Katie Lefkowitz’s entrepreneurial journey is a testament to the power of personal transformation and innovative thinking. As the founder and CEO of Harken Sweets, Katie has created a superfood-infused candy bar that is 100% plant-based, made without added sugar, and deliciously reminiscent of classic candy bars. In our latest episode of the Plant Based On Fire podcast, Katie shared her inspiring story and the mission behind Harken Sweets.
A Journey Sparked by Health
Katie’s path to founding Harken Sweets began with a personal health crisis. A lifelong Snickers fanatic, Katie faced a diagnosis related to colon cancer, which brought gut health to the forefront of her life. This diagnosis forced her to give up traditional candy and seek alternatives that aligned with her new health priorities.
“I wanted to make a candy bar that I could eat and not feel terrible about afterward,”
Katie explained. This desire led her to experiment with ingredients that promote gut health, ultimately leading to the creation of Harken Sweets.
Innovating with Superfoods
Harken Sweets reimagines traditional candy by infusing it with superfoods. The signature ingredient, date fruit, provides natural sweetness and nutrition. Unlike typical caramels made with butter, sugar, and heavy cream, Harken’s date-based caramel retains the fibrous quality of the fruit, offering a healthier alternative.
“By using dates, we’re able to achieve these frankly miraculous nutritionals but still taste like a typical caramel,”
Katie shared. This innovative approach not only improves the nutritional profile of the candy but also ensures it remains delicious.
The Power of Persistence
Creating a plant-based candy bar that meets Katie’s high standards was no easy feat. It took two years of trial and error to develop a formulation and recipe that she was proud to bring to market. Katie’s background as COO of Caulipower, where she oversaw supply chain, operations, and product development, provided her with valuable experience in scaling manufacturing processes. Despite numerous challenges and rejections, Katie’s persistence paid off, culminating in Harken Sweets’ launch in Walmart stores nationwide.
“It’s awesome to have a great product, but if you can’t make it at scale consistently, how are you really gonna get it out there to people?”
Katie emphasized the importance of finding the right manufacturing partners and staying focused on quality.
Consumer Response and Market Impact
The response to Harken Sweets has been overwhelmingly positive. Katie still reads every email that comes into the company’s inbox, relishing the heartfelt notes from consumers who appreciate the healthier candy alternative.
“The number of people who are, I mean, they really run the gamut. There are folks who are maybe more like your listeners who are looking for a healthier option. Then there are folks who are not necessarily looking for a healthier option. They just grab it and eat it and then say, huh, that was really good. I had no idea this was actually better for me,”
Katie noted. This broad appeal is a testament to the product’s quality and taste.
Insights You'll Gain From This Episode
The importance of persistence in entrepreneurship
How to innovate with healthier ingredients
The challenges of scaling manufacturing processes
The impact of personal health journeys on business ideas
Strategies for successful product marketing and consumer engagement
Looking Ahead
Katie’s vision for Harken Sweets extends beyond its current offerings. She is constantly experimenting with new ways to reimagine candy for a health-conscious market. While specific future products remain under wraps, Katie’s commitment to innovation and quality promises exciting developments ahead.
For plant-based business enthusiasts and consumers alike, Harken Sweets represents a delicious and nutritious alternative to traditional candy. As Katie aptly puts it,
“If you have an idea that you believe in, just get started.”
Her story is a powerful reminder of the potential to create positive change through passion and perseverance.
To learn more about Harken Sweets and support Katie’s mission, visit harkensweets.com or find their products in Walmart stores nationwide. Join the movement and enjoy a sweet treat that’s good for you and the planet!
Connect with Katie today:
-Social Media:
IG: / harkensweets
-Website: https://harkensweets.com/
Subscribe to the Plant-Based On Fire podcast on YouTube or your favorite streaming platform today and stay connected with our ongoing exploration of the complex plant-based business world.
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Episode’s Transcript
Please understand that a transcription service provided the transcript below. It undoubtedly contains errors that invariably take place in voice transcriptions.
Bryan (00:00)
Hello everybody. Welcome to Plant Based on Fire, where we talk about plant based businesses and their inspiring stories to thrive in our industry. I'm your host Bryan. And the best way you can support us is by clicking that like or subscribe button below wherever you're watching this or listening to it. And let us know what other cool, amazing guests we should have on the show. Let us what you like or don't like about this episode or any others. And we will try to make it better and more awesome.
Joining us today is Katie Lefkowitz. She is the founder and CEO of Harken Sweets. I'm so excited to speak with you. The super food industry, the super food infused candy bar that is 100 % plant -based with no sugar. Welcome to the show, Katie.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (00:47)
Yeah, thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to dive into things.
