Ep. 190 – The Meatiest and Most Sustainable Whole Food on the Planet with Annie Ryu, CEO and Founder of the Jackfruit Company

With the plant-based movement in full force, you have burgers and milk, but you also have something that already naturally feels like meat. Jackfruit, young jackfruit in particular, has been an up and coming food that when Annie Ryu first found it in India, saw the potential to save the world.

Eight years ago, Annie was in pre-med student at Harvard and during a trip to India to implement a healthcare program, found Jackfruit and its potential as a food that could reduce meat consumption, improve health and most importantly, improve the lives of the farmers who grow it. She saw Jackfruit as a simple solution to solve complex problems

So Annie dropped everything to try and commercialize this then-obscure meaty fruit and it has been a wild ride but now more popular than ever, the Jackfruit Company has products all over the United States.

There are so many good pieces of advice in this interview. Whether you need inspiration get up your butt and start something meaningful, or maybe you want to understand the complexities of jackfruit, or why there might be too much protein the American diet and why? This episode is a wealth of knowledge and I hope through this interview, it’ll inspire you to take on a big problem. After all, what have you got to lose?

Annie Ryu is the founder and CEO of The Jackfruit Company, the world’s largest supplier of jackfruit products. While attending Harvard, Annie discovered the jackfruit plant as part of her work in India to implement a maternal and child healthcare program she developed with her brother. In discovering jackfruit, Annie saw an incredible opportunity to convert an underutilized crop to nutritious, delicious food, and income and opportunity for farming families. In 2015, Annie launched The Jackfruit Company, introducing U.S. consumers to this innovative, plant-based meat alternative in ready-to-eat formats. The Jackfruit Company’s products are available today at retailers from coast-to-coast and feature a variety of options, including meal starter pouches, frozen ripe jackfruit and single-serve frozen entrees. In addition to achieving many accolades while attending Harvard, Annie was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 for Social Entrepreneurs in 2017.

Awards and Recognition:

Forbes 30 Under 30 for Social Entrepreneurs (2017) - Annie Ryu

NEXTY Editor’s Choice Award at Expo East (2015) - The Jackfruit Company

Harvard’s Women in Business Competition Winner (2012)

Harvard’s i3 Innovation Challenge (2012)

Resolution Project’s Social Venture Challenge (2012)

Additionally, Annie has been recognized as a Global Good Fund Fellow, an Honorary Fellow at the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT, and one of Glamour’s Top 10 College Women in 2012.

We’re excited to be partnering with Smart Kitchen Summit {SKS}, the leading food tech event bringing together leaders across the food and cooking ecosystems.

Now in its fifth year, #SKS2019 is *the* conference shaping the future of food, technology, and the kitchen. Well-known leaders within the food tech industry will all be speaking on engaging topics such as food robots, alternative protein, and connected kitchen devices such as smart refrigerators.

Trust us, you’ll want to be there. Use code FOODJOB15 to get a 15% discount on tickets and I’ll see you there on October 7-8 at in Seattle. Just go to smartkitchensummit.com to register. For easy access, just click on our link for this episode’s show notes.

When someone asks what you do, what do you say?: We’re an early growth-stage startup
When did you start?: I started at 2011 as a college student
What is Jackfruit?: The meatiest plant on the planet. It’s uniquely positioned as a whole food meat substitute.
Young Jackfruit (not immature jackfruit)
Quote: We see the world as we are
Why Jackfruit?: When I was working in global health and delivery, I was trying to solve global health and poverty was related. With Jackfruit, I could support the farmers
Ripe Jackfruit: A tropical mango pineapple flavor
When was the pivotal moment that you changed?: When I saw the potential of Jackfruit it did not matter what, I want it to make it a reality
How do you decide tough decisions?: Know yourself and know what you want to do in your life. What is it going to take to be happy and healthy and survive?
What was the first thing did you think about when starting this company?: Is it even legal to import jackfruit?
How did you get your product into the store?: I had two shots at this. My first time, the farmer added the preservative and it was just above the levels and had to pull of everything.
Fruitation to the Jackfruit Company
What is the hardest thing about starting and scaling a business?: For a first time founder, You have so much to learn and you have to constantly run up hill.
How did you find your resources to succeed fast?: Some of my first connections in the food industry was from winning pitch competitions. The mentor I had was amazing and really cared about what I was doing
Lord Of the Rings
Endgame
My Food Job Rocks: I get to make a positive difference every single day
For young jackfruit, this fruit not only reduces meat, but is very sustainable
What type of food trends and technologies are exciting you right now?: More talks on biodiversity
I also wish medicine and healthcare was more involved in food
How much protein is in jackfruit?: A common question, but too much protein is bad for you. We are actually really low in fiber.
Will fiber make a comeback?
Vegan versus plant-based survey
What is one thing in the food industry you’d like to know more about?: How we correlate health and food
Do you have any stories about the farmers?: We want more. Right now we are working on scale
How do you grow?: We have  a  more food service focus than you think
Do you have any advice for starting your own food business?: It’s a balance between strategy and execution
No business plan survives first impact
Where can we find you?: [email protected];