Month: May 2026
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Meet USC alum: Zac Coughlin, Founder of Zac’s Sweet Shop
Tell us about your company: Zac’s Sweet Shop is a chocolate company making gourmet, innovative, and delicious bite-sized chocolate confections including truffles, cookies, pretzels, and chocolate bark. Zac is on the mission to reinvent the box of chocolates experience through purpose, passion, and innovative products. What inspired you to start your business? Ever since I…
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Meet USC alum: Chloe Choi, Co-Founder MIILS
Tell us about your company: MIILS is a next-generation cereal protein shake brand to bring taste, convenience, and fun back into the protein aisle. We’re the first in the U.S. to launch single-serve, resealable pouches with real crunchy cereal inclusions inside. Our mission is simple: help busy, passionate, and successful people stay fueled with clean,…
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Meet NYU alum: Tatyana Jones Founder of DEFI Snacks
Tell us about your company: DEFI Snacks is rewriting the rules of better-for-you snacking. Founded by NYU Stern MBA ’15 alumna Tatyana Jones, DEFI is a breakthrough snack brand built for people who refuse to compromise — bold flavor, clean ingredients, and a nutrition profile that actually delivers. We’re not another “healthy” snack hiding sugar…
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Meet USC alum: Ashley Whalen, Founder of Chara Greek Frozen Yogurt
Tell us about your company: Chara is a better-for-you Greek frozen yogurt brand reimagining indulgence with clean, high-protein, probiotic-rich pints made from real ingredients. What inspired you to start your business? During my senior year at USC, I noticed my roommates making Greek yogurt bowls for dessert and saw the frozen aisle wasn’t meeting the…
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Meet UC Berkeley alum Rosetta Wang, Founder Laurelate
Tell us about your company: Laurelate is a California-grown chocolate alternative made from the native bay laurel tree—an abundant, climate-resilient species that has nourished Indigenous communities for generations. We transform California bay nuts into a rich, aromatic chocolate-like food that requires no cacao and supports local ecosystems. Our mission is to restore native forests through…
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Meet USC alum: Christy Moody, Founder Soleil Sunwear
Tell us about your company: Soleil Sunwear is a line of super stylish and comfortable sun protective apparel and accessories for women. Everything is designed and made in Los Angeles. What inspired you to start your business? Even though I had been a faithful sunscreen wearer for decades I started seeing changes in my skin…
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