"Be patient in the beginning and make sure you conduct extensive R&D on your product before releasing it to the public" with Jessica Kwong
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Jessica Kwong is the founder of Jack & Friends, a company creating plant-based jerky for any lifestyle, and assumed her role after graduating with a B.S. in Food Science from Cornell University. She honed her technical knowledge and prowess through not only Cornell’s vigorous Food Science curriculum, but also developing everything from yogurt to baby food to baked goods while working in the R&D departments of Sohha Savory Yogurt, Hain Celestial, and Mondelez International—the last of which she declined a full-time job offer from to pursue Jack & Friends. As the founder of a brand that strives to embody inclusivity, Jessica is focused on utilizing her technical background to innovate products that achieve her mission of creating food for anyone and any lifestyle.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
My background is a little less traditional than most food entrepreneurs, as I graduated with a B.S. in Food Science from Cornell University after learning about technical areas like sensory analysis, quality, safety, etc. During my four years there, I was heavily involved in product development competitions where students were able to create new food products from concept ideation all the way through to business plan creation. I also interned with food companies doing R&D for their product lines during my summers—everything from a small yogurt startup in Brooklyn where I was carrying literally 30 gallons of milk into a vat pasteurizer to working on a biscuit project for a large company like Mondelez International. The experiences both off campus and on campus gave me a lot of insight and knowledge on the food industry.
During my senior year in 2018, I actually had to decide between a return offer from Mondelez for a full-time position and starting my own food company. After many conversations during a two-week period, I ended up taking the very non-traditional route and turned down the full-time job offer to pursue Jack & Friends.
What inspired you to start your business?
The initial concept for a jackfruit-based jerky stemmed from a product I created as the leader of a competition team while still in school, and I felt there was a huge amount of potential for continued development. The plant-based market in general was so attractive as a food scientist because there's so much room for product innovation, and jackfruit as an ingredient is extremely versatile in terms of its flavor capacity and textural properties. Although it is used in meat alternative meals, jackfruit was underutilized, in my opinion, in snack applications. Because I was passionate about establishing a brand that embodied inclusivity, it also became an integral part in creating a product that fit under this platform. Our mission is to create food for anyone and any lifestyle, and jackfruit is the perfect ingredient to accomplish that.
Where is your business based?
Jack & Friends is currently based out of New York!
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
I spent eight months laying the foundation for the company and conducting extensive R&D and sensory analysis to ensure our product was fit for market before soft launching one flavor of plant-based jerky in March 2019 exclusively on our website. This essentially functioned as a test market to gather consumer feedback to guide any reformulations. From there, I worked on optimizing production and consistently growing by rolling the product out to retailers or partnering with pop ups to increase the brand exposure. At the same time, I also developed two additional flavors that were released in June 2020 (after a few months of delay due to the COVID-19 situation).
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
Although there are so many different efforts and channels that go into raising brand awareness, I’d probably say that social media (organic and paid) and PR activities have contributed the most. Many consumers find us through Instagram and Facebook, become interested in Jack & Friends after scrolling through our account, and then head to our website to learn more and/or purchase our jerky. Press—articles, interviews, blogs, etc.—has also been a great way to introduce Jack & Friends to more people. In particular, our feature in the Front Burner column of The New York Times really boosted our exposure and sales.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
I think the most challenging aspect has been the scale up process, as our product is unique and comes with non-conventional manufacturing. For example, it’s much easier to find a manufacturer to produce something like a soup or granola since there are so many more manufacturers that already have facilities with those capabilities. As I’m looking to build volume and scale, the next move is to find a contract manufacturer, and that piece has been very difficult. Thankfully, I’m working with a manufacturer right now that looks like they’ll be able to produce our product. I would say navigating these waters of going from a very small startup into one that's ready to take on much larger accounts is a huge process, especially as a brand that has been bootstrapped to date.
How do you stay focused?
