Melissa Snover is serial entrepreneur, visionary and innovator in the food tech industry. After studying Business Management and Political Science at the University of Colorado Boulder, Melissa moved to the UK to finish her studies at the prestigious Lancaster University.
At the age of 23, she co-founded Burton Mortgage Services, and in 2009 she sold her shares of the company to focus on the confectionery industry. In 2010, she launched her first consumable goods company called FTF Sweets Ltd, also known as Goody Good Stuff. It was the world’s first vegan, natural and allergen-free fruit gum. In 2013, Melissa sold Goody Good Stuff to Cloetta and decided to explore innovative manufacturing techniques which could create truly personalised confectionery.
By 2015, she partnered with the successful German Katjes family corporation, and was able to immerse herself in the world nutrition and 3D printing, which led to her current ventures, Nourished and Scripted.
In our interview with Melissa, we explore her entrepreneurial journey and the value proposition of her company Nourished.
Hello Melissa. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and background in general?
Melissa: I am the founder and CEO of Rem3dy Group, a start-up that is developing 3D-printed personalised health solutions in both medicine (Scripted) and preventative health (Nourished).
Before becoming an entrepreneur, I studied Business Management and Political Science at the University of Colorado Boulder. Afterwards, I moved my studies to the UK at the renowned Lancaster University and founded my first company, Burton Mortgage Services, at the age of 23. I sold my interest in that business in 2009 and focused my attention to the confectionery industry instead.
In 2010, I founded Goody Good Stuff (GGS), my first consumer goods brand. Here I created the world's first vegan, natural and allergen-free confectionery. GGS became a market leaders with its products being stocked in twenty-seven countries worldwide.
Despite our success, I became frustrated with the limitations of mainstream manufacturing, which hampered our ability to create bespoke products for our customers. In 2013, I sold Goody Good Stuff to Cloetta and began to explore innovative manufacturing techniques which could create truly personalised confectionery.
In 2013, I sold Goody Good Stuff to Cloetta and began to explore innovative manufacturing techniques which could create trulypersonalised confectionery. Melissa Snover
I had the pleasure of meeting with the team at Katjes and considered how 3D-printing could be used as an original way to introduce real customisation into the confectionery industry.
After an extremely intensive period of R&D, I developed my own patented 3D-printer that could create personalised gummy candy in a matter of minutes. This was the start of Katjes Magic Candy Factory, and we began launching this concept into theme parks, specialist retail stores and events hosted by the likes of Facebook and Citi Bank, all around the world.
In 2019, I decided to optimise our 3D printers so that they could cater to the health and wellness space, and founded my current business, Rem3dy Health. Under the brand name Nourished, we now 3D print completely customised nutrient gummies for thousands of consumers across the UK and USA . We are disrupting the nutrition industry with our innovative manufacturing techniques.
As an entrepreneur there will also be factors you cannot control when starting your business. Ensuring you have a trusted and passionate team around you, who share your vision, will allow you to overcome challenges and find solutions that lead to success. Melissa Snover
Why did you choose Entrepreneurship as a career path?
Melissa: I never sat down and planned to be an entrepreneur when I was younger. I instead followed my passions, developed my expertise and learnt new skills which led me on an entrepreneurial journey. I think it is important for any aspiring entrepreneur to follow a career path which excites and inspires them, rather than just starting a business for the sake of being an entrepreneur. There is a huge amount of work and pressure associated with starting your own business, alongside endless sleepless nights, which should not be underestimated!
I think it is important for any aspiring entrepreneur to follow a career path which excites and inspires them, rather than just starting a business for the sake of being an entrepreneur. Melissa Snover
What originally attracted you to the Nutrition and Consumables industry?
Melissa: Nutrition has always been something I am passionate about and the idea for Nourished hit me like a light bulb moment. I was taking multiple vitamin pills each and every day to improve and optimise my overall wellness. I took these with me everywhere, including when I was frequently travelling for business all over the world. On one such occasion, I was travelling through Dusseldorf Airport, and I accidentally dropped my bag on the floor, spilling all the various pills I had all over the floor. Whilst I was scrambling to pick them up in my suit and heels, I thought that there had to be a better way to take personalised supplements on the go. That's when the idea for Nourished came to me, and my journey in the nutrition industry started.
