Good Innergy Snack Bars

About this idea

Good Innergy Bars are refrigerated snacks bars free of preservatives, refined sugar, seed oils, or anything artificial (they're also gluten-free and vegan). The seed of this idea was planted 15 years ago. After graduating from Michigan State University, I drove across the country to start my graduate studies in psychology. On the way, I stopped into a Whole Foods, where I first discovered the "Perfect Bar" (one of the first refrigerated protein bars). I was obsessed! As a busy graduate student, as well as someone with dietary sensitivities, I ate one of these bars every single day. I started dreaming about creating my own protein bar - one with even more stringent ingredients, to help serve dietary sensitive and ultra health-conscious individuals like me. But, I was still in graduate school, and didn't know anything about business. Fast forward, after receiving my Ph.D. and working several years as a professor, clinician, and consultant, my entrepreneurial spirit was re-invigorated when I moved back to Michigan - this time with a clearer vision and relentless determination to offer a unique product that could incorporate my passions, and also do good for the world. The idea? I would create the world's CLEANEST energy bar that is also focused on supporting the GOOD inside - not just physical, but also mental and spiritual. In a world filled with loneliness, anxiety, and division, "good innergy bars" not only nourish your physical health, but support mental health and interconnection through positive messages and practices that come with each bar. With this funding, we're able to expand the reach of the bars by improving branding, packaging, and access to the mental health resources that accompany our product.

Impact

Scaling Good Innergy Bars has the potential to support mental health and loneliness on a broader scale. We aim first to grow our product regionally, then nationally. We will focus our impact initially through the sale of protein bars. The longer-term vision (after larger growth) includes an online platform with access to mental health resources (e.g., videos, free guided practices, spaces to connect with others) that is tied to the "good innergy" brand, creating an ecosystem for consumers to become a part of. The $5,000 helps us take the next important step: scaling our company in the region.

What I'll do with $5,000

The $5,000 will go directly towards branding and packaging. This is the element that we've found to be our biggest barrier to sales. With more sales comes more people in the good innergy ecosystem, meaning more people impacted by the product's benefits (physical and mental). Here's the truth: people fall in love with our bars when they try them (e.g., at demos, pop-ups, etc.), but we've learned that selling them on shelves to customers who don't know us yet is a whole different obstacle. And myself (the founder) has questionable artistic design skills (but hey, you've got to start somewhere!). We have identified a company to give our brand and packaging a "makeover," strategically guiding us through the entire process, from research and strategy (e.g., competitor analysis), to package design, to creating relatable and eye-catching marketing slogans. The money will be directly applied to paying for the branding re-design services, including the cost of purchasing first order of new packaging from our supplier. This will cost (wait for it....) $5,000 : ) - one of the reasons we are pursuing this grant, specifically.

Quick Bio

My name is Matt and I'm a Michigan native who recently settled back in MI after 12 years in CA (and 1 year in Alaska!). I'm a psychologist, speaker, & of course an insane food lover and entrepreneur.

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