2FITBRANDS_BrownieBites

©2FITBRANDS

Sweets & Snacks

Latina Women-Owned 2FIT BRANDS Launches Healthy Vegan Brownie Bites

2FIT BRANDS, based in Virginia USA, has introduced a third healthy snack to its popular product line. Brownie Bites are vegan, gluten-free, and low sugar. The healthy treats join the current product portfolio including Chocolate Peanut Butter, Vanilla Crunch and a 2FIT sample pack.    According to Colombian-born entrepreneurs Nathalia Rojas and Marcela Charry, 2FITBRANDS is one of the fastest-growing healthy snack food firms in the US, progressing in three years from production in their home kitchens to Amazon sales that increased 830% YOY last year. The vegan snack company launched in 2019 with Vanilla Crunch and Chocolate Peanut Butter varieties. “People are loving the products and you can find our Chocolate Peanut Butter and Vanilla Crunch Protein Bars at LifeTime health clubs around the …

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Eve Vegan

Marketing & Media

Sponsored Post

EVE VEGAN® establishes itself as the new benchmark for certification only 5 years after its launch

Hélène Modrezjewski, a 38-year-old entrepreneur, is on the verge of succeeding in her wager: creating an international standard for the certification of vegan products, EVE VEGAN®. The story began a little over 5 years ago, with the intention, for this long-time activist and president of the Vegan France association, to work so that vegan products are recognised, identified, verified and certified according to a standardised process. Proposing a standard in this as yet unregulated field is a positive, transformative lever to ensure the reduction of animal consumption through the economic development of vegan products. From the outset, Hélène Modrezjewski’s ambition was to impose a European vision of certification, the acronym EVE standing for “Expertise Vegan Europe”. Today, the young company has certified nearly 6,000 products …

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Jennifer Stojkovic - VWS

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Society

Jennifer Stojkovic Launches First Book on Women in Food Tech: “The Future of Food is Female”

Jennifer Stojkovic, executive leader and founder of the Vegan Women Summit, announces the launch and tour of her new book, “The Future of Food is Female – Reinventing the Food System to Save the Planet.” The book is said to be the first to highlight the role of women CEOs, venture capitalists, scientists and entrepreneurs in the modern food tech industry.  Available April 5th in print and ebook versions, the book can be purchased worldwide through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other booksellers.  “The Future of Food” features a collection of insightful stories from 15 women leaders in animal-free food tech, including Heather Mills, Miyoko Schinner (Miyoko’s Creamery CEO), Suzy Amis Cameron (Author and investor), Pinky Cole (Slutty Vegan CEO), among many more.  Women changing …

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Vegan Women Summit

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Fairs & Events

VWS Announces Diversity Program Designed for Food Tech Leaders

To celebrate Black History Month, Vegan Women Summit (VWS) announces the first diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program made specifically for plant-based and food tech industry leaders.  Taking place throughout the month of May, this first-of-its-kind program will be led by renowned DEI expert Dr. Amie Breeze Harper, and is designed to help businesses build stronger companies through diversity, equity and inclusion strategies. The four-week virtual curriculum will feature live lectures and workshops covering topics such as inclusive leadership, recruitment and retention, unconscious bias, and how to design and market food products with inclusion in mind. The program is open to all leaders within the food industry, including founders, executives and investors. Through the groundbreaking initiative, VWS says it hopes to drive industry-level change to …

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Purely Elizabeth Raises $50M Series B

©Purely Elizabeth

Investments & Finance

Purely Elizabeth Raises $50M in Series B to Expand Premium Oatmeal and Breakfast Mixes

Purely Elizabeth, a natural foods brand specializing in plant-based oatmeal, granola and pancake mixes, announces a $50 million Series B raise led by SEMCAP.  In the last five years, the company has grown at 55% CAGR and nearly doubled its retail locations from 8,000 to over 15,000 stores, according to a press release. The company’s products can be found at an array of major retailers including Whole Foods Market, Publix, Target, and Walmart. The financing round marks the first investment by SEMCAP’s Food & Nutrition arm, which is headed by experienced CPG investor John Haugen. Superfood ingredients Purely Elizabeth was founded in 2009 by nutrition holistic counselor Elizabeth Stein. The company has since achieved strong and steady growth through its line of organic superfoods granola, …

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women of color mixed ethnicity / female founders

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Startups, Accelerators & Incubators

Women and Founders of Color Invited to Apply For $100K Angel Fund

Vegan Investors, a global syndicate of angel investors, invites vegan startups led by women and founders of color to its Fall Showcase on September 15th where they will have the opportunity to exhibit products and services to a broad audience of investors. “Fueled by a commitment to reverse the limited opportunity for talented female, black and Latino CEOs” Six to ten semi-finalists will be selected to present to the group of angels throughout July and August, then three to five finalists will earn a spot to present at the Virtual Showcase on September 15th. The finalists will be announced at the end of August.  The screening committee has committed to investing at least $50K to $100K into the finalists. “Fueled by a commitment to reverse …

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Vegan Women Summit

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Fairs & Events

The Second Vegan Women Summit to Feature Industry Stars Like Beyond Meat, Miyoko’s, BIOMILQ, ProVeg

In February, Vegan Women Summit hosted its first ever VWS Connect event — an opportunity for jobseekers to network with mission-driven employers aiming to build a kinder and more sustainable world. The event was a huge success, attracting almost 700 jobseekers from 42 countries — something which, according to founder Jennifer Stojkovic, “underscores the vital importance of this work”.

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Desiree Mora Victualiv

Founder Desiree Mora ©VictuaLiv

Health

Latinx Military Veteran & Serial Entrepreneur Founds VictuaLiv, Reverses Her Borderline Anemia

VictuaLiv, translated as food and life, was founded by Latinx entrepreneurs Desiree Mora and Alexander Hovik, a former sponsored athlete who is also plant-based. Three-time entrepreneur Mora says that through creating VictuaLiV, a vegan supplement offering a formula of nine essential nutrients, she was able to reverse her borderline anemia and thrive on a plant-based diet.

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Jennifer Stojkovicsfciti LinkedIn

Jennifer Stojkovic of VWS

Society

Investments in Female-Led Companies Perform 63% Better than in All-Male Founding Teams

Only 3% of investment funds go to female founders, and an incredible 75% of female entrepreneurs have faced gender bias and discrimination or even worse. Why is this the case in 2020? And even more importantly, when female-founded companies are found to far outperform their male counterparts?

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Vegan Women Summit 2020

©Vegan Women Summit

Society

75% of Women Face Gender Bias in Plant-Based Industry: “People Have Assumed I Am My Male Co-Founder’s Assistant or an Aide.”

The founders of the Vegan Women Summit surveyed 160 female founders of plant-based and cell-based food startups around the world, and the results highlight huge disparities, with one woman commenting, “All my mentors were men who disappeared as success grew, or they disappeared when I refused to sleep with them.”

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