Innovation

Sakara Life’s nutrient plan consists primarily of meal plans and supplements. Both components are formulated with a combination of modern-day science breakthroughs and traditional food knowledge dating back centuries. These products are then humanely produced and shipped to customers at the click of a button.

For meal plans, Sakara Life has two categories designed to fit customers' needs. Each plan follows Sakara’s nine nutrition pillars: no calorie counting, include plant protein, eat your water, get your greens, incorporate good fats, eat the rainbow, revel in nutrient density, and cultivate body intelligence. Through these pillars, Sakara’s core values shine through. Not only does it provide quality food, but its hiding of calorie counts may help those recovering from unhealthy relationships with food. This tactic ensures both physical and mental regeneration. Moreover, the company guarantees all goods produced are made without GMOs, artificial flavors or colors, added sugars, and fillers or additives, as well as being organic, vegan, gluten-free, and made with the highest quality, clinically proven ingredients. All of these factors are backed through accredited, third-party testing. This allows for trust in the products and a consistent returning customer base for the company.

Beyond meal plans, Sakara Life offers supplements in the form of multivitamins, powders, probiotics, and prenatals. Paired with the meals, these supplements are said to help weight management, energy, beauty, sleep, gut health, and more.

Sakara’s success is based upon its commitment to its core goal of “transforming lives”. At its heart, each meal, supplement, and snack is enshrined in guiding customers on a personal health journey. Subsequently, this innovation, beginning with only $700 in the kitchen of two childhood best friends, has grown into a model for other companies, proving that doing good is a successful business tactic.

Inspiration

Like many other successful enterprises, Sakara Life started as a response to the declining health and well-being of the founders, Danielle Duboise and Whitney Tingle. After moving to New York City from Sedona, Arizona, the pair found themselves battling a myriad of health concerns. Tingle, under the demands of her role as an investment banking analyst, began eating an increasingly processed diet and accordingly faced weight gain and hormonal, cystic acne. These issues continued to persist despite her trials with medications and cosmetic treatments. Duboise, who had picked up modeling and acting to help pay for medical school, fell victim to excessive dieting, which at one point left her hospitalized. As the two sunk deeper into their respective struggles, they began working to learn more about the underlying problem at hand: their food. With a change in careers, Danielle Duboise went to school for nutrition. Here, she learned the science behind the body and the gut microbiome, and with these new understandings, Duboise and Tingle reworked their diet. The partners designed organic, plant-based recipes they actually enjoy. The results were a physical and mental rejuvenation.

With this new knowledge, Tingle and Duboise began sharing their insights. Recognizing the difficulty many face in preparing these scientifically backed, organic, healthy meals while simultaneously working full time, the pair worked to fill the niche by creating Sakara Life. Acting as the nutritionists and the chefs, the women worked out of their apartment, making and delivering their premade recipes to an expanding pool of clientele. As their services became increasingly popular, Danielle Duboise and Whitney Tingle were able to scale up the business, establishing a warehouse and hiring employees. Even with the increasing exposure, they held true to their core beliefs. In 2016, the company received its first major investment, allowing the business to grow larger, and today, it continues to thrive, serving thousands of customers annually on their personal health journeys.

Overall impact

Sakara Life’s business model focuses on having an impact on both individual health and sustainability as a whole. The company’s effect has reached tens of thousands of people across the United States through its main product of a clean, plant-based meal delivery service that promotes a healthier relationship between people and the food they eat.

“Our programs have helped thousands of people improve their digestion, balance hormones, and feel better overall,” says Luisa Gil Diaz, People Partner at Sakara Life. “It’s incredible to hear the stories of people who say our meals genuinely changed their lives.”

This impact on people’s lives is achieved through Sakara Life’s focus on using nutrient-dense superfoods, fiber-rich whole ingredients, and eliminating inflammatory additives like refined sugar and dairy. Rather than making food for short-term fad diets, Sakara Life aims to make food that supports long-term health, lifelong shifts in habits, and positive mindsets around food. As Luisa Gil Diaz states, “Our mission is to make clean, plant-based eating easy, accessible, and deeply nourishing… It’s not just about calories or weight. It’s about fueling your body with high-vibrational, real food that helps you live your fullest life.”

