Growing up in Toronto, I assumed I was destined for a traditional business career. At McGill University, I studied finance, marketing, and strategic management, surrounded by classmates headed for banking or consulting. I expected to follow the same path—until one elective changed the course of my life.

In the fourth year of my degree, I took a course called Social Context of Business, which introduced me to the realities of the food industry. Until then, I’d given little thought to what was on my plate. The course opened my eyes to how the food system works, who it impacts, and how much our daily choices influence our health and well-being. I became vegetarian and began immersing myself in research on sustainable food systems and nutrition. 

After graduating in 2010, I realized the traditional banking path wasn’t for me. Inspired by my work at McGill’s student newspaper, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue a master’s in Communication Management at the University of Southern California. While studying, I interned at Warner Bros. Records and Participant Media—the company behind Food, Inc., a documentary exposing the realities of industrial food production. It felt full circle: as my passion for plant-based living grew, I was working with a team shining a light on the food system. After graduating, Participant hired me as a business affairs coordinator, where I built core skills in financial modelling, profit-and-loss analysis, and cross-functional work with legal and operations—tools that would become the backbone of my career.

It wasn’t until I moved back to Toronto to be closer to family that I began exploring food as a path to better health. I joined Marketwire, a corporate communications company, where I grew its press-distribution partnerships. While I was hitting targets and achieving growth professionally, I was burning out internally and questioning my purpose. Around that time, I turned to nutrition for balance. Changing my diet and prioritizing wellness felt transformational—my energy improved, and I committed to eating in a way that truly supported my health.

Around this time, the foundation for my raw, plant-based snack company, Rawcology, began to take shape. In 2014, I enrolled in evening culinary courses at George Brown College. The following year, I took a leap—returning to school at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition while shifting to part-time work in my corporate role. That same year, Rawcology began as a blog and learning platform, alongside the culinary workshops and raw vegan “cooking” courses I developed and taught at George Brown.

As part of my nutrition program, I completed co-op hours with a nutritionist who ran a snack brand called Yes Peas. She immersed me in every part of the business—from production and packaging to pitching retailers—and it made something click: grocery shelves lacked truly healthy, high-integrity products. I started seriously considering starting my own snack company.

But I needed to decide on a product. At the time, I was experimenting with vegan dips—cashew-based, “cheesy,” and ranch-style flavours—that my students loved, and I initially imagined them as my first offering. But concerns about manufacturing experience and shelf life pushed me toward shelf-stable options. I began dehydrating the flavours from my dips onto coconut chips using a home dehydrator. The result–a smoky “cheese” coconut chip that tasted like a healthier Dorito—was met with an enthusiastic response when I shared prototypes at George Brown.

In 2017, I turned Rawcology into a business focused on allergen-friendly snacks, choosing to self-manufacture due to the limited availability of allergen-safe co-packers in North America. The community built through the Rawcology blog and culinary workshops became both a huge inspiration and our early customer base. From the start, we were uncompromising about ingredients, which is why we manufacture in-house. Our products are free from common allergens like peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, and dairy, and are certified organic, non-GMO, and made without seed oils. We use a low-temperature dehydration process and specialized equipment to gently preserve the nutrition and integrity of every ingredient.

To increase production while maintaining our standards, I brought the recipes to George Brown’s Food Innovation Research Studio, collaborating with food scientists to refine the process and extend shelf life. That same year, I began producing the coconut chips in a shared commercial kitchen, using white stock bags and sticker labels—the most I could afford at the time—and went door-to-door to independent retailers with samples. Toronto-based grocery store Fiesta Farms eventually agreed to carry our product on the spot. I left Marketwire before the Fiesta deal but continued teaching at George Brown and running workshops for income while building the brand. I brought on an intern from the Rawcology community, and a few months later, my sister Laura joined the team.

Interestingly, it wasn’t the coconut chips that took off—it was the crumbs. Our chocolate coconut chips left behind small chocolate-coated pieces, which we upcycled into a grain-free granola inspired by the grain-free trend. It quickly became our best-seller, and we eventually expanded the line to four granola products.

At the end of 2017, we moved into our own production space, and in November 2018, into our current 3,600-square-foot facility in Toronto’s West End. That year, we secured our first major retailer listing at Bulk Barn and transitioned from hand-labelling to printed packaging. My sister-in-law, Megan, also joined, making it a full family business. In 2019, we joined the Sobeys local vendor program, taking a personal approach by visiting stores, meeting managers, and bringing samples. We self-distributed for a few years before partnering with a local distributor, which unlocked Healthy Planet and Well.ca. In 2020, we partnered with UNFI, Canada’s largest natural food distributor, coinciding with a national launch into Whole Foods Market Canada, where we see our strongest sales. Today, in just six years, our products are in more than 1,200 retailers.

Choosing to self-manufacture and focus on quality ingredients wasn’t an easy growth decision, but it has built trust. Our customer return rate is 82 per cent, well above industry standards, showing that transparency pays off. We still send handwritten notes to thank online customers, because we care about the experience at every step—from packaging and shipping to the way our products make people feel.

This year, coinciding with our launch in Costco across Canada, we completed a major packaging refresh, starting with our blueberry grain-free granola for Costco and then rolling it out across the line. The new design is more eye-catching, featuring playful ingredient visuals and a clearer ingredient story. Combined with growing consumer demand for clean-label, dye-free, wellness-focused foods, this helped drive approximately 60 per cent year-over-year growth.

Related: How to Turn a Business Setback into Success

Looking back, if I could do anything differently, I would have built stronger operational systems earlier. This past year, we’ve felt the strain of capacity limits, but we’re actively addressing it. We’re raising funds to support the next phase of growth, including scaling manufacturing and operations and investing in marketing and innovation. Despite these demands, we remain a tightly knit team of three co-owners and eight team members. Having experienced burnout early in my career, I’m committed to leading the company with positivity and integrity.

I believe the food choices we make aren’t small—they shape our health, our communities, and our future. My work is guided by a commitment to creating healthier, higher-integrity products and building a food system that serves people better than the one we inherited. We self-manufacture because allergen-friendly facilities are scarce; we dehydrate instead of bake to preserve nutrition; and we obsess over sourcing and certifications because they matter. At the same time, I’m committed to building a workplace where well-being, purpose, and connection are essential ingredients to our work.

– As told to Liza Agrba