Founder Spotlight: Taanya Ravi (Live Yum)

Meet Taanya Ravi

Company:
Live Yum

Live Yum is a leading dairy alternatives company in India that has set out to revolutionize the food industry with plants. A key tenet of our business is that we want to make products tasty, accessible, and affordable while helping animals, people and the environment. That is why Live Yum is "food with a purpose".

When did you launch the business?
October, 2019

Startup Stage:
Seed

Locations:
Bengaluru, India

What led you to where you are today?

I went from being a national-level badminton player to studying obsessively to land a coveted job at leading investment bank Goldman Sachs. However, after several years of "success", I felt an emptiness and left the corporate life seeking more purpose. I served as an undercover investigator or vegan spy filming treatment of animals all across India seeing many things I can never forget and having a few close calls. For example, I know the true costs of animal agriculture - standing in a pool of blood, watching a head without a body on the floor - screams stopped by then but eyes and mouth still moving. I injured my back during an investigation. Knowing the horrors animals go through, coupled with a love of food and a need for a new career post-injury led me to found Live Yum and I'm so glad I did, it's been a stimulating and fascinating ride so far, and feels like we are just getting started. Very excited for the future!

What do you wish you knew before embarking on your entrepreneurial journey?

Just to have confidence in myself and my team. We have met every roadblock so far and each one has just fueled our fire and determination, be it from encountering sexism, predatory businessmen or other setbacks.

What is the most difficult decision you've had to make regarding your business so far?

Even though we aim to make our products as affordable as possible, we have decided to choose ethics when given the option. Some may consider palm oil vegan, but when you really examine the burning of whole rainforests and the consequent large-scale habitat loss for orangutans and so much other wildlife to plant endless rows of monoculture palm trees, we wanted to show a better way. We decided to make slightly more expensive, far less ecologically destructive premium products and then to educate the consumer instead of using the easiest ingredients for only a short-term gain.

What can you help the VEGPRENEUR community with?

Connections in the Indian vegan entrepreneurs community and the animal rights movement!

How can the VEGPRENEUR community help you?

1) To help build awareness within the Indian vegan community about the harm caused by the palm oil industry and to highlight us as one of the country's leading 100% palm oil free dairy alternatives brand. 2) As a young but steadily growing startup, Vegpreneur can help by sharing and following us on Instagram and Facebook.

Fun fact about you:

I was a championship level badminton player, and beat Olympian P.V. Sindhu the two times we played as teenagers.

Anything else you would like to share?

Every story begins somewhere. Mine started 10 years ago when a dog named Oreo adopted me. He has been the driving force for my work as an undercover investigator in factory farms and slaughterhouses across India and serves as my greatest inspiration. Please say hello and send some love to Live Yum’s most joyful safe keeper and favorite vegan!