This summer was one of tremendous growth for EnSpice, growth made possible by our company’s participation in Race to Revenue. EnSpice creates seasonings, spices, and other additives that contain a complete plant-based multivitamin in each serving. What began a year ago when we decided to create EnSpice, a social enterprise intended to self-fund the EnSpice Children’s Foundation, became a reality this summer with the launch of our first commercially available product. Leading up to this summer, we worked with the IDEA Center to commercialize our vision, and the Race to Revenue Program enabled us the time and means to execute.
Our summer began with brand development, label design, and our first manufacturing run of EnSpice Cinnamon. These first steps allowed us to begin building our brand around our mission, present our initial product offering to consumers, and to pitch to retailers and strategic partners. Using some of our initial product as samples, we were able to validate the value for coffee retailers to incorporate EnSpice into their menus as a priced add-in, and we began conversations with meal kit companies. Parallel to our cultivation of complementary partners, we also used this summer to pitch to grocers, to set up our online store and presence, and to register with the platforms retailers use to add in new products. These steps will allow us to connect to consumers directly, and enable us to scale in the months ahead.
The progress EnSpice has made over the past few months would not have been possible without participation in Race to Revenue. The weekly meetings with mentors in the IDEA Center, the facilitation of connections to the Notre Dame network, and the summer funding all greatly contributed to EnSpice’s transition from concept to commercial entity.
EnSpice has created the framework necessary for future success, and we are excited for what the coming months and years have in store. This fall, EnSpice will be raising its first round of funding, funding which will enable our company to build on the progress made this summer. EnSpice has its sights set on reinventing nutrition. We are grateful to all who made Race to Revenue possible, and we are grateful for the role the program and Notre Dame will have played in helping us to achieve this end.