This Black, Asian-Owned Brand Got 86 Rejections Before An Investment From Jay-Z
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I'm going to go out on a limb and speak my truth: I'm just not a breakfast person—anyone who, like me, is vegan, gluten-free, or just generally has a lot of allergies, will likely agree. Standard American breakfast foods are notoriously egg, dairy, or bread-based, making options extremely limited. That said, you can imagine how thrilled I was when I saw that one of my favorite allergen-free brands, Partake, launched pancake mixes ($5, Target).
I had already been a big fan of Partake's cult-favorite cookies for years—the birthday cake flavor has been a standby in my pantry since grad school, and I even got several friends hooked. Basically, I had high expectations for the confetti pancake mix, and I'm proud to say they exceeded them. They were quick and easy to make, and the clean ingredient list means I didn't feel any guilt about incorporating them in to my breakfast routine on a regular basis.
The best part? Denise Woodard didn't just found the brand to make delicious cookies, pancake, brownie mixes, and more. "At Partake, we believe everyone should have the right to access safe, delicious foods and we work toward that vision," she says.
Here's more on why Partake will always be a core part of my pantry:
It's a brand I love to support.
Woodard built Partake upon the values of actively championing food inclusivity, fighting food insecurity, and opening opportunities to Black and female entrepreneurs. "Black children are at a significantly higher risk of developing allergies," she says. That's precisely why all of Partake's (delicious) offerings are gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan, and free of the top nine allergens.
In fact, she got the idea for the brand when her own daughter was diagnosed with several allergies—she wanted people like her to be able to enjoy safe, delicious snacks regardless of their restrictions. The brand even partners with organizations like No Kid Hungry to help end child hunger in America.
As a Black & Asian American woman, Woodard is also extremely passionate about increasing opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs seeking careers in the food and beverage industry (she herself got a whopping 86 rejections for fundraising before none other than Jay-Z decided to invest in her). "In 2020, I founded Black Futures in Food & Beverage, an annual fellowship program to mentor HBCU students, helping them secure internships and jobs at the program’s end."
The pancakes are delicious and nutritious.
Beyond being a brand founded by an extremely admirable entrepreneur, the actual products are so. incredibly. good. Partake's confetti pancakes are a core part of my regular breakfast routine—I look forward to sitting down with a stack of them every Sunday while I watch The Great British Bake Off. They're the perfect antidote to the FOMO the show gives me with that perfect crispy-on-the-outside-fluffy-on-the-inside texture (something I haven't been able to experience since being diagnosed with so many allergies years ago).
It literally feels like eating cake for breakfast. Not a fan of confetti? There's a classic flavor, too, that I love customizing with bananas and chocolate chips. I haven't tried making waffles out of the mix because I don't have a waffle maker, but I have no doubt those would be just as drool-worthy.
They're affordable.
It's no secret that some healthy, specialty foods can be super pricey, but I've been buying Partake cookies since I was a grad student on a budget. For just over $5, the box of pancake mix has seven servings in it, so it's great for families and anyone who may be on a budget. There's nothing not to love about Partake's delicious pancakes—they're affordable, delicious, allergen-free, and come from a brand you'll love to support.
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