12 Jul IU Angels Announce First Consumer Good Investment
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IU Angels Announce First Consumer Good Investment
BLOOMINGTON, IN— Members of the IU Angel Network are announcing a sizable $300,000 investment in their first consumer good investment through Sacred Serve, female-founded, plant-based gelato company. Sacred Serve’s products are free of the top 8 allergens and are made with certified organic young Thai coconut meat and superfoods, in addition to being non-GMO and low-glycemic.
Sacred Serve is part of a growing number of companies dedicated to plant-based, functional foods. “More than ever before consumers are looking at products through the lens of health and wellness. I anticipate that to be the largest and longest standing movement in the space in everything from food to beauty,” said Sacred Serve Founder and CEO, Kailey Donewald. “Authenticity and connection to the consumer are also key elements for this segment.”
Donewald’s experiences with severe asthma and allergies throughout her life led her to embark on a two-week raw food cleanse in Bali, Indonesia that allowed her body to heal itself completely. “My healing was so profound that I decided to quit my job, go back to school for nutrition, and target the root cause of the issue: the food being offered to consumers.” Sacred Serve was born out of a desire to take ice cream, the most dairy- and sugar-laden category of food she could think of and make a healthy, indulgent alternative.
Jason Wadler, IU Angel Network Member and former Co-CEO at JimmyBar Natural Foods believes in Sacred Serve’s mission and their product. “In our first meeting, I was very impressed with Kailey on multiple levels—her story, her passion, and her mission to bring truly ‘better for you’ food in a category that greatly needs it.”
The funding from the IU Angel Network will allow Sacred Serve to scale up their manufacturing, expand into new regions, hire additional staff, and take action on new initiatives in the pipeline. According to Donewald, their goal is to be available nationwide next year, and this investment has helped to accelerate their path.
Wadler is excited to work with Donewald and the Sacred Serve team as they scale up over the next year and beyond. “Kailey has done a great job bringing in a very talented advisory board. I am honored to be a part of it,” he shared. “And her products are incredibly delicious—which is truly the ultimate investment decision.”
When it comes to being a female founder, Donewald’s advice has always been to trust your gut. “I spent a lot of time trying to fit into a pre-established mold of how to build a business and how that business should look. While I am still learning, I have come to realize that is incredibly limiting as there are so many creative ways to do it and you have to find what feels right to you.”
In addition to holding a bachelor’s degree in finance and real estate from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, Donewald is a certified health coach. She says the Kelley School of Business set her up for success. “Every investor I have ever interacted with is impressed and surprised I have a business background alongside such a creative product offering,” she said. “The fundamentals I received through my studies at IU are paramount to achieving what we do now.”