Elise Densborn (Splendid Spoon) - From Customer to Co-CEO
Jan 25, 2023
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Elise Densborn, Co-CEO of Splendid Spoon, shares her journey from customer to co-CEO of the direct-to-consumer meal delivery platform. They discuss challenges in fundraising during the pandemic, making healthy meals accessible, and building a competitive moat in the plant-based market.
Splendid Spoon focuses on providing flavorful and functional, plant-based meals that cater to different tastes and dietary preferences.
The co-CEOs of Splendid Spoon, Elise Densborn and Nicole Centeno, have successfully raised funding, including a recent $12 million series B-round, showcasing their ability to navigate the fundraising landscape as female leaders.
Deep dives
Overview of Splendid Spoon's Background and Growth
Elise Denzborn, co-CEO of Splendid Spoon, joins the Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Series. She shares the journey of Splendid Spoon, a direct-to-consumer meal delivery platform offering plant-based meals. Elise highlights their growth, including expanding the menu to over 65 meal options, doubling the growth rate since 2020, and closing a $12 million series B-round.
The Unique Challenges Splendid Spoon Addresses
Splendid Spoon focuses on solving several tough design challenges in the food industry. They aim to provide flavorful and functional food that is healthy and satisfying, convenient and high quality, and low impact for the planet. Additionally, they tap into the growing trend of plant-based diets, aiming to offer a wide range of nourishing plant-based meals that cater to different tastes and dietary preferences.
Tech-Enabled Innovation and Operations
Splendid Spoon leverages technology to drive innovation and streamline operations. Their tech-enabled eCommerce platform allows for rapid menu curation, quick feedback from customers, and fast response to market demands. They also have an efficient manufacturing and logistics network, allowing them to offer a wide variety of products with different shelf lives and serve customers across the continental US.
Navigating Co-CEO Dynamics and Fundraising
Elise shares her journey of becoming a co-CEO with Nicole Centeno and highlights the importance of trust, communication, and clear decision-making in their dynamic. They have successfully raised funding, including a recent $12 million series B-round, showcasing their ability to navigate the fundraising landscape as female co-CEOs.
Elise Densborn is the co-CEO of Splendid Spoon, a direct-to-consumer meal delivery platform that offers ready-to-eat, plant-based meals. Densborn was first introduced to Splendid Spoon as a customer. After over a decade in the finance industry, she joined the Splendid Spoon team as a consultant in 2018 and quickly rose through the ranks in permanent roles as VP of finance and insights and COO, becoming co-CEO in 2021. In this conversation with Stanford lecturer Emily Ma, Densborn shares the advantages and challenges of being a woman and co-CEO at the intersection of food and technology.
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