Building An Inclusive Food Business with Jessica Kwong

The Road to Seven

“Food is such a personal and beautiful thing. The easier you can make a choice, the better.” -Jessica Kwong

Recognizing a gap in the market is one thing. Coming up with a solution is another. But taking your brilliant idea and moving it along the path from “idea” to “reality” is a step that few people actually take.

My guest Jessica Kwong not only took that journey, but she is also willing to draw a map! Jessica is the founder and CEO of Jack & Friends, a company that sells plant-based jerky with an emphasis on quality and inclusivity. In this episode, I sit down with Jessica to talk about how she took her amazing idea from the test kitchen to the store shelf.

In‌ ‌this‌ ‌episode of the Road to Seven podcast,‌ ‌you’ll discover:‌

• The biggest challenge that she faced while commercializing her prototype
• Her incredible “all-inclusive” philosophy for her Jack & Friends products and what inspired it
• How she found her first buyers — and how she is using analytics to shape her rebrand!

About Guest: Jessica Kwong is the founder and CEO of Jack & Friends, a company creating plant-based jerky from jackfruit and pea protein. Jack & Friends believe in inclusivity — especially when it comes to food. They are committed to crafting products you can feel good about eating, regardless of your lifestyle or diet, so you can enjoy food without compromising on quality. Jessica used her technical background, which includes a B.S. in Food Science from Cornell University, and corporate experience to launch and lead her successful startup.

Highlights:‌ ‌

00:01 Intro

02:41 Meet Jessica Kwong & jackfruit

06:34 Jessica’s background

07:57 “All-inclusive food”

09:25 Biggest advantages & challenges

11:51 Grit & focus

13:21 Hiring

14:13 Getting onto the shelf

16:44 Getting & applying feedback

19:20 Analytics & brand refresh

20:45 What she knows now

22:02 Raising capital

23:41 What’s next

Links:‌

Jessica Kwong

https://www.jackandfriendsjerky.com

https://www.facebook.com/jackandfriendsjerky

Instagram: @jackandfriendsjerky

TikTok: @jackandfriendsjerky

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