VBT 163: Izzy Shu of JOI on Turning a Thesis Project into a Vegan Milk Business with a Difference

In this episode I interview Izzy Shu, one of four co-founders of JOI (Just One Ingredient), a plant-based milk company with a difference. When Izzy and her fellow co-founders met in grad school, they quickly realized their shared passion for healthier lifestyles and a quest to make the world more sustainable, and created a thesis project: An innovative solution to make plant-based milks cleaner, more accessible and more eco-friendly. In 2016, JOI was created. The company offers concentrates made from whole, natural, raw ingredients which, when blended with water, create customizable, instant clean and nutritious plant-based milks. Before founding JOI, Izzy worked in marketing and brand identity, as well as graphic and production design. In this interview Izzy discusses: • Why the company pivoted from hardware manufacturer to creating food products, despite investing time and money in the former • How JOI is different to other plant-based milks and also to standard ‘instant milk’ • The benefits of a subscription-based sales model and a customer rewards program • How Covid impacted the business – in a good way • And more Visit the JOI website RESOURCES: My Online PR Course for Vegan Business Owners & Entrepreneurs: Vegans in the Limelight My book Vegan Ventures: Start and Grow an Ethical Business Follow Vegan Business Media on: Facebook   Twitter  Instagram  Connect with me personally at: Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn