely feels that the work is paying off.” Going ahead, Free Flow is looking for new ways to innovate sustainable alternative packaging space with goals to continue reducing the CO2 footprint of the wines we drink while elevating the quality for the consumer. Sure there is a lot to achieve for Free Flow, but then, they are already way ahead of the market.

Passionately Innovate

Karl Schledwitz Chairman & CEO Monogram Foods

e has always been a serial entrepreneur and believes he inherited it from his father who passed away when he was 18. He ran small businesses in high school and throughout college, and has always been attracted to new ventures. So, when the idea for a new venture was pitched to him, he couldn’t reject. He got in the food business and was largely driven around his respect for his partner who had spent his entire career in that space. During the due diligence period, he also learned that his partner had a signiﬁcant following. He correctly predicted that if his partner got involved in starting his own business many of his partner’s associates would follow. But how could have he known that more than decade later their business would grow to become a leading producer and distributer of packaged meat products, snacks, and appetizers. How could have he known that the company he was starting with nine employees would grow to employ 3000 team members? He couldn’t have. But it was his faith in his partner and in their idea that grew the company. He is Karl Schledwitz, his partner is Wes Jackson, and the company is Monogram Foods.

Karl and Wes founded Monogram Foods in 2004 after purchasing King Cotton and Circle B brand meats from Sara Lee Corp. Today, Monogram Foods creates and delivers ﬂavorful meat snacks, corn dogs, pre-cooked bacon, smoked sausage, appetizers, pet treats and other value added products. Monogram’s broad portfolio includes products such as beef jerky, sausage, hot dogs, pre-cooked bacon, and other processed food items. While on the other hand, Monogram has plethora of brands that include Circle B®, King Cotton®, and Trail’s Best Meat Snacks®. Customer satisfaction is prioritized. Over the years, Monogram has appreciated the importance of its customers for private label brands and co-packed brands. Monogram has earned the trust of its customers and has produced over one-billion dollars of business without a single product recall. Monogram’s rapid growth in private label and strategic co-packing is based on producing consistently to customer speciﬁcations, food safety, service, innovation, production capabilities and exceptional total value. Monogram manufactures a full line of savory, nutritious meat snacks including jerky, meat sticks, pickled products, corndogs, pancake and sausage on a stick, mini corndogs, precooked bacon, a wide variety of appetizers, and more. The company formulates its products to meet rigorous taste and quality standards, and ensures that their products meet the same strict standards as national brands. Monogram understands its product categories and shares its

experience in packaged goods with their partners, helping to ensure that the products they choose to put their name on are competitive and relevant to customers. Monogram’s in-house creative department oﬀers design services and is proud to have developed some of the strongest packaging and merchandising vehicles in the marketplace.

For Monogram, maintaining over 40% annual growth rates has truly been invigorating, but it has also been extremely challenging. Monogram puts growth in the first sentence of its mission statement, “Grow our team. Grow our customers. Grow profits together.” Everybody knows Monogram is a growth company. “When you are a growth company there are always a lot of uncertainties, sometimes some insecurity and lots of ups and downs. Not everyone can survive much less thrive in such a fast paced environment,” asserts Karl. Growing with the team and customers makes profits Monogram is primarily a co-packer and private label manufacturer. “In other words, 80% of our revenue comes from making products for private label retailers and/or other branded companies. As a result our brand strategy is limited to primarily regional brands that don’t directly compete with the national brands we co-pack for. In the jerky section, we are very proud of the Wild Bill’s jerky which has a cult like following. Regionally in the mid-south area, we have King Cotton and Circle B brands, our fastest growing brands,” he adds. Karl says if given the choice, he would always invest capital and

upgrade existing infrastructure with smart technologies as opposed to acquiring another business. The main difference is not having to paint the sky blue for an acquisition. If Monogram invests in their current assets, organic growth and opportunity happen through increased internal capacity. Karl believes the other important benefit in today’s environment is new technology and automation. He firmly trusts that almost every CEO of any food company would say the number one priority of the food industry is food safety. The number two priority for Karl is being able to attract, retain and train a qualified work force. Automation increases food safety and decreases the effects of employee turnover on production. Hence, automation is a big advantage in this food industry market. Never, never, never give up. “I truly believe a company’s culture is the one thing that you can control that can set you apart. My partner, Wes Jackson, and I focus on company culture in everything that we do. We are in the process of adding a full time Chief Development Officer who will help us make sure that the values of the company are engrained in every step from hiring, to orientation through advancement,” affirms Karl on company’s culture. “I don’t know that there is any moment that one realizes that the hard work is paying off. When you are growing as fast as we are it is something you can never take your eye off of,” he adds. Karl’s favorite advice to give to anybody wanting to be an entrepreneur is summed up in the tag line he has added to his signature line in which he borrows his favorite quote from Winston Churchill,

