Founder Spotlight: Gaby Aziz of Ourkraut
Meet Gaby Aziz
In May, Gaby Aziz published an essay about growing up in communist Poland, where fermenting cabbage was a hedge against empty shelves rather than a wellness routine. She described being able to spend $300 at Erewhon in under 15 minutes and still not find sauerkraut that hadn’t been “pasteurized into irrelevance.” Ourkraut, which she launched the following month, is her correction.
Company:
Ourkraut
Ourkraut is a purpose-driven fermented foods company on a mission to make gut health fun, approachable, and delicious. Inspired by my Polish roots and travels to more than 70 countries, we’re reinventing sauerkraut for a new generation with globally inspired flavors and the belief that better gut health leads to better mental health.
Location:
Venice, California
When did you launch the business?
June 2026
Startup Stage?
Bootstrapped
How did this business start?
Ourkraut grew out of my own healing journey. After years of struggling with my mental and physical health, I kept coming back to something my grandmother always knew: good health starts in the gut. I realized the US grocery stores didn’t need another forgettable sauerkraut brand—they needed one that people were actually excited to eat.
What’s one thing you’re proudest of so far?
I’m proud that we’ve built a brand around a mission rather than just a product. If we can make even a small contribution to changing the conversation around gut health and inspire people to nourish themselves better, that’s already a win.
What’s been the most surprising or challenging part of building this business?
The biggest surprise has been realizing that building a food company is just as much about resilience as recipes. Every challenge has reinforced that CPG entrepreneurship is really an exercise in personal growth disguised as a business.
What do you bring to this community, and what are you hoping to find?
I love connecting people, sharing ideas, and cheering on other mission-driven founders. I’m hoping to find collaborators, mentors, retail and distribution partners, and a community that believes businesses can be both profitable and a genuine force for good.
What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?
I’ve traveled to more than 70 countries on 6 continents and once hiked 1,000 miles solo. I also edit a food travel blog inspired by Anthony Bourdain (Around the World in 80 Flavors). Somewhere between airports, tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and long treks across Spain, I realized that food, travel, and human connection have the power to change lives.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Ourkraut is just the beginning. My long-term vision is to build a company that improves both gut health and human connection, while donating a portion of our profits to the Heart Core Fund, the nonprofit I founded to provide life-changing travel experiences for people who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity. At the end of the day, I believe the world needs more good food, more curiosity, and longer tables—not taller fences.
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