Bryan (00:52)
I am so excited because that's my one weakness. You know, as as a person who had been doing this 14, 15 years now in this vegan path and I started out vegetarian because I like the milk chocolate is everywhere and it's so hard to say, I really want some chocolate. I want the flavonoids and all the good stuff, but I don't want the milk piece of it. So I'm just so excited to see that. And then other secret ingredients are always hiding in the candy bars. But let's go back to the beginning a little bit like.
What was the moment that inspired you to create Harken Sweets and how has your journey in health influenced it?
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (01:29)
Yeah, absolutely. So I actually created Harken as a lifelong Snickers fanatic who had to give up this death, unfortunately, due to my own health diagnosis related to colon cancer. And at that point in time, as you can imagine, that really turned my life upside down and...
is ultimately what introduced me to the concept of food as medicine and how so many of the chronic illnesses that we see in this country really can be prevented or at least risk reduced through gut health and diet. And so that was really the inspiration. I wanted to make a candy bar that
I could eat and not feel terrible about afterwards, hence the name Harken. So harkening back to a time when you could eat all of the candy you wanted and again, not feel awful afterwards and know that you're doing something good for your gut and for the planet as well.
Bryan (02:44)
I do remember as a kid going on Halloween and just coming back with pounds and pounds of candy and plowing through it But I think I don't know. I feel like the pieces were Smaller probably less high fructose corn syrup and I don't know. So that is awesome such an amazing journey and inspiration to see you create the business and Describe like the how was the process like I talked to a lot of companies that are like?
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (02:55)
Almost certainly. Yeah.
Bryan (03:13)
How do we get started with manufacturing? How do we do this? What was the process of that first candy bar? And what were some of the challenges to get it to where it is today?
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (03:22)
Yeah, I mean, you know, we could do a whole hour, I think, on that alone. But I mean, in creating the very first product, actually, I had been making a date -based caramel for years just on my own at home. And that was really a big piece of the inspiration for how to create a healthier product in Harken.
Bryan (03:25)
Heheheheh
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (03:47)
And so again, because I had been experimenting with that for so long, I had a really good sense for where I wanted to go there. And on the more scaled manufacturing front, I'm fortunate in the sense that actually prior to Harken, I was very early days with a brand called Collie Power, if you're familiar. So I was actually our chief operating officer. I oversaw all things.
Bryan (04:08)
Hmm.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (04:13)
supply chain, operations, product development. So that was one kind of leg up perhaps I might've had on the manufacturing front and really just understanding, you know, how it's great to have a great product, but if you can't make it at scale consistently, well, how are you really gonna get it out there to people in a way that they can trust your brand? So that was a really big piece of the early days.
Bryan (04:36)
Right.
So such an amazing background that helps springboard into this awesome new empire you're creating here. I love, love, love that story. And you mentioned that secret ingredient, right? It was the dates. So what talked to us about the benefits of dates versus some of the other ingredients we see in the standard American candy bars.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (05:00)
Yeah, I mean, a typical caramel is made with butter, sugar, heavy cream. I mean, it is kind of all of the heavy hitters in terms of, you know, calories and gut health destruction. Whereas what we're doing with our date based caramel is taking the naturally gooey, naturally caramelly fruit and macerating it in a way that
creates that caramel flavor and texture, but still retains the natural fibrous quality inherent to the fruit. And so by doing that, we're able to achieve these frankly miraculous nutritionals, but still taste like a typical caramel. And that's all about having the right equipment, having the right technology, having the right sourcing of the dates themselves.
to be able to recreate that type of product without all of the junk.
Bryan (06:02)
Yeah, I absolutely love that. And I think even through in that other magical word that the standard American diet misses a lot of times fiber, right? Like, I don't know if the regular candy bars even have fiber in them. For sure. Right.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (06:14)
Barely, barely. And actually fiber is, you know, so many people focus on other macronutrients, like you hear a lot about protein, for instance, but fiber is the number one macronutrient that people don't get enough of. 95 % of people in this country don't get enough fiber. And so making that at the core of this brand, given my own gut health issues was really important to me.
Bryan (06:32)
Yeah.
