After seeing families members struggle with preventable, lifestyle-induced diseases, David Birsen and Nadine Calderon started experimenting. How could they achieve a healthy snack product, free of the sugars and processed carbs that were rampant in the snack aisle? Soon, Revol Snax was born. Hear more about their journey from concept to shelves and how it’s humbled them:
Why did you start your business?
We started our business after seeing the gap in the marketplace for snack options that serve the growing number of people seeking to remove sugar and carbs from their diet while eating clean, great-tasting ingredients. […] We like to think of our business as a part of the growing revolution in food!
What do you like about food? What drew you to the food industry?
We love food because it nourishes the body and gives us energy to explore, create, and enjoy life. We like to think of food as medicine when the correct type is chosen for your body. What drew us to the food industry is a genuine need for innovation in the packaged food space. We know many people are frustrated by the lack of snack options that enable a healthy lifestyle without all the sugar and processed carbs. Lastly, we believe food is fundamental to health and well-being and want to be part of the ongoing revolution that enables consumers to live healthier lifestyles.
What’s the biggest business challenge you’ve faced to date?
Scaling our recipe from small batches in our home kitchen to large batches in a commercial kitchen proved to be more challenging than one may expect! We had to start again from ground zero to figure out the correct proportions of ingredients to get the texture and shelf life right. It was an obstacle we were able to overcome only after many long nights in the kitchen!
Revol Snax sees itself as part of a food revolution
What does your typical day look like?
As aspiring entrepreneurs, we still work day jobs as a biomedical engineer and Spanish teacher. This means we squeeze in many business to-do-list items during lunch breaks, early mornings, and late nights. In our spare time, we’re typically finalizing recipes and refining our production processes. Each day is a journey but we’re enjoying the process!
What is a piece of advice you wish you’d been given before starting?
Entrepreneurship can feel like a maze with no clear path at times. It’s important to realize sometimes you just need to experiment your way forward with an open mind.
How did you get into your first store?
We pitched our first store at Union Kitchen’s Meet the Makers event! It was a great opportunity to communicate our vision and demo our product to our first buyers.
What does success look like to you?
Success to us is creating a product that people love and contributes something unique to our customers’ lives. We see our business as part of the growing revolution in food that emphasizes clean ingredients without the junk like processed carbs and sugar. We view our participation in this movement as “success” and are humbled to be a part of it.
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