Founder Spotlight: Kelly Coffin (WayFare Foods)
Meet Kelly Coffin
Company:
We’re really in the business of thinking - thinking about how to do amazing things with simple, healthy, sustainable ingredients to make people say “WOW!” We think constantly about how we can improve the well-being of people and make our world a better, safer place to live. We’ve personally experienced the power of a plant-based diet in its ability to improve health and reverse disease, so that’s our focus. As a result, we get to make all kinds of delicious dairy-free products like sour cream, cream cheese, butter, puddings, dips, etc.
Startup Stage:
We did a lot of bootstrapping but I’d say that we’re currently in our take-off phase.
Location:
Bozeman, MT, USA
When did you launch the business?
February 2019
What led you to where you are today?
Faith, family, incredible employees, vision, planning, and really, really (I mean really) hard work. But we probably better not discount plenty of wrong decisions, blunders, and dumb fortune along the way - which have a way of expediting the educational process.
What do you wish you knew before embarking on your entrepreneurial journey?
I wish we’d been more adept at predicting the difficulties in our pathway that we might have better planned for them. The entrepreneurial journey bears some intense costs and can be very lonely at times. In retrospect, we were ill-prepared for it but I’m thankful this wish wasn’t realized, or we may never have entered that journey.
What is the most difficult decision you've had to make regarding your business so far?
The most difficult decision was the initial one - to create WayFare. We loved our life. It was easy. We prospered, had few worries, and looked forward to a smooth road. Leaving it behind was a massive decision but the satisfaction that’s come with working expressly to improve the health and wellbeing of people and the world around us is worth infinitely more.
What can you help the VEGPRENEUR community with?
There are a number of ways we can help but two, in particular, come to mind. First, every entrepreneurial endeavor is a journey into uncharted territory. We’re passionate to help others navigate their way through that wilderness and thus grow our collective plant-based mission. This mission can also be supported by making products something that anyone, even those with special requirements could try. For example, we considered it critical to make our products allergen-free, knowing that allergens are often an obstacle to people trying plant-based creations. We could have used nuts and soy (which was the easy road) but instead, we decided on beans, oats, and simple, whole ingredients. As a result, we were able to remove the top 10 allergens, making them accessible to even those with special dietary needs.
How can the VEGPRENEUR community help you?
By continuing to help and inspire others to create positive, ethical change within the food industry. All ships rise together.
Fun fact about you:
I never wanted to be in the food business.
Anything else you would like to share?
We’re hiring!
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