Yeah, I so point that out. I don't really care where I get my protein from. I'm getting plenty of it. But go for a walk and get some sunshine people and eat more leafy greens to get that fiber for sure. So what's the secret to finding that balance? Because you have amazing products that have the nutrition of values and everything else that we've been talking with. And...
they have to taste really good too. Like you wanna give them that little hook, like so we can get addicted to the snicker bar, just like you said, right? So not that we want you to eat them 24 seven, but.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (07:13)
Yeah, I mean, honestly, the secret is to me, trial and error. And you have to go through so many iterations. I think of a lot of entrepreneurs and I can understand it, you know, get really excited about a concept, but you need to just keep refining it, keep refining it. And that's really what we're doing. It took me two years to create a formulation and a recipe that I was really happy about and excited about.
and we'd be proud to put right next to the standard bearer for the category. And that's what's been really amazing about our launch so far is, I mean, when we've brought this to the retail buyers to help get it into the homes of every candy consumer in America, their response has been incredible. And in particular, I mean, just a month ago, we launched in...
Walmart stores nationwide in the checkout. And we're in the checkout aisle and we are right next to those gut health destroying brands that kind of started us here in the first place. And I should mention a handful of other retailers as well have really been supporters, but it all comes down to the product. That's why they're so excited and so comfortable putting us where they have.
Bryan (08:37)
I love it. Congratulations. That's a huge win and a first step towards your plans. That's amazing to hear. So you touched on it a little bit, but what is the feedback you're getting to consumers? I mean, to me, it would be a no -brainer. If I see your candy bar next to the Snickers, I'd just try and steer the kids away from even looking at it, or we wind up getting something simple like...
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (08:46)
Thank you.
Yeah.
Bryan (09:05)
Altoids or something less like that, but what's what's been the response from the consumer side of it?
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (09:07)
Right.
Yeah, I mean, I have to say it's been amazing. I mean, I still to this day, I read every single email that comes into our, you know, generic inbox, the email for which is on the package. So I would say to people, if you want a business card, go buy a candy bar because my email is right on there. And the responses we've gotten are...
Truly unlike anything I could have ever imagined. I mean, the number of people who are, I mean, they really run the gamut. There are folks who are maybe more like your listeners who are looking for a healthier option. Then there are folks that are not necessarily looking for a healthier option. They just grab it and eat it and then say, huh, that was really good. I had no idea this was actually better for me.
Bryan (09:53)
Mm -hmm.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (10:06)
And I mean, the heartfelt notes are really like that's, that's what gets me up in the morning.
Bryan (10:11)
Absolutely. Those little butterfly wings of change that you're inspiring for sure. I know I even struggle with that. I've got the three young kids and it's that question of what's a good healthy snack that they can just grab and go or they want a sweet treat and they're reaching for, they see it, they've run a reach for that. So how do you see yourself? Is there something in the packaging or your brand identity? How do you...
help differentiate yourself in this competitive landscape against some of the bigger players.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (10:45)
Yeah, I mean, you know, this is a battle, one and lost on shelf. I like to say is really about the packaging and standing out and being different. We went through our packaging, really wanted to evoke that nostalgia. And even through our use of fonts and colors again, really bring you back to a time when you could feel that joy around candy. And that's how we're able to really get people's attention. And then.
when you actually look on the back of the package, when you look at some of the claims we're able to make on the packaging, then you realize, wow, this is actually a healthier candy bar.
Bryan (11:26)
I love it. That's awesome. What this this is always that thing is like you you build you took two years to test and get feedback and then you're packaging it up and stuff. What were some of your challenges to hit that scaling moment and how did you overcome them?
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (11:42)
Yeah, I mean, lots of challenges. I think, you know, doing things the way that you want to at small batch is really different than at the kind of larger batch sizes that we're talking about to service a customer as large as, for instance, Walmart. And so, I mean, I have been told no a thousand times. You know, we can't do this for this reason. We can't do that for that reason.
Bryan (12:00)
Yeah.
Hmm.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (12:11)
And it's about just being persistent, finding the manufacturing partners that understand your vision, that understand what you're trying to do and are willing to kind of get there in the weeds with you and figure out a way to make your product come to life.
Bryan (12:30)
Yeah, I think it's the world has gotten so much noise in it now and so many different potential suppliers. It's almost a daunting exercise, but like I see that over and over on the couple of companies I've helped through this kind of process is like be relentless in pursuing the right vendor that you pick to help you with your process. So I think that's well said. Be ready and comfortable with the nose and you'll eventually find that perfect person that you can partner with. So that's awesome to hear.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (13:00)
Yeah, exactly. And I will say even on the plant -based side, I mean, in particular, the caramel was a really large innovation. The chocolate itself, too, that coating. I mean, the number of people that just kind of laughed me out of the room when I said I wanted to do it without dairy was unlike anything I ever have experienced. And that persistence really does pay off. I mean, I have been to trade shows.
Bryan (13:01)
What
Yeah.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (13:29)
all over this country. I have flown to countless factories to really understand their process and that's the only way to really make it work.
