Founder Spotlight: Yesenia Garcia of Feelz
Meet Yesenia Garcia
Yesenia Garcia grew up surrounded by cosimientos, the traditional home remedies her mother prepared for every ailment, as she told Hispanic Executive in 2024. Today she and co-founder Stephanie Kronen build every Feelz gummy and elixir around kanna, a South African succulent whose other common name, kougoed, means something to chew. One of the proudest moments at Feelz so far arrived as an email from a customer about her own mom.
Company:
Feelz
Feelz is a women-founded functional wellness brand creating mood-forward gummies and functional mood elixirs powered by kanna, functional mushrooms, adaptogens, and nootropics. Designed for everyday moments, Feelz offers approachable, plant-powered support for mood, focus, relaxation, and connection.
Location:
Miami, FL
When did you launch the business?
August 2023
Startup Stage?
Bootstrapped
How did this business start?
Stephanie, my co-founder, and I met while working in the plant-based wellness industry, where our shared passion for natural wellness sparked a vision for something more accessible for everyday life. Drawing on our personal experiences with plant-based remedies and our combined industry expertise, we created Feelz to offer high-quality, plant-powered products designed to help people feel their best, naturally.
What’s one thing you’re proudest of so far?
One of our proudest moments was receiving an email from a customer who shared that our Pure Bliss gummies had been a game changer for her mom during a particularly challenging time in her life. Hearing that our product helped her navigate her days feeling more positive and supported was an incredibly meaningful reminder of why we created Feelz
What do you bring to this community, and what are you hoping to find?
I’m hoping to connect with fellow plant-based entrepreneurs, retailers, and strategic partners, exchange ideas and resources, and build relationships that can help us grow Feelz while supporting others in the community.
What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?
I don’t quite make the 5-foot mark! I sometimes forget I’m short because my personality definitely isn’t—until I try to reach something on a high shelf and think, “Oh yeah… right.”
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