Interesting Profiles

Betty Lu, a Singapore native, is challenging people to eat more colorfully…even when snacking. Her Confetti Snacks Lovely Veggie and Lovely Mushrooms Chips are the antithesis of the greasy, fried and nutrient-bankrupt potato chips and extruded corn snacks, but they more than hold their own when put to the taste test. The secret? There are a few. The first, according to Lu, is colorful plant-based ingredients which contain loads of phytonutrients and vitamins. Each bag – filled with okra, purple sweet potatoes, radishes, shiitake mushrooms and more – contains a rainbow of color.

These nutrients are preserved by a proprietary low-heat baking process that also produces that satisfying crunch we all demand of chips. And these veggies seriously crunch!! Next, she adds global spices like green curry and teriyaki BBQ – a nod to her native Singapore, a melting pot of cultures and flavors. Lu also upcycles imperfect produce, the kind that retailers consider unsellable due to irregular size or shape, to create the chips, reducing landfill waste. Year-over-year growth has averaged 312% since the inception of the line, and now Confetti Snacks have finally made their way to retail shelves in the U.S.!

Puneet Nanda is the mastermind behind the GuruNanda line of Ayurvedic-inspired dental hygiene products designed to bring high quality preventive care home at affordable prices. When his curiosity about TikTok was rebuffed with eye rolls from his daughter, he decided to find out about it for himself and post a video about his oil pulling product. It quickly went viral, Amazon sales went through the roof, and GuruNanda sold a week’s worth of inventory in a day. Nanda starting posting regularly, answering all kinds of oral care questions in his own unique voice. Today, he has over 140K followers and has fielded more than 1000 offers to promote other brands. But the real success story according to Nanda is educating people on the importance of preventive oral care, especially with the high cost of dentist visits, and bringing them “Whole Foods” quality at Walmart prices. Puneet can speak about how he became a TikTok sensation overnight/tools for new businesses as well as new innovations in natural oral care.

Ellie Laks, founder of The Gentle Barn, is a renowned animal behaviorist and communicator who’s been rescuing, rehabilitating, and finding homes for pets since her youth. She is also a noted author (second book coming out this spring), trainer and holistic healer. Although Laks clearly has a gift for what she does, she believes that better communication with our pets is a skill that can be learned and practiced by anyone. According to Laks, better animal communication not only strengthens bonds but will help humans recognize and resolve behavior and health issues more empathetically and quickly. Ellie can explain how to have a better connection with your pet, understand the ways that humans and pets are alike (personalities, interests, perceptions, memories, the need to be heard) and tips on how to bring out your pet’s voice. You can ask her anything and everything about animals!

Murray Hidary, musician, composer, and meditation expert, wants everyone to know that meditation is much misunderstood and mostly avoided by those of us who can’t see ourselves embracing the quietness, solitude and stillness we think it demands. Hidary is the creator of MindTravel, a series of live, music-driven mindfulness experiences and downloadable programs that allow people (even newbies) to enjoy the benefits of meditation on their own terms. According to Hidary, growth is personal, but achieving it doesn’t have to be a solo journey. With the right guidance, support, knowledge and type of mindfulness experience, anyone can benefit. Murray would love to speak with you about debunking meditation myths, how to begin practicing mediation and the health benefits of putting it into practice.