Bryan (13:37)
Yeah, to see it, to see it for yourself and the outcome. Cause I think, you know, the, the world's in this chocolate crisis and they don't realize it. And the best way to knock down the chocolate is to add the milk in my opinion, or, you know, so I'm sure like some of the challenges that you're going to see in supply chain for chocolate prices going through the roof and everything else. Yeah. You, I, we love it. We need it, but you know,
Yeah, finding the right, the right way to do it. So congrats on navigating a lot of those challenges. I'm curious on the marketing thing. This, so I'm the IT guy, right? So I can help you with some of the processes and things, but what, what the mystery always is for me is the marketing side of it. What strategies have you employed? And you talked about the branding. I think your website is beautiful and you've obviously been successful. You've gotten into Walmart. What were the most successful?
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (14:16)
Thanks for watching!
Bryan (14:33)
ways that you've been able to get Harken suites out there and known.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (14:39)
Primarily, we have grown through word of mouth and that includes obviously offline, but through social media as well. I mean, we've had a huge growth just through organic. The other thing I should mention is being at some of these trade shows and meeting the editorial folks at places like VegNews, if you're familiar with them and...
Bryan (15:05)
Yeah.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (15:08)
This woman, Michelle, who runs the at vegan handle on Instagram. I mean, these people have been unbelievable to work with and just be a part of their ecosystem has been really fantastic. Again, just really good people looking for great products to be able to share with the world and partnering with them on new products that were.
working on and things like that just to help them understand what it is that we're doing because they're following is so loyal and so important.
Bryan (15:44)
Mm hmm. Yeah, I know. I'm a big fan and following there. So when they're promoting something, I'm like, I gotta do what I can to help support it. So that's great to hear. But it's it's the the many different components of a business, right? I mean, it's the product itself, which you've clearly knocked out of the park. It's the finances and then it's the sales and the marketing and all of that comes from really strong leadership and stuff. And I'm already seeing that in our conversation. But.
What were some of the key leadership lessons you learned and challenges maybe you faced helping get to this point?
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (16:20)
Yeah, I mean, number one, and I think a lot of this is a good reminder for all entrepreneurs is try to stay as focused as possible. The number of opportunities that come across my decimal email every single day. I mean, it's enough to make your head spin. And I think knowing what you want, knowing where you believe the brand should be and really focusing on that is so important. I think it was.
Michael Porter quote, which is, and I may botch this, so I apologize, but strategy is all about what you don't do, just as much as it's about what you do do. And I really try to keep that in my mind, in my heart every day as we operate. You can't do everything. So pick those opportunities that are really going to grow your business, that allow you to grow in a really
Bryan (16:54)
That's okay.
Great.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (17:17)
sustainable way and lead the team through that.
Bryan (17:23)
I love it. That is such great advice because you can't do everything and be everywhere. So, yeah, make sure you've got that knocked down on paper and strategized. What do you see as the trends happening in the plant -based industry? I mean, to me, the big news was the cheese competition recently. But what are you seeing in the plant -based industry, maybe even in the sweets category?
as an overall trend.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (17:54)
Yeah, I mean, interestingly.
On the, so I kind of divide the confectionary world into chocolate and non -chocolate. I will say, I mean, in the past, you know, five to 10 years, there's been a lot of growth on the non -chocolate side. So you think of, you know, the sugary candy brands, but really on the chocolate side of the business. And I think that this is driven by the fact that it is one of the most concentrated categories.
Bryan (18:02)
Mm -hmm.
Mm -hmm.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (18:25)
in all of grocery. Just three players make up 80 % of the chocolate confectionery space. So that just makes it all that much harder for.
Bryan (18:34)
Mm -hmm.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (18:40)
little guys with a new idea to really break through. And I feel really fortunate that we've been able to in the way that we have, but it's not to say there's not a lot of challenges still in front of us to continue to be able to have the role we have in this category.
Bryan (18:54)
Mm -hmm.
Yeah, it's so true. I mean, the challenge is just to get into whole foods, earth fair, all these places is just, it's so much networking and connecting and sampling and whatever else in it. I guess my, my thoughts are it's, I lost my thought. It was, it was this, this problem of, the three biggest players have such a thing. And, and that's where I try to tell people all the time. Like,
especially for those of us in the vegan space is we have to make sure every dollar we're spending is voting for our path and something. So like if you see the, if you see Harken Sweets bars, buy at least one, if not the whole box to send the message to the store, they need to restock that. Even if you give them out to your neighbors and friends, cause you don't like sweets, but like we have to vote with our wallets to help, help change this world in a big way. So.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (19:45)
Yeah.
