Founder Spotlight: Jessica Kwong (Jack & Friends)

Jessica Kwong

Startup:
Jack & Friends

Business Description:
Jack & Friends is a company on a mission to make snacks you can feel good about eating, regardless of your lifestyle or diet.

Startup Stage:
Bootstrapped

What led you to where you are today?
I spent four years honing my technical skills in Cornell University's rigorous Food Science program and internships in the R&D departments of Sohha Savory Yogurt, Hain Celestial, and Mondelez International—the last of which I declined a full-time job offer from to pursue Jack & Friends.

What do you wish you knew before embarking on your entrepreneurial journey?
I've recently realized the importance of being confident in the decisions you feel are best for YOUR business, even if it means turning down certain opportunities or not following certain advice you've received.

What can you help the VEGPRENEUR community with?
I come from a very technical background and have a degree in Food Science, so I can provide valuable insight on the technical and regulatory aspects of food that most entrepreneurs are not familiar with.

How can the VEGPRENEUR community help you?
Since my background is very technical, I'd love to learn from food entrepreneurs with more business expertise—sales, marketing, branding, etc. Having a community of plant-based food entrepreneurs to bounce ideas off of and gain insight from is helpful overall though!

Fun fact about you:
In high school, I was a co-creator and co-star of a YouTube video that somehow has over 170,000 views.