“As a woman of color, I felt the need to create a business whose mission was to elevate other people who are marginalized in their communities.” - Lia Ballentine
The pandemic taught us two things. One, we want good, nutritious food and snacks that are easily accessible, simple enough that we can make in our own kitchens, and the taste and ingredients are close to home. And two, we’re more comfortable shopping online. This demand and shift in consumer behavior paved the way for startup food brands to create snacks and food that aren’t just healthy, but also have a familiar taste and feel to them. The existing food market, as wide as it is, still isn’t able to cater to the specific preferences of some audiences.
Startup food brands are quick to jump into this opportunity, doing innovative things independent of larger corporate food systems. And they aren’t getting the spotlight they deserve. This is why Yumday was created: to be a platform to showcase emerging food brands and amplify and promote representation.
In Episode 44, I’m bringing back Lia Ballentine, founder of Yumday, an online curated snack shop and snack box service that features and prioritizes women and BIPOC-led food brands. Since the original interview came out in January, Lia’s business has grown leaps and bounds, with a new website relaunch, a wider selection of food products, additional subscription sizes, and corporate gifting.
Lia and I talk all about the sustainability of business operations, innovation, and partnership, customer engagement, and using storytelling to highlight the reason and purpose of these growing food businesses.
If you're an emerging food business that wants to tap into new audiences but doesn’t have the capacity yet to have its own promotion platform, partnering with a digital platform like Yumday is a great way to get your products directly to consumers’ homes.
Or, if you're a foodie who loves new snacks every month or might be looking for a great gift idea this holiday, Yumday has curated food boxes so you can check that off your to-do list this Christmas season!
Virginia Foodie Essentials:
- If you're trying to grow retail sales for packaged food, the bigger channels always want data on not just your market but how you serve your business accounts too. Finding and growing retail accounts takes time and networking. - Georgiana Dearing
- Storytelling is so important to me and it's such a great way to connect people. - Lia Ballentine
- What I value so much is the connection with the brand and the story they come along with. - Lia Ballentine
More About the Guest:
Lia Ballentine is the founder of Yumday, a purpose-driven snack box company featuring women- and BIPOC-led food brands. She is a foodie, photographer, and art enthusiast with an incurable case of wanderlust and she loves to follow her curiosity—wherever it leads.
Lia's mission is to make every day delicious by finding and sharing wholesome snacks from diverse founders of innovative food brands.
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