Yeah, it's a, it's a little old us against some really the biggest names in the big food industry. And you're absolutely right. I mean, I feel honored by our fans so far. They're phenomenal. I mean, I have folks that literally out of the goodness of their heart, go to the store, help get product out of the stock room to put it on shelf, which is the most important thing is a new brand.
Bryan (20:07)
Mm -hmm.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (20:28)
It's great to get into the store, but if they're not grabbing it from the store room and putting it on shelf, no one's ever going to be even able to buy it. And you would think that would be the seamless process, but it absolutely is not. And all of the support, you know, you can give a brand on that. I mean, it's worth its weight in gold, truly.
Bryan (20:38)
Yeah.
Heheheheh
I love it. I didn't even think of that. You're right. I mean, you just think magically stuff appears on the shelves, but there's a priority to it and the time. And like you said, the candy, the candy space is such a small condensed section of the store. It's probably overlooked quite a bit. and it's one of the busiest little sections at the checkout line there. So are there any, future products in the pipeline? Any teasers you can give us about some of the future of Harken sweets?
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (21:18)
Yeah, we're definitely, I mean, that innovation is at the core of this business and I'm experimenting every single day on different ways to reimagine candy for America. So nothing exact to announce right now, but definitely follow us. We will be sharing some new news.
hopefully soon to continue to try to create better products for folks who love candy.
Bryan (21:52)
I love it. I would say my daughter is thoroughly in love with Willy Wonka and wants to go to the Willy Wonka factory. So I hope that you are so successful that you get to build your own Hershey's park and let all of us come and visit you and see the Willy Wonka factory of plant -based candy on that front.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (22:12)
I would love that. That's now on my wishlist.
Bryan (22:16)
Perfect. We will be the first people to come for sure. I think this has been very enlightening. There's been lots of little tips and tricks, but is there any other advice that you might want to call out for people trying to start their own plant -based candy business or just plant -based business in general that would help them?
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (22:39)
I would say if you have an idea that you believe in, just get started, right? Get started in a small way. Get started by making it for your friends and family. Start getting that feedback as early as possible and really listen to people and what they're saying and more importantly, what they're doing. So I always like to, when I'm sampling, let people try the product.
and you're the founder. So they're going to say nice things to you more likely than not. But what I do is I watch them and I see, do they take another bite? Do they take a third bite? Because if they don't, you probably need to keep working on your product or else you're not going to have that kind of instant excitement from your customer race. And again, they're not going to tell you because they don't want to hurt your feelings, even though I should say.
Bryan (23:25)
Mm -hmm.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (23:38)
If you are ever trying somebody's product, you should be as honest as possible because it'll save them a lot of heartache down the road. But just know that that's all being filtered and cut through the noise as much as possible by observing actions over words.
Bryan (23:54)
I agree completely because I'm allergic to tapioca. I just hate tapioca. I've always hated it my whole life. And the candy bars hide the tapioca in there as a filler or whatever they're doing. And I taste one of those and I'm like, this is not for me. As chocolatey as it could be, I know. So I just need to give that feedback. So I'd say add onto that is ask the questions. Like, why didn't you like it? You didn't take a second bite and try and pull that information out. Because if you knew I was allergic to tapioca, you're like, okay.
That's something I didn't even think of is people hate tapioca, but awesome advice there. Talk to us about like, what's the future for Harken suites? How do we get in touch? And like, what can our awesome community of listeners here do to help support you?
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (24:39)
I mean, try us again. We are at nearly every Walmart store in the country in the checkout aisle. So when you're next there, grab us. we also have some exciting new retailer announcements. So hopefully more stores soon and really, I mean, follow, you know, share your story of trying Harken, send me any, and I'll feedback you have. Like I said, my email is basically on the package of
every candy bar you buy and just stay in touch. I mean, it's about every individual making a difference and the support really does just mean the world.
Bryan (25:20)
And we can get it online as well as at HarkinSuites .com, correct?
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (25:26)
Exactly. Yep.
Bryan (25:28)
So check out harkensweets .com if you're not driving by a Walmart today and pick up a candy bar in person. And that is awesome. That is all the time we have for this episode of Plant Based on Fire. Thank you again so much, Katie, the Willy Wonka of Plant Based Candy Bars. I'm gonna call you that in my head now. There we go.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (25:48)
Yeah.
I'll be, I can be your Wilhelmina. How about Wilhelmina Wonga?
Bryan (25:54)
Perfect. Well, we really appreciate you joining us and sharing some awesome insights with our community. Until next time, everybody, keep the fire burning.
Katie Lefkowitz (Harken Sweets) (26:04)
Thank you.
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