Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle May.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am the co-founder and President of Seva Foods, and a nutrition geek, chef and animal rights advocate. I have been passionate about plant-based foods for the past 13 years, motivated by the exceptional health we can achieve through proper nutrition. With a lifelong fascination with food, my mission is to improve the lives of individuals and the health of the planet through the way we eat. I am also a longtime yogi, dog mom and founder of Benjii’s Canine Cuisine.
After working as a web developer for over a decade, I transitioned to the health and food industry in 2015, graduating from culinary and nutrition programs at Matthew Kenney Culinary (now PLANTLAB) and is also receiving certification in Plant-Based Nutrition through Cornell University.
I started Seva Foods in 2017 with my partner Jon Beeman to provide innovative, delicious snacks and treats that taste as good as they feel. “Seva” is a Sanskrit word that means compassionate service. We were founded with the intention of promoting love and compassion through nourishment and the belief that food can be a potent form of activism. Our commitment to sustainable ingredients and practices means crafting products that are good for our bodies and the planet. By crafting products made only with plant-based ingredients, we hope to improve the world for all animals.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Developing some of the most unique products in the food space hasn’t been easy but we’ve loved the process. From the early days, experimenting in our home to producing in our current commercial kitchen, we’ve dedicated the past year to sourcing the best ingredients, perfecting our recipes, methods and packaging and now we’re ready to scale up our production to meet the increasing demand for our products.
The Space Ice Kream, in particular, has been complicated to scale up because they are currently no other products like it in the market. Our biggest challenge currently is creating enough volume to keep up with sales, not a terrible problem to have but the pressure is definitely on to find a way to make more. With sales increasing 300% last month, scaling up production and growing our team is our #1 priority as a company right now.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Seva Foods – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Space Ice Kream is the world’s first and only dairy-free, freeze-dried ice cream and has the satisfying, rich flavor of traditional ice cream, but with the convenience of a snack.
Cashew-coconut based, minimally processed and freeze-dried to maintain optimal nourishment, it’s shelf-stable for up to 35 years with no preservatives. We currently offer 2 flavors, Vanilla and Strawberry.
Coconut Jerky is a plant-based jerky that appeals to vegans and meat-eaters alike. We have 2 flavors, Savory and Chipotle Lime. Coconut Jerky is made from hand-cut strips of the highest-quality, organic young coconut meat, marinated in a mouth-watering blend of herbs and spices and then gently dehydrated to create a tender, yet meaty texture, bursting with flavor.
We make all of our products in small batches using only the highest quality, 100% organic ingredients.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Seva Foods has big plans for this year! We are in talks with several national grocery chains to carry our products, as well as many online stores as well. We launched a Kickstarter campaign (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sevafoods/seva-foods) last month to expand our operations and our offerings.
We plan on using the contributions we raise from the campaign to increase our production capacity by partnering with a co-manufacturer who can scale up our production in real-time, to meet sales demands. We also plan on expanding our product offering later this year, introducing new flavors of both Space Ice Kream and Coconut Jerky.
Pricing:
- Space Ice Kream: Suggested Retail $9.79 (Vanilla or Strawberry)
- Coconut Jerky: Suggested Retail $9.79 (Savory or Chipotle Lime)
Contact Info:
- Website: sevafoods.com, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sevafoods/seva-foods
- Phone: 760.487.8059
- Email: info@sevafoods.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sevafoods/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sevafoodsca/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SevaFoods
- Yelp: https://www.pinterest.com/sevafoods/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmaydesign/
Image Credit:
Greg Cain, Shutter Pup Photography, Patrick Pierce
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
