We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gwendolyn Hageman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Gwendolyn, appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

My business started as a play on words from my middle name, Dare, written on a napkin in my favorite Asheville dive bar. I knew two things, I wanted to make vegan cheese and I wanted my life’s work to be a pun. Darë stuck instantaneously. Pronounced like dairy, tastes like dairy, but there is, in fact, no dairy. Plus when pronounced incorrectly, like it often is, the name is still a cheeky nod to the bold approach in which our entire company has been built- dare to try something different.

With a name, in January of 2019, I enlisted my fellow-business owner graphic design friend to create the business a logo and identity. Before I even knew how to make cheese- at all. My thought process to start here was one of motivation- and a little guilt- if I invested thousands of dollars on a service industry income into this idea to make it “real”, then surely I couldn’t turn back after.

Ok, logo, check. Next, I needed to figure out how to make the cheese. I bought every book that I knew existed at the time- Miyokos’ being the holy grail of cheesemaking. I experimented at home, but I was still intimidated by the process and not happy with the results. It wasn’t until I had a student where I was working come into my office and say these words (I’ll literally never forget them) “I know you’ve been working really hard and I did a lot of research and I think this is the best cheesemaking book out there. Don’t give up on your dreams.” I took the book home and had a complete breakthrough. I created our base recipe, our secret sauce.

I had two jobs when I was starting my business. I quite literally worked as much as humanly possible and saved every cent I could for this dream. One full time job was teaching and supervising college students and another was serving tables at a fine dining restaurant downtown. Both had kitchens that could be used off hours and when I was ready to start producing on a certified level, I approached both of my bosses with my business proposal. At the beginning of August, the owner of the restaurant offered his kitchen at nights (when I wasn’t working upstairs) for no cost to “figure things out” as long as I got an LLC and business insurance. What an absolute entrepreneurial godsend.

I started producing on a very small scale. I gave cheese to my students. And my coworkers and friends. After I heard enough times, “Damn, this is vegan- you have to sell this”, I signed up for my first farmer’s market. I remember she wanted me to start that week and I was like “NO WAY what? I’m not ready, what?” even though I’m the one that signed up. My first farmer’s market was September 25, 2019.

We had our first wholesale account by the next month. I continued to experiment and gain traction with each new product at my farmer’s markets. The cult following from the beginning was REAL and, honestly, inspirational to me as I was truly just winging it. At the end of 2019, I felt enough support for the business to put in my notice at my full time job. 2020, cue Covid!

The restaurant above my production kitchen closed. I lost what I now describe as my “back up job” as a server in March. For all intents and purposes, I was jobless and had an infant business that could not support me. Talk about setting a fire under my ass. I thrive under pressure- what entrepreneur doesn’t say that- so instead of wondering how I was going to make money, I started coming up with ways to make money. My product could speak for itself, so within my community the love and admiration was shared freely. I was supported so fully by Asheville. I found my footing and began to get too busy for just me to keep up.

My best friend became my total savior the summer of 2020. She worked with me for months, getting paid jack $hit like me, mostly at first just to keep up and continue to grow, but now I realize she gave me the space to understand what I needed to let go of as I grew as a business owner. If I wanted this business to grow organically as it’s being asked of me, I couldn’t do it alone.

Each step of scale up is so overwhelming. Especially as a first time business owner. There is always a new set of necessary challenges and being asked to be comfortable pushing past your uncomfortability. Beginning in 2021, I stopped trying to reinvent the wheel alone. I found community in entrepreneurship and it’s changed the trajectory of my business and bettered my life. Mentorship shaped me from winging it, to killing it.

At the end of 2022, just three years into conception, I have a team of 8. We occupy a 6,000 square foot facility, can be found in 30 states, and launch into all of the Southeast Whole Foods early 2023. All of this was created, funded, and executed by me, a solo first time entrepreneur. For me, this is idea to execution: “Be comfortable with the uncertainty of how you’re going to do it, and keep going in the hopes of figuring it out. Then, feel so lucky that it’s working, that the fear of losing it keeps you up at night and keeps you going.” It is a never ending cycle and it is what makes being a business owner so fulfilling.

Gwendolyn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started working in the Asheville food scene in 2013 after I graduated with a degree in Biology. In 2017, I qualified for and compete in the World Food Championships in the cheeseburger division. I moved into vegan cuisine when I became the vegan culinary director at Warren Wilson College in 2018. I was vegetarian at the time, but still couldn’t go fully plant based because cheese was my first love. I recognized the struggle of so many, even those that are lactose intolerant, and set out to be the solution to this problem.

Darë Vegan Cheese is the dairy-free cheese you’ve been waiting for. Through time tested techniques and rigorous exploration, Darë defies expectations while upholding traditional craft. Our plant-based cheese collection offers texture, flavor, and satisfaction for plant-based people and those who just love a really good cheese.

I’ve always shown love through food. It’s a joy I get to do so with others as my job.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I funded my business off of good old sweat equity. I worked two jobs + every odd job I could find when I was saving up to start my business. All of our first year business expenses were funded through my personal savings. All of our first year income was reinvested into the business. As the owner and operator, I didn’t draw a salary for the first 18 months. It’s not sexy to talk about lack of money, but it is 100% possible to start a successful business without generational wealth and a traditional approach to spending.

After a profitable first year in business, we applied for and were awarded the 2021 NCIDEA Seed Grant. This $50k allowed for us to invest in equipment and packaging for scale. In 2022, we received a CDFI small business loan to build out our own facility.

Starting without investment was important to me as a first time entrepreneur. There are easier ways of starting and funding a business, but I have enjoyed the struggle as I’ve been able to learn and grow at my own speed without losing sight of the future.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My business exists to create better for all through authenticity and care. Our core values speak to this mission and resonate with our clientele.

Core Values:

SIMPLY THE BEST
We’ve heard it before. “It’s good for a vegan cheese,” or “It’s pretty good for being plant-based.” Those kind of sentiments are nice, but we wanted more. Darë Vegan Cheese aims to be the best dairy-free cheese out there, and if we’re being honest, we just want you to say, “Hey, that’s really good cheese.” So we work with whole ingredients, food science, and fermentation to bring out the best in our live cultures, the workhorse of microbes behind the best cheeses in the world.

HUMAN-CENTERED
We are a people-powered company driven to serve plant-based communities far and wide. We share mutual respect for people, planet, and animals and work to support each other with empathy, collaboration, and care.

CRAFT CONSCIOUS
When we set out on a path to develop a dairy-free cheese, we knew we couldn’t call it cheese without following cheesemaking traditions. Culinary craft remains the center of our work. Paired with a deep care for our customers and bonafide technique, we delve into our work as chefs, artisans, and flavor makers.

BOLD
This business was built on taking a chance and getting out of our comfort zone. Our a-ha moment came from that wild place where experimentation meets innovation. From one bold experiment, Darë Vegan Cheese was born and so was our taste for the thrill of creation. We took that experience to heart. We choose boldness and courage daily so that we can make the best dairy-free cheese on the market and grow into a company we’re proud of.

DOWN-TO-EARTH ARTISAN
Yes, we’re an artisan product, a plant-based alternative. Some might even say, a fancy cheese. But at our core, we’re a pun-loving bunch of people who would rather our products take the spotlight, than us. We don’t like too much fanfare. We just like to make tasty products and let the cheese speak for itself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.darevegancheese.com/
• Instagram: @darevegancheese
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darevegancheese

Image Credits
Kristina Valdiviezo Nick Levine