Riana Lynn, a biologist who became a serial entrepreneur, believes the future of nutrition is micro foods. As the CEO and founder of Journey Foods, she recently launched her first product: Journey Bites. These micro foods, which she defines as small, nutrient-dense, portable and affordable snacks, are only the beginning of her line and vision for the company. In an exclusive interview, Lynn shared what motivated her to start the company and what she is planning for the future.
Growing up on food stamps with a single mom has motivated Lynn to make better products for those who cannot afford what is currently on the market. "We had food stamps and my grandmother's flourishing backyard garden to feed us. I was able to get scholarships to a private school that gave us a great breakfast and lunch, so I did not realize the food deserts around me until I lived closer to the University of Chicago. We need healthy foods for those who are less fortunate than the average organic shopper," Lynn said.
Lynn explains that the mission of Journey Foods is to use technology and wholesome ingredients to provide consumers with a healthy, functional and convenient snack. Journey Bites is her first product in the micro foods category. Sold on the company's website and Amazon, the bites are nutrient-dense snacks made from 100% fruit purées and available in mango or strawberry flavors. Other ingredients include cayenne, chia, nutrient boosters, baobab, citrus pectin and marine greens.
Lynn's other goal is to increase awareness about the need for biodiversity in the food industry and to expose people to unique ingredients. "We might run out of bananas soon because we have been so careless in terms of our biodiversity with this fruit. We must improve our biodiversity," Lynn warned.
Journey Foods has also created JourneyAI, a platform that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize food production, shelf-stability and affordability. The platform can help identify, catalog and develop unusual and underutilized ingredients. Part of Journey Food's vision for the future is to make JourneyAI a leading nutritional database for the research and development of micro foods and other unique food products.
"When I finally started traveling the world, I felt a rush of joy learning about new fruits and plants that people in 'less well off' communities had access to. I want us to lead biodiversity efforts and increase access to more unique ingredients. I want people to be less hungry and less nutritionally poor. This is my life’s mission," Lynn said.
Lynn has plans to expand her product portfolio at Journey Foods, but she also sees a global shift coming in the food industry. She believes that over the next five to 10 years, people will be consuming more products from Africa and Asia, with some plant species grown indoors, and marine plants will become common ingredients in food products.
Source: Bandoim L. The Potential Of Micro Foods: Interview With Riana Lynn Of Journey Foods. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lanabandoim/2019/01/28/the-potential-of-micro-foods-exclusive-interview-with-riana-lynn-of-journey-foods/. Published January 29, 2019. Accessed September 23, 2024.
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