It’s a fact: the average female entrepreneur receives less than half the funding of her male counterparts. In honor of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day and as a proud female founded and led business, we’re amplifying the work of women entrepreneurs we admire.

Get to know our founder, Nicole:

"My founding journey really started when I became pregnant with my first child, Grover. I was already obsessed with making delicious food, having graduated from culinary school, and had studied diet therapies in college. With pregnancy I became incredibly curious about how nutrition, and specifically plant-based eating, unlocked a better quality of life. My problem was time (or lack thereof) to come up with recipes, finish the food shopping, and make the meals. All the work of making delicious and healthy plant-based meals got in the way of me ever actually enjoying it.

So I was determined to create a brand that did just that -- we take on the heavy lifting of nutrition research and meal creation, while also being incredibly tasty and convenient. Making it super easy for busy people like myself to get healthy and improve their impact on the planet with everyday plant-based habits is our mission at Splendid Spoon."

Check out Nicole's video message to our community and advice to other female entrepreneurs.

"I’ve picked a few of my favorite female entrepreneurs for their commitment to providing nourishment and care through food.”

Ruqayya Collins and Denise West of Brooklyn Perinatal Network

“Ruqayyah and Denise run Healthy Women Healthy Futures, a program connecting doulas, nutrition professionals and perinatal education resources to marginalized communities in Brooklyn, NY. We’ve been grateful to work with their group by providing Splendid meals to their doula collective and I’m so inspired by their unwavering commitment to mothers and their families.”

Diana Kuan of Cinnamon Society

“Many female entrepreneurs (myself included) choose a few points on the map to develop their career and craft, vs zoning in on only one skillset. Diana Kuan is a talented designer, illustrator, teacher and recipe developer. I love her love for telling the history of food and Chinese American food culture through different media, and we are so fortunate she chose to bring her vegan Dan Dan noodle recipe to life through a Splendid Spoon bowl!”

Chef Hyun Joo of Sinto Gourmet

“Food at its best is a beautiful craft, a delicious experience, and medicine for our bodies. Chef Hyun Joo is inspired by her family’s Korean traditions of eating thoughtfully sourced, high quality ingredients in order to live a healthier, more fruitful life. I’m in awe of her careful method to translate her grandmother’s family recipe into a commercial product. We are honored to have Sinto kimchi in our Kimchi Fried Quinoa Bowl.”

Nicole’s Words of Wisdom for Women Entrepreneurs

"My number one piece of advice to entrepreneurs is to build resilience. When I look back at the past 8 years of building Splendid Spoon, this is hands-down the quality that has always pushed me and the business forward. You will make mistakes, take the long way, follow (and give!) the wrong advice, and face many unforeseen challenges: it's up to you to get unstuck, find space, and keep moving. Resilience is a muscle built with humility and a deep sense of purpose, and being an entrepreneur means committing to the practice of building that muscle."

Questions? Email us at [email protected]. Looking to get plant-based meals delivered to your door? Sign up today!