As a solo founder wearing every hat in the business, it is definitely difficult to maintain focus when it feels like you have a million projects on your plate at once! I’ve found that little practices help the most—write a to-do list, block time on your calendar, etc. It’s all about trying to organize everything as much as possible so you can work through items systematically and in a structured manner. Know when you need a break and take time to reset every once in a while as well!
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
The most popular vegan jerky products can be divided into two categories: soy- or wheat-based and dehydrated fruits/vegetables. Soy- and wheat-based jerky are typically the most popular, as they usually better mimic the chewy texture of meat and have higher protein content. However, both soy and wheat are two of the top 8 food allergens, which alienates the millions of consumers with those allergies or sensitivities, as well as those who choose to exclude those foods from their diet for personal reasons. Jerky made from dehydrated fruits/vegetables—like banana and mushroom—avoid the allergen issue, but have little to no protein content in a category expected to deliver such nutritional benefits. Jack & Friends takes the best of both worlds by uniquely combining jackfruit and pea protein to remain vegan and top 8 allergen-free, while also providing a good source of protein and fiber with no added sugar. The ingredients and innovative processing also help our product mimic the texture expected of jerky and allow for limitless flavor options for future expansion.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
In addition to the channels mentioned in my answer above (social media and PR), I have been working on pivoting our digital marketing strategy to lower customer acquisition cost while still reaching our target market. We’re in the midst of testing new strategies that lower the amount of touch points a consumer would need to convert into a purchase—influencer affiliates, referrals, etc.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Be patient in the beginning and make sure you conduct extensive R&D on your product before releasing it to the public! The desire to launch as soon as possible is always strong (trust me, I know), but keep in mind that it is much easier to make product changes pre-launch than post-launch. Once a consumer, store, or anyone else decides they don’t like your product, you’ll have to work that much harder to change their minds in the future.
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
My favorite app is still Instagram—although this may change with the direction the new updates seem to be heading in… To Kill a Mockingbird and A Separate Peace are my favorite “classic” books, and I have a soft spot for the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson and the Olympians series as I grew up loving more fantasy-like genres. I admittedly don’t regularly follow many blogs (usually find articles from a variety of blogs depending on what content I’m looking for), so I’ll name my favorite YouTube channel instead! I would highly recommend checking out Mark Rober’s content—I love the way he blends engineering and entertainment.
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
LinkedIn, various food industry newsletters (Food Business News, Food Dive, IFT, etc.), and Help a Reporter Out (HARO) are among my top business tools. They’re all great resources for me to stay up-to-date on news/trends and connect with relevant professionals.
Who is your business role model? Why?
This is such a cheesy answer, but probably my dad. Although we’re in completely different fields, I admire how he started his business from the ground up as the youngest in his family and viewed entrepreneurship as not only a job, but also a way to learn about and become involved in other industries.
How do you balance work and life?
Although difficult as a solo founder, I try to separate my business from my personal identity as much as possible. Reminding myself to make this clear distinction when the lines start to become blurred has become hugely important in not letting business “failures” negatively affect my mental health or concept of self-worth. Making time for myself, family, and friends—even if it’s short—lets me take a breather when it feels like I’ve been constantly running as well.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
It really depends on the day! I often like to just be alone and mindlessly fall down a YouTube video hole or some other form of entertainment for a couple of hours. Other times, sharing a bottle of wine with my family or friends while chatting is the best way to decompress. And some days I’ll spend hours in the kitchen making a seven-layer cake.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
The next six months will definitely be a very busy time for Jack & Friends. I’m in the midst of onboarding with our contract manufacturer to scale up production and alleviate capacity constraint, so there will be a lot of work surrounding production trials, contract negotiation, and other items to be fully set up in their facility. At the same time, I’m preparing investor materials for our first round of fundraising to fund this scale up and more robust marketing efforts to grow our brand!
How can our readers connect with you?
Definitely check out and feel free to message the Jack & Friends Instagram account (@jackandfriendsjerky) or connect with me directly on LinkedIn. For more information on Jack & Friends and to purchase our plant-based jerky, head to our website!