Get to know: PULP PANTRY #girlbosses

Get to know the Pulp Girls, Kaitlin Mogentale and Ashley Miyasaki of Pulp Pantry

1. What was the inspiration for starting x? What’s the story behind your brand?

Pulp Pantry began as an idea in college - I (Kaitlin here) was working at an urban garden in south Los Angeles and was shocked at how many kids would come to school eating twinkies and cheetos for breakfast. One evening, I happened to be at a friend's house and saw her juice a carrot. I was struck by the amount of pulp produced, and my friend admitted she usually tossed it in the trash. I salvaged the carrot pulp and took it home to make delicious carrot cookies. The next day, I called up juiceries and found out that most all simply sent their Pulp to the landfill. Luckily, I had some time to test out my idea - to take juice pulp and turn it into healthy snacks for families - while at usc. I pitched the idea in competitions and got into the usc incubator to get Pulp Pantry started.

2. What’s your brand tagline? What is your brand all about?

Meet Your Juice’s Other Half. Our brand promotes the following: Whole Body, Whole Mind, Whole Vegetable. We're crazy about upcycling and sustainability, and the notion that the health of our environment, our communities, and us as individuals is all interconnected. We acknowledge the resources and labor that go into producing food to feed the population, and that by ensuring no vegetables and fruits go to waste we hope we can help people make healthy choices for themselves and the environment.

3. What’s been the biggest challenge in your journey building Pulp Pantry?

We've bootstrapped the business aside from a small grant courtesy of USC, which has brought about the challenge of dealing with resource constraints. But it's also enabled us to grow slowly and organically, and learn from early mistakes. We wouldn't be where we are today in terms of our new strategy and brand philosophy, long term visioning, if it weren't for the past year we've spent iterating and learning.

4. What do you enjoy most about working on building your own company?

The people we have been privileged to meet and collaborate freely with - like Kayla!

5. How do you stay healthy and bikini body ready?

Ashley works out almost every day. She is truly an artist of balance - she's amazing at never making excuses for why she shouldn't take care of herself.

I have been slacking on the work out regimen- but I'm on my feet most hours of the day. For me, I eat a mostly vegetable focused diet, emphasizing fresh, seasonal whole foods from the farmers market.

6. Any words of wisdom for fellow #girlbosses ?

One of the greatest assets we have is each other. Building a business is not a zero sum game. By working together, we can achieve so much more. Seek to build partnerships, collaborate, and find your community of supportive, like-minded girlbosses.

7. What does a day in your life look like?

Wake up, make tea and a smoothie, listen to a podcast while I get ready for the day. I love slow mornings - usually I spend at least an hour in the morning before jumping in to work.

Then, well, every day is different. I jump across all areas of LA for events, meetings, demos, and on the weekends you can find me in the kitchen making and refining the product or developing new ideas.

To buy some delicious goodies yourself + learn more about Pulp Pantry, check out their WEBSITE + INSTAGRAM