“Never, never, never give up.” You just have to have positive attitude combined with a hard work ethic and make sure you are pursuing a company vision with passion. Meet the spearhead Karl Schledwitz was born and raised in Frayser, TN. He worked his way through college at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville where he was Student Body President and was heavily involved in democratic

politics. Karl also worked full-time through his graduation from the University of Memphis Law School. Karl began his career as a lawyer and real estate developer and transitioned to entrepreneurship in the 1980’s by raising private equity for start-up companies. He has since raised over $250 million of private capital. In 2014, Ernst & Young recognized him as the Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2017, Karl was selected as the recipient of the Meatingplace’s Richard L. Knowlton Award, recognizing his innovation and business acumen within the meat industry. Also in 2017, the National Provisioner named Monogram Foods “Processor of the Year.” Most recently in 2018, Inside Memphis Business honored Karl with the title of “CEO of the Year” for the 1000+ employees category. Karl is an active member of the community, having managed several political campaigns, served ten years on the Board of Trustees for the University of Tennessee, is a Board Member Emeritus for the Memphis Zoo after serving on their board for 16 years, and he is currently serving as a Board Member for the University of Memphis Law School, Orpheum Theatre and Memphis Tomorrow.

f you’re craving some Japanese-style eats, Nagi Shokudo (15–10 Uguisudani-cho, Shibuya, Tokyo) is a great place to start. Everything on the menu is strictly vegan so you don’t have to worry. They serve meals like the Nagi A Plate, which includes brown rice, two small side dishes, pickled vegetables, soup, and soy sauce, while the Nagi Lunch Plate has three side dishes (you can choose from the 13 sides they oﬀer), brown rice, vegan miso soup, and pickled vegetables. Aside from the set meals, they also serve vegan curry (if you’re into something spicy), vegan desserts, organic coﬀee, and even beer. The choices are endless and all are exquisitely delicious. Besides the food, you can also enjoy the warm and welcoming atmosphere inside the

restaurant, making you feel as if you’re just at the comforts of your own home. A great place for big groups or maybe for some alone time.

serving of vegan gyoza. Other popular dishes on their menu are their hot and tasty hamburger hotpot accompanied with brown rice and a serving of their heavenly crispy General Tso’s chicken stirfry dish. End your meal with their sinful crème brulee which is probably one of the highlights in T’s. Light and not at all greasy, every dish is bursting with diﬀerent ﬂavors and texture. Drop by and sample some of the best vegan dishes in the city at T’s.

Extremely popular and probably one of the most go-to restaurants in the city is AIN SOPH.Ripple (2–46–8 Kabuki-cho, Shinjukuku, Tokyo). AIN SOPH.Ripple is a satisfying place to swing by if you’re craving for some good and healthy burgers. A lot of people are still skeptical when it comes to vegan diet and thinks that most of the time the serving portions are small but in here, you may be tempted to convert to veganism by how delicious and large the portions they offer are. They serve huge burgers with even hefty servings of sides. Their bestseller is they Crispy Chicken Burger which is made by using soy meat and seitan (gluten meat) and it gives off that authentic chicken texture. They also serve salad bowls, burritos, and desserts which are all great for sharing. It also doesn’t hurt that the place gives off that chill vibe, making it a great place for those who want to unwind and share thoughtful conversations with family and friends.

If you’re into something light, but filling, then you have to definitely try Falafel Brothers (5–1–10 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo). Its main business is for takeout but if you want to hang around and savor every bite of your food, you can take one of the few seats they have inside the shop. With reasonable prices and generous portions, it’s no surprise that a lot of people go here for a quick and satisfying meal. They have different toppings every day so you can sample each one of them every time. You can experiment with your toppings but can always ask suggestions from the people behind the counter. Everything is made fresh and available for guests to order.

Owned by the same people behind the T’s Tan Tan, another favorite is T’s (2 Chome-9–6 Jiyugaoka, Meguro, Tokyo). They have a wide variety in their menu and all dishes are carefully prepared and made special for vegans. You can sample their simple yet delicious salad which is surprisingly good with a

A new face which serves tasty dishes made from organic hemp ingredients and products is Hemp Café (3–17–14–8F Higashi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo). Established last 2017, Hemp Café has been making big waves in the sea of vegan restaurants. They use hemp seeds, hemp protein, and hemp oil

in their food and desserts. You can find tasty tacos and nachos which you can pair with their rather unusual and intriguing cannabis beer. There’s also nori rolls, light and delicious salads, roasted vegetables, burritos and raw cake. If you’re craving something sweet, they have their signature light and fluffy raw pancakes, one of their most popular items. They also have

refillable lemon infused water. You name it, they probably have it. The place is also spot-on, warm and welcoming with soft brown hues and comfy seating. Served buffet style, Kaemon Asakusa (3F Vision center Asakusa, Hanakawado 1–9–1 Taito-ku, Tokyo) is like a breath of fresh air for vegans. Everything served here, from food to drinks, are all organic. They use the freshest vegetables, grains, nuts, and beans. This affordable yet healthy buffet-style restaurant is popular among vegans and non-vegans because of their fantastic selection of food and drinks. And even though you pile up different foods on your plate, everything seems to work! The place is also great with its white walls, quiet music, and peaceful atmosphere.