"Just get started. Things don't have to start with a huge splash or be perfect," with Denise Woodard

Denise Woodard is Founder and CEO of Partake, a cookie start-up she created when her daughter Vivian (now 5 years old) was diagnosed with serious food allergies. 

Partake cookies are made using whole food ingredients and safe since the products are free of the Top 8 Allergens, so no wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, soy, fish, and shellfish. In 2016, Denise left her decade long career at Coca-Cola and sold cookies out of her car for six months.

Partake raised $1M in funding in 2019, with JAY-Z's VC Fund Marcy Venture Partners leading the round. and recently secured $1M in funding. The cookies can now found online at Amazon, as well as on hundreds of supermarket shelves across the country, including Wholefoods NE, Sprouts, The Fresh Market, and more.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

Prior to starting Partake, I spent a decade in consumer packaged goods, most recently working in Coca-Cola's Venturing & Emerging Brands division.

What inspired you to start your business?

My daughter, Vivienne, is now 5 years old, but shortly after her first birthday, we learned that she has multiple life-threatening food allergies - tree nuts, eggs, bananas, and corn. Partake was born out of my frustration with the existing allergy-friendly snack options and my desire for her to have something safe, tastier, and more nutritious than what existed.

Where is your business based?

NYC

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I literally started with a storage unit full of cookies, and I hand-delivered cookies to independent natural food stores in the NYC area for the first 9 months of the business.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

PR has definitely raised awareness of Partake - We work with a small agency that we love, and we've secured placements in both local and national media - around the product, our personal story, and the company's growth.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Funding the growth of the business - Partake has raised $1.4M in funding, but less than 1% of venture capital investment goes to Black women, and we had our fair share of no's along the way. Continuing to go out and attempt to raise while being rejected daily and running the business, has been my biggest challenge. But with perseverance and will, I just kept going.

How do you stay focused?

I'm truly so passionate about what we are doing at Partake. My daughter's experience with food allergies and my desire to make something better for her and others with food allergies and dietary restrictions keeps me focused. In order to launch Partake into Whole Foods and Wegmans, we raised a friend and family round of funding. To have our friends, family, and colleagues give me their hard-earned money comes with (a personally imposed) pressure to perform and stay focused, so as to provide a return to the people who believed in us in the earliest days.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

Because I started Partake as a solution to a problem I was facing, I am our consumer, so I've worked hard to differentiate Partake from the competition with better taste, more nutritious ingredients, and by sharing our family’s personal story.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Field marketing through demos and events - where we have a chance to interact directly with the consumer and have them taste the product.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Just get started. Things don't have to start with a huge splash or be perfect - they'll evolve over time, but just get started.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

App - Our bank account. As a Founder, outside of protecting our company's mission, I think one of my biggest responsibilities is to make sure the company can financially thrive, and as we hit a major growth period, managing cash flow on a daily basis is so important.

Blog - Inspiralized. I love her healthy recipes!

Book - Michelle Obama's “Becoming”.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

The Google suite of services. I use Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides daily - I love that they're collaborative - and free!

Who is your business role model? Why?

Sara Blakely - To see the empire that she has built with Spanx, with no background in the industry, with no outside capital, and while remaining humble and continuing to give back and support female entrepreneurs is so inspiring.

What is your beauty routine? What are some of your favorite products?

Embarrassingly simple. My favorite skincare line is Drunk Elephant, and while I'm a fanatic about skincare. You’ll catch me makeup-free with a ponytail 99 percent of the time.

How do you balance work and life?

Integrate is probably a better description. It involves lots of help (from my husband, nanny, mother, and friends) and long days/early mornings in some instances. I also meld both pieces - I bring Vivi along to trade shows and on work trips where I can, and lots of colleagues have become close friends, so a night out with the girls often involves talk about work.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

We have a Friday night Family Dinner tradition, and I love to sit down with my family (and a big glass of wine) after a long week. To maintain my sanity during the week, I meditate twice daily.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

We have a large national launch in the works, and I'm proud to share that Partake cookies will be available in over 2,700 stores by the end of this year.

 How can our readers connect with you?

You can follow along at @PartakeFoods on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, and you can find me on Instagram at @DGWoodard.