Founders Heritage community champions cultural authenticity
In this age of authenticity, a group of founders is forming a community to support founders whose products honor the cultures they represent.
Booth #N2207 Saucy Lips will be bringing the warmth and love of their mother's kitchen to yours. Their new line of Authentic Mexican Cooking Sauces is made with the same passion and care that has been passed down through their family for generations. Using only the freshest, cleanest ingredients, they deliver a bold, unforgettable taste with every spoonful. Say goodbye to artificial flavors and added sugars and experience the real, authentic taste of Mexico with every bite.
Booth #N1688 Fila Manila will be introducing its new line of condiments that are inspired by Filipino American cuisine. These include Banana Ketchup, NEXTY Award Winner, and the Adobo BBQ Sauce and are packaged in convenient and fun squeezy bottles. Both are Upcycled Certified, as the key ingredient is upcycled bananas!
Booth #N1724 Yai’s Thai is commited to let Thai flavors shine without adding any junk, creating easy-to-use products consumers can enjoy regardless of dietary restrictions or cooking experience. Yai's Coconut Lime Marinade gets its bold yellow coloring from turmeric swirled into coconut cream, lime, and pineapple juice, with a hint of familiar Thai spices like lemongrass and ginger.
Booth #N234 A table staple of Mexico, Tia Lupita, is bringing “the condiment you never knew you needed to the United States.” This Mexican chili oil—made of whole ingredients such as whole pepitas, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, garlic and chile Morita—delivers an epic crunch and flavor to match. The heat of the chilis is balanced nicely with the subtle sweetness of raisins and tartness of the cranberries for a condiment that will amplify any dish and was a Expo East 2022 NEXTY Award Finalist.
Founded by Cuong, Tracy and Tiffany Pham, Red Boat Fish Sauce was created after Cuong moved to San Francisco from Saigon and wanted to recreate the flavors of his childhood in Saigon. However, as Pham describes, not even the vibrant Asian markets of San Francisco offered the intensely fragrant first-press fish sauce, nước mắm nhĩ, that Cuong remembered from Vietnam and thus Red Boat Foods and its fish sauce was born.
Founded by Cuong, Tracy and Tiffany Pham, Red Boat Fish Sauce was created after Cuong moved to San Francisco from Saigon and wanted to recreate the flavors of his childhood in Saigon. However, as Pham describes, not even the vibrant Asian markets of San Francisco offered the intensely fragrant first-press fish sauce, nước mắm nhĩ, that Cuong remembered from Vietnam and thus Red Boat Foods and its fish sauce was born.
Authenticity is one of the defining elements of the natural products industry, so it seems natural that founders who bring their cultures to this space would want to embrace and support each other.
It also seems natural that Fila Manila's founder, Jake Delon, would lead the effort.
The founder-forward community has created Founders Heritage to recognize and champion brands and products authentically rooted in their founders' cultures. Additionally, Founders Heritage will help consumers identify products that sincerely celebrate and honor the culture those products seem to represent. With Fila Manila, four other brands are celebrating the creation of this organization at Natural Products Expo West: Saucy Lips, Yai's Thai, Tia Lupita and Red Boat Foods.
The group describes itself as “a team of brands and founders to uplift and support each other through consumer, retail, and media networks." Its members will lead and conrtribute to conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion; the challenges of being minority owners; and cultural appropriation. In addition, they will work to create collaborations between brands, share expertise and expand their networks.
Consumers in the natural products space value transparency and actively seek brands' stories in the products they purchase. Deleon and this community started Founders Heritage knowing that the consumer appreciates internationally inspired products that are developed by someone from that culture. These founders are inspired by their grandmother's cooking and time with their parents.
That added layer of authenticity adds value to consumers purchases—and that's why Founders Heritage plans to create a certification program, Deleon said. Certified Founders Heritage products will identified with a seal to amplify the message that those products are rooted in the tradition of the people behind it. This certification is designed to help consumers and retailers become excited about the brands and inspired to learn their stories.
Why authenticity matters
The lack of Filipino representation in the natural specialty and mass channels inspired Delon to create Fila Manila. As he started out, he happened to see folks who weren’t Filipino putting out Filipino-inspired products. That brand wasn't doing anything wrong, he said, emphasizing that he doesn't want to see gatekeeping in regards to global flavors. Still, it didn't sit right with him.
Deleon believed the great flavors of Filipino food are rooted in the island country's rich culture. Filipino people and their cuisine deserve to have a spotlight—and it should come from the sincerity of the people.
Deleon met many founders as he started his company and deeply connected with those in the global flavors space. Their journey and their qualms regarding the industry were very similar to his own, he said. Their creations are very connected to who they are as individuals and where they come from.
As Founders Heritage makes its formal debut at Natural Products Expo West 2023, click through the gallery to discover each inaugural brand. And join the Founders Heritage Happy Hour from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday at booth N2207.
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like