About Gina’s Entrepreneurial Journey
“I have loved snacking my whole life, especially anything with the label ‘junk food.’ However, as I’ve gotten older I felt immediate impacts of eating an unhealthy diet. Back in the summer of 2019, I had the pleasure of going on my quarterly business trip to Asia. I had gone down to the local convenience store and discovered mushroom snacks for the very first time. I was blown away that something so healthy could also be so delicious.
As I dived deeper into this space, I learned that mushrooms weren’t just good for you, but also for the environment as a sustainable source of protein. Eating a plant-based diet is one of the most effective ways to battle climate change. Not just that, but mushrooms also help increase satiety with soluble dietary fiber, such as β-glucan, to help lower cholesterol and reduce food intake. With its immunity boosting abilities, mushrooms contain enough amino acids, vitamin B, vitamin D and antioxidants like selenium to keep your immune system strong, helping your body fight off inflammation and disease.
Our mission is to make healthier snacking more achievable and sustainable with our Asian inspired meat-alternative proteins. We upcycle the stems of shiitake mushrooms, and recreate a nice meaty pull-apart texture that tastes just like the real deal. In fact, when some of our customers try munchrooms for the very first time, they are in disbelief that they’re eating a product that is 100% vegan and 0% beef.”
About Gina’s Pitch
“I’m excited for the opportunity to share munchrooms and our mission with everyone at the Minority Women Lead pitch competition. With our Asian inspired flavors, we bring a fun and playful vibe to the jerky space and hopefully inspire more people to eat more plant-based!”