Internally, Sakara Life encourages a company culture that reflects the company’s main mission of sustainability, innovation, and wellness. Employees are encouraged to participate in initiatives around environmental responsibility, diversity, and team well-being. Additionally, Sakara Life snack products are available to all employees in the office, and each Sakara Life employee can redeem a week's worth of food from the company’s food delivery service for free twice every year.

The result is a company whose impact is felt not only by its customers and employees but across the entire food and wellness industry. Sakara Life is aiming to build a legacy of wellness, empowerment, and environmental stewardship one meal at a time.

Business benefit

Sakara Life’s main business strategy of appealing to shared values between company and customer has proven successful for long-term profit. Through investing in sustainable resources, employee well-being, and prioritizing customer health, Sakara Life has cultivated a loyal and ever-growing customer base. “We’ve built our brand around purpose and integrity,” Luisa explains. “That has created a loyal customer base that values what we stand for.”

 Rather than focusing on making short-term profit, it has aligned every aspect of its business with its ideology. This has positioned Sakara Life as a leader in the premium wellness market. Revenue-wise, the company has seen consistent growth, expanding from a niche startup to a nationwide company endorsed by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Chrissy Teigen. This is a result of Sakara’s commitment to providing their customers with the highest quality of ingredients, which has set them apart from their competitors, many of which offer cheaper but less nutritionally sophisticated or less sustainably produced meals. Accordingly, they have earned the trust of a health-conscious customer base willing to invest more money for worthy products.

 Beyond their weekly subscription-based meal service, Sakara Life has successfully launched additional one-time purchase products like supplements and snack options, further diversifying Sakara Life’s brand and revenue streams.

 Employee satisfaction and retention have also benefited from Sakara Life’s mission-driven culture. Luisa Gil Diaz, who herself has been at Sakara Life for almost five years now, states that her role in HR allows her to cultivate a working environment in which employees feel inspired, heard, and aligned with the mission through the promotion of diversity, wellness, and empowerment within the workplace.

Luisa Gil Diaz summarizes Sakara Life’s business benefit perfectly stating, “Instead of cutting corners to boost short-term profits, we invest in sustainable ingredients, ethical sourcing, and employee wellness, all of which contribute to long-term success.” As such, it is clear Sakara Life’s purpose based business has improved its functionality.

Social and environmental benefit

Sakara Life actively contributes to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being. By making clean and nutritious food, Sakara Life directly improves the health of its customers. Many reviewers of their products report better digestion, clearer skin, improved energy, and emotional well-being, all thanks to the high-quality, whole-food nutrition sold by Sakara Life. These sentiments are emphasized by Lusia Gil Diaz, who stated, “Our programs have helped thousands of people improve their digestion, balance hormones, and feel better overall”. These benefits go beyond Sakara Life’s customers. The business has dedicated time and resources to giving back to the community through its partnership with Wellness in Schools (WIS). This program provides nutrition education and healthy snacks to New York City public schools.

In support of SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, Sakara Life incorporates sustainability into every aspect of its food production. Sakara Life goes beyond the individual consumer when it comes to sustainability, incorporating it into the core of its food production. Sakara Life aims to transform the food industry itself by committing to use organic, non-GMO, and locally sourced ingredients from farmers who practice responsible agriculture and regenerative soil practices whenever possible. By supporting farmers utilizing these methods, Sakara Life indirectly supports improved soil health, biodiversity, and food system resilience, which are key parts in combating climate change and ensuring global food security. Additionally, Sakara Life has their zero-waste kitchen initiative that strives to reduce food waste as much as possible. Any surplus meals that Sakara Life makes gets donated to local charities like One Love Community Fridge. On the packaging aspect of their product, Sakara Life has reduced their plastic use by over 60% in the past few years, with a focus on developing new compostable and biodegradable materials to package their products.

Interview

Luisa Gil Diaz, People Person