Meet Kristy Lewis of Quinn

A pioneer in creating better-for-you popcorn, pretzels and other delicious snacks, Kristy Lewis shares what inspired her to found Quinn, where she finds inspiration and how she built a brand that supports regenerative agriculture using planet-friendly ingredients.

What motivated you to start Quinn?

I wanted to provide a healthier and safer alternative to what was currently on the shelves. A better alternative to what I grew up on. 

How did you get your start?

After thinking about this for almost nine years, three days after my son Quinn was born, while on maternity leave, I jumped in head first.  I Googled and called manufacturer after manufacturer and paper mill after paper mill. I knew nothing about the industry, or business, but knew I had to give this a shot.  

Which obstacles did you face along the way — and how did you overcome them?

I have had a lot of obstacles along the way, and still do, but a clear obstacle that is standing out is during the early years, when growing a family and trying to build a company. I had hyperemesis gravidarum during all three pregnancies, and was constantly running to the hospital for IVs. I remember I was in the car, on the way to the hospital, chatting with an investor, while throwing up in the gas station. It was brutal. I was raising three little boys, didn’t take any maternity leave, working around the clock, and pretty much failed at trying to do it all.  It was an impossible endeavor, but I didn’t want to give up on either. Hands down took a massive physical and emotional toll on me. When I was able to see a bit more clearly, I transitioned from reading business books to spiritual books. It helped me put everything in perspective. My boys are 10, 7, and 5 yrs old now, so things are definitely easier, but I give all the credit to my husband for the patience and support in helping me try and accomplish these two goals. Oh, and endless podcast and self help books. ;) 

Why are you committed to creating clean snacks?

Snacks are extremely nostalgic for me. I grew up eating microwave popcorn and pretzels. It was this very special time in my childhood when there were summers filled with sleep-overs, soccer games, picnics at the beach all around these snacks! As I started to dig into the snacking category, I realized wow, there has to be a better way in doing this. Let’s put real food back in, reimagine the products, clean up the ingredients, bring transparency to the industry, use real food, and ditch the natural flavorings!  Snacking is never going to go away, but we can improve on what we snack on, all while doing good in our supply chain. 

Why did you choose to focus on regenerative agriculture, and what are its major benefits?

I have always been a big believer in “back to basics.” How did we used to do things, how are we doing things now, and how can we improve and be better than we are today? Asking those questions lead us to establish our Be Better. Do Better. Initiative. The goal here is not to strive for perfection, but to meet growers where they are at. This means the focus is working with Conventional growers to convert their land/crops over to Conventional Regenerative or converting Conventional over to Transitional. It’s this concept of how do we take 99% of Conventional Ag and push it in the right direction?  The direction that is better for our growers, families, land, planet, and for future generations to come. 

What’s your favorite Quinn product?

Movie Theater Butter and PB Nuggets. 

Do you have plans for new flavors or products?

Definitely, but can’t let the secret out of the bag! No pun intended. ;)

Where do you find inspiration?

On farms, in grocery stores, when I am driving through the middle of nowhere. It’s all interconnected. 

Who have been your biggest mentors or role models?

There have been so many mentors in my life throughout the past 10 years. It’s hard to name a handful. My husband, boys, mom, sister. My role models come from authors, other founders, CEO’s, spiritual gurus. :) I have a lot that have kept me going over the past few years.