SLEEK Magazine\u2019s Creative Impact List recognises groundbreaking talents from a range of disciplines, including fashion, art, health, architecture, design, technology, social responsibility, green energy, food, and more. It illustrates a gathering of ambitious, forward-looking minds, whose originality has led to meaningful change and offers inspiration to others.<\/p>\n
Each person on this list embodies the power of human potential and serves as a testament to the incredible things that can be accomplished through passion, resilience, and unwavering commitment. So, prepare to be inspired, captivated, and motivated as we unveil the ranking of these inspiring individuals. Their stories serve as a reminder that when passion and purpose align, the impact created can transcend generations and inspire a brighter future for all.<\/p>\n
In the next issue of SLEEK, we will introduce in SLEEK`s rubric 10 x 10 food ten visionary founders and leading minds behind ten extraordinary companies and projects shaping the future of sustenance. Join us in celebrating these trailblazers dedicated to transforming the way we produce, consume, and think about food.<\/p>\n
In this edition, we meet Amy Keller \u00a0\u2013 who is crafting a sweet solution to climate change with FAVES Fruits & Veggies Sweets.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"images","gallery":[{"ID":111682,"id":111682,"title":"91rn9HRLUkL","filename":"91rn9HRLUkL.jpeg","filesize":592105,"url":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/91rn9HRLUkL.jpeg","link":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/10-x-10-in-food-amy-keller\/91rn9hrlukl\/","alt":"","author":"1","description":"","caption":"","name":"91rn9hrlukl","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":111677,"date":"2023-11-20 16:00:17","modified":"2023-11-20 16:00:17","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":2560,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/91rn9HRLUkL.jpeg","thumbnail-width":96,"thumbnail-height":96,"medium":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/91rn9HRLUkL.jpeg","medium-width":2560,"medium-height":2560,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/91rn9HRLUkL.jpeg","medium_large-width":2560,"medium_large-height":2560,"large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/91rn9HRLUkL.jpeg","large-width":2560,"large-height":2560,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/91rn9HRLUkL-1536x1536.jpeg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/91rn9HRLUkL-2048x2048.jpeg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":2048,"trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/91rn9HRLUkL.jpeg","trp-custom-language-flag-width":12,"trp-custom-language-flag-height":12,"wpvr_mobile":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/91rn9HRLUkL-2048x2048.jpeg","wpvr_mobile-width":2048,"wpvr_mobile-height":2048}}],"settings":{"fit_width":"6","caption":"Image Courtesy of Climate Candy. "}},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_area","text_area":"
In the bustling landscape of innovative entrepreneurs, Amy Keller stands out as the creative force behind Climate Candy, a groundbreaking venture that merges sustainability with sweetness. As the founder and CEO of PurePlus, the company behind the revolutionary FAVES Fruits & Veggies Sweets, Amy Keller is not just creating a delicious treat but also making a significant impact on the environment.<\/p>\n
Hailing from the Dum Dums lollipop dynasty, Amy Keller is the self-proclaimed “disruptive granddaughter” of Norman Spangler, a key figure at Spangler Candy Co. In 2018, she co-founded PurePlus alongside Kevin Wall, the Emmy Award-winning producer of Live 8 benefit concerts, and Susan Smalley, PhD, a renowned behavior geneticist and professor emeritus of psychiatry at UCLA. Together, they formed a company dedicated to tackling the global issue of food waste.<\/p>\n
PurePlus’s flagship product, FAVES Fruits & Veggies Sweets, is not your average candy. Crafted from imperfect and surplus fruits and vegetables, each pack of FAVES rescues various produce items from ending up in landfills. With flavours like grape and strawberry, these plant-based candies contain PurePlus’ proprietary powder, providing a delicious and nutritious alternative to traditional sweets.<\/p>\n
Amy Keller’s commitment to solving the climate crisis is evident in FAVES’ mission to prevent food waste by upcycling perfectly good fruits and vegetables. As a climate activist and seven-time Ironman triathlete, Ms. Keller brings a unique perspective to the intersection of healthy choices and climate impact.\u00a0The company partners with farmers to transform perishable produce into nutritious plant-based powders, which are then incorporated into their candy creations. The brand has already gained traction, with availability on myfavesweets.com, Amazon.com, and partnerships with online food retailers like Foxtrot and SnackMagic.<\/p>\n
With a goal to save 2.2 million imperfect fruits and vegetables this year, FAVES Fruits & Veggies Sweets is just the beginning. Amy Keller envisions future product developments, including hard candies that preserve the nutritional value of fruit and vegetable ingredients while delivering an indulgent, nostalgic experience.<\/p>\n
In Amy Keller, we find a visionary entrepreneur who has transformed her family’s legacy into a force for positive change. With Climate Candy, she not only satisfies sweet cravings but also leaves a lasting impression on the fight against food waste and climate change. We speak to Amy about how it all started and the importance of thinking differently.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"images","gallery":[{"ID":111680,"id":111680,"title":"hi_res-c2-Climate Candy_r1_1884","filename":"hi_res-c2-Climate-Candy_r1_1884.jpg","filesize":162223,"url":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hi_res-c2-Climate-Candy_r1_1884.