Happy Family (food company)

Happy Family is an organic and baby food company in the US.[1] It was ranked No. 2 in Inc. Magazine's 2011 list of the 500 Fastest-Growing Companies, in the food industry category.[2]

Happy Family
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryFood
Founded2003 (2003)
FounderShazi Visram
Headquarters
U.S.
Key people
  • Shazi Visram, founder & CEO
  • Jessica Rolph, COO & founding partner
  • Amy Marlow, nutrition advisor
ProductsBaby food
ParentDanone
Websitehappyfamilyorganics.com

History

Happy Family was founded in 2003 by Shazi Visram. Visram developed the idea as a graduate student at Columbia Business School, where she studied the baby-food market and child nutrition, and began building the company while in business school.[3] In 2005, Jessica Rolph joined as COO and founding partner. Rolph, a Cornell Business School graduate, had a prior career at Whole Foods in research.[3] T

he company launched its first products on Mother's Day in 2006 - a line of organic, fresh-frozen baby meals sold through a New York grocery store chain.[4]

By 2010, Happy Family grew to more than $13 million in sales and was ranked 68th in Inc. Magazine's list of fastest-growing companies, with three-year growth of over 3,000%.[4] By the end of 2012, the company employed more than 70 people, and its products were available in over 14,000 stores and 30 countries.[5]

The company secured $30 million in debt and equity financing from individual private investors through a number of financing rounds rather than selling equity to private equity or venture capital groups.[6][7] In May of 2013, Groupe Danone acquired a 92% stake in the company with both Visram and Rolph as current owner partners.[8]

References

  1. Inc. Magazine. "A Happy Business". Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  2. Inc. Magazine. "Happy Baby Profile". Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  3. New Hope 360. "Shazi Visram and Happy Baby Hit Jackpot in American Express Commercial". Archived from the original on 8 March 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  4. Happy Family. "eBaby". Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  5. Happy Family. "Kids Nutrition Report". Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  6. Craine’s New York. "40 Under Forty – Shazi Visram". Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  7. Fox Business. "Young Guns Reloaded No Crying Babies Here". Retrieved 14 August 2012. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  8. "Danone acquires US organic baby food company Happy Family". Foodnavigator.com.
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