Please give us an overview of your nutrition consumables company called Nourished?
Melissa: Nourished uses innovative 3D-printed technology to create a personalised gummy, packed full of high-impact vitamins and nutrients to revitalise your mind and body.
Customers can build their own 7-layer vitamin stack from a wide range of 40 active ingredients, which is totally tailored to their individual lifestyle, goals and preferences. We then 3D print their selection on demand to ensure optimum levels of efficacy and absorption, and ship directly to them. All our products are vegan, sugar-free and delivered in eco-conscious packaging, and home compostable wrappers which are 100% plastic free.
How does 3d printing, personalised nutrition and plant-based ingredients fit into the overall value proposition of Nourished?
Melissa: At Nourished we believe that everyone deserves access to a personalised health solution. One that's free from sugar and other nasties, and without harming the planet. Every single business and individual needs to do all they can to help make a difference in the battle against climate change. It's important for consumers to know that the companies they are purchasing from also share their values and goals too.
We have also proudly partnered with Vitamin Angels UK to help provide life changing nutritional support to children and mothers.
For every purchase of our Nourished stacks, we make a donation which goes to Vitamin Angels UK, and through this partnership we have been able to help improve the lives of over 70,000 women and children through the UK and around the world since launching in 2020.
At Nourished we believe that everyone deserves access to a personalised health solution. One that's free from sugar and other nasties, and without harming the planet. Melissa Snover
Where does your fascination with 3d printing technology come from?
Melissa: Personalisation has been a growing trend across multiple industries for years, but has remained relatively stagnant in the nutrition industry due to a lack of innovation and manufacturing capability. In today's world you can personalise anything from your clothing to your car number plate, so why not your health?
Our 3D-printing technology allows us to make a truly bespoke product in minutes, as opposed to traditional manufacturing which makes hundreds of thousands of the same product at once, and is not designed for the individual end user. As 3D-printing technology makes the manufacturing process more efficient, it also reduces the amount of wastage produced as each product is made on demand. Customers take our short online consultation and we are then able to recommend a bespoke gummy stack out of billions of potential different combinations. Once their order is placed, this is then freshly 3D-printed and delivered directly to a customer's door in a matter of days.
Our 3D-printing technology allows us to make a truly bespoke product in minutes, as opposed to traditional manufacturing which makes hundreds of thousands of the same product at once, and is not designed for the individual end user. Melissa Snover
What key challenges have you faced as an entrepreneur and how did you overcome them?
Melissa: We launched Nourished just two months before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, so it was a very challenging time to start a business. However, we were very fortunate that we were able to thrive during this period due to the growing consumer demand for impactful nutrition products, and our onsite manufacturing capabilities.
Has your entrepreneurial journey been influenced by any past or present business leaders?
Melissa: Throughout my career I have been inspired by a vast variety of business leaders from a number of different industries. As a passionate advocate for female entrepreneurship and women in STEM fields, I am particularly influenced by disruptors such as Grace Hopper and Reshma Saujani.
Madam C J Walker, the first female self-made millionaire once said,
Don’t sit down and wait for opportunities to come. Get up and make them.”
I have found this advice to be incredibly powerful throughout my career.
Before we conclude the interview, do you have any advice for new or aspiring Entrepreneurs trying to launch or run a start-up?
Melissa: Being resilient and able to problem solve in the face of challenges out of my control, has been a major factor in the success of businesses I have ran. A perfect example of this was during the COVID-19 pandemic when our team were able to persevere and ultimately thrive by constantly pivoting and adapting to the ever changing-landscape.
As an entrepreneur there will also be factors you cannot control when starting your business. Ensuring you have a trusted and passionate team around you, who share your vision, will allow you to overcome challenges and find solutions that lead to success.
Being resilient and able to problem solve in the face of challenges out of my control, has been a major factor in the success of businesses I have ran. Melissa Snover
Thank you for participating in this Q&A session, we wish you all the best.
Melissa: Thank you.