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/10-x-10-in-food-amy-keller\/hi_res-c2-climate-candy_r1_1884\/","alt":"","author":"1","description":"","caption":"","name":"hi_res-c2-climate-candy_r1_1884","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":111677,"date":"2023-11-20 15:45:17","modified":"2023-11-20 15:45:17","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1920,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hi_res-c2-Climate-Candy_r1_1884.jpg","thumbnail-width":128,"thumbnail-height":85,"medium":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hi_res-c2-Climate-Candy_r1_1884.jpg","medium-width":1920,"medium-height":1280,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hi_res-c2-Climate-Candy_r1_1884.jpg","medium_large-width":1920,"medium_large-height":1280,"large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hi_res-c2-Climate-Candy_r1_1884.jpg","large-width":1920,"large-height":1280,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hi_res-c2-Climate-Candy_r1_1884-1536x1024.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hi_res-c2-Climate-Candy_r1_1884.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1280,"trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hi_res-c2-Climate-Candy_r1_1884.jpg","trp-custom-language-flag-width":18,"trp-custom-language-flag-height":12,"wpvr_mobile":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hi_res-c2-Climate-Candy_r1_1884.jpg","wpvr_mobile-width":1920,"wpvr_mobile-height":1280}}],"settings":{"fit_width":"6","caption":"Image Courtesy of Climate Candy."}},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_area","text_area":"
S: Could you tell us more about the inspiration behind FAVES and how the idea of creating\u00a0<\/span>climate-friendly candy from upcycled fruits and vegetables came to you?<\/p>\n AK: I grew up around candy, I come from a family that owns a candy factory, Spangler Candy Company. We make 2B DumDums every year along with many other nostalgic candies. I got to witness candy’s ability to instill fun into any moment. I wanted to push it further, extend it beyond simply our individual moments into something with even more lasting impact like my partners, Kevin Wall and Dr. Sue Smalley did for Live Earth with Al Gore. My worlds collided when we were in Svalbard, Norway visiting the Global Seed Bank to learn about food security.<\/p>\n I witnessed the United Nations installing generators due to climate change to keep the glacier refrigerated for all the back-up seeds of the world. While on this trip, I was reading Drawdown by Paul Hawken and learned that 40% of food grown globally is wasted. So, I wrote the company business plan in the Arctic Circle for Climate Candy to create FAVES candy from imperfect fruits and vegetables for the health of people and the planet<\/p>\n S: Upcycling imperfect produce into candy is a unique concept. How did you overcome the challenges of transforming fruits and vegetables into a delightful treat while ensuring both taste and nutritional value are maintained?<\/p>\n AK: With the rise of health concerns like obesity and diabetes that inhibit the growth of the candy market, manufacturers have come up with sugar-free and low-calorie candies to tackle this situation. At Climate Candy, we observed these improvements but realised we have much bigger challenge to face because we are not just trying to make zeroed out label or alternative sweetener candy – we are redefining the category of healthy candy to include high nutrition content. Our goal is to recreate candy using fruits and vegetables, but keep all the nutrition intact. We have tested dozens of recipes, form factors and flavours of candy that can be congruent with our mission. And most importantly they all had to achieve high run rates at full scale factory operations to be sure our positive environmental and social impact is maximised. When we started, factories and high run rate equipment weren\u2019t ready for this challenge.<\/p>\n A huge differentiation we achieved in the candy market was engineering equipment that can handle plant based fibres and a product that provides that stealth nutrition through candy. We realize that the really exciting businesses are innovative and differentiated in categories that have yet to be disrupted and that is what we are bringing with FAVES. Climate Candy is part of a broader category with a lower carbon footprint, sustainable packaging and upcycled ingredients.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"images","gallery":[{"ID":111681,"id":111681,"title":"images","filename":"images.jpeg","filesize":9194,"url":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/images.jpeg","link":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/10-x-10-in-food-amy-keller\/images-2\/","alt":"","author":"1","description":"","caption":"","name":"images-2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":111677,"date":"2023-11-20 15:59:55","modified":"2023-11-20 15:59:55","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":259,"height":194,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/images.jpeg","thumbnail-width":128,"thumbnail-height":96,"medium":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/images.jpeg","medium-width":259,"medium-height":194,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/images.jpeg","medium_large-width":259,"medium_large-height":194,"large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/images.jpeg","large-width":259,"large-height":194,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/images.jpeg","1536x1536-width":259,"1536x1536-height":194,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/images.jpeg","2048x2048-width":259,"2048x2048-height":194,"trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/images.jpeg","trp-custom-language-flag-width":16,"trp-custom-language-flag-height":12,"wpvr_mobile":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/images.jpeg","wpvr_mobile-width":259,"wpvr_mobile-height":194}}],"settings":{"fit_width":"6","caption":"Image Courtesy of Climate Candy."}},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_area","text_area":" S: FAVES not only focuses on reducing food waste but also on supporting local farms. Can you elaborate on your partnership model with these farms and how it contributes to the dual mission of benefiting people and the planet?<\/p>\n S: Creating a new product and bringing it to market can be a significant undertaking. What were some of the key milestones or breakthrough moments you experienced while establishing FAVES, and what advice do you have for others looking to launch their own ventures with a strong social and environmental mission?<\/p>\n