Last Thursday BIP members had the opportunity to visit Indy and speak with some Wabash connections about their experience working for small businesses. We first visited Haley Everleigh, the Public Relations Manager at True Essence Foods. Haley wanted to move back to Indiana from Portland, which led her to take a shot at the startup business True Essence Foods. It proved to be one of the best decisions she has made in her life. True Essence has incredible potential and will be incredibly profitable in the coming years as the patents for their innovative food technology will be approved. Haley shared the story and the mission behind True Essence Foods as well.
The owner had once tasted chocolate from South America and was obsessed with how its taste vastly differed from other chocolate he had eaten. This inspired him to start the company and learn the science behind different flavors and why foods taste the way they do. This led him to step out of only chocolate and they began to expand to fruits as well as innovative food technology. Haley expressed the importance of keeping in touch with your connections because you never know when they might change your life.
The BIP also had the opportunity to sit down with Jake Budler, a Wabash alum who works for Endeavor, a company devoted to helping startup companies progress and expand. Jake also owns a local bookstore named Tomorrow Bookstore in downtown Indy. Jake advised me to stay humble when going into a new job or internship and learn as much as possible. He also stated it is important to not burn yourself out when starting a new job, and that we should start slow. Jake left us with one quote: “Everything is a business in some way, shape, or form.” Jake and Haley provided us with some very valuable information that tied perfectly into the entrepreneurial aspect of our internship so far, as well as the world of startups/small businesses. The CIBE would like to give a huge thank you to Haley Everleigh and True Essence Foods, along with Wabash alum Jake Budler!
