Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Melinda & Todd Kopet, founders of Alkeme Foods, located in Rossland, BC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are on a mission to create a better food system because we care. About everything. We care about the food we eat. We care about the food you eat. We care about where it comes from and how it impacts your health and our planet's health. We are a family-run, Canadian-based company that is systematically working to conscientiously reinvent the home pantry. We are proud to have built our own dedicated plant-based & gluten-free facility in our hometown of Rossland, BC, where it is independently owned and operated.
Our days are spent handcrafting healthy whole foods that are nourishing to one's health, all while keeping our planet top of mind. Alkeme is focused on stripping out processed ingredients, refined sugars, and preservatives from the household staples that are found in our day-to-day foods so that each one of us may feel the optimal version of ourselves. And all that starts with what we consume.
Our current offering spans a variety of bread-based products, all made from our wildly fermented sourdough bread line. This includes loaf breads, bagels, pizza crusts, and more. We believe Bread is beautiful in its simplicity. Flour. Water. And time. And for that, we fell in love with it. Eating it. And baking it. The old-fashioned, homemade way. We hope you love it as much as we do.
In addition, we are diligently changing our packaging to more eco-friendly options and continually innovating to keep our production free of food waste! At this time, all of our products are certified Non-GMO, and our company is also Certified Plastic Negative! In a nutshell, we don't fit the mold of other producers, and we're pretty proud of that for the well-being of our customers or the planet.
Tell us about yourself
We are a couple of passionate people that come from a corporate background in product development, marketing, and finance. We wanted to use our unique set of skills to create something meaningful in the world that would make people's lives better. After struggling with personal health issues and connecting with the Functional Medicine community in our town, we knew the food industry was where we wanted to focus our attention.
People and their journey to true health through food are what motivates us! Over the years, we have met so many individuals like us, looking to food as the catalyst to realizing their best health. The current food system is imperfect and needs change. We knew that to see the change; we needed more people to step up to the plate and take on the challenge. And for us, this was the call we decided to answer and dedicate ourselves to.
After hearing from so many Functional Medicine physicians, Naturopaths & Holistic Nutritionists, or members of the Celiac community that either themselves needed a product like this or had dozens of patients that needed it, we knew that we had to bring it to life.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Overcoming the challenges that COVID-19 brought our way. It was a trying time for all of us. We are proud that we were able to find our silver lining during this hard time and really focus and work to make Alkeme products available to so many more people that need them.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Cultivating Resilience. Each day brings new challenges and problems to solve. Being agile and flexible to what the day will bring is key.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Take it one day at a time.
- Remember that the evolution of a business doesn't happen overnight.
- Celebrate the Victories.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://thisisalkeme.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisalkeme/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alkeme-foods/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.