Sustainable Snacking: How CEO Kaitlin Mogentale is Turning "Trash" into Treasure

KAITLIN MOGENTALE, CEO & Founder of Trashy (formerly Pulp Pantry, featured on Shark Tank), is revolutionizing the snack industry by turning would-be-wasted vegetables into delicious, upcycled chips.

Growing up, did you always envision yourself as an entrepreneur? What was that “aha” moment that inspired you to start Pulp Pantry, now Trashy?

I never really envisioned myself as an entrepreneur.

My focus was more on science, and communicating climate science. I studied Environmental Studies at USC.

But, in one of my classes, I saw a flyer for a new minor program in Social Entrepreneurship.

I took my first entrepreneurship class and was hooked! I felt like I found my people—those using business to solve problems and drive social and environmental change.

By my senior year of college, I knew I wanted to focus on social entrepreneurship.

The idea for Pulp Pantry, which we’re now rebranding to Trashy, came when I saw a friend juicing a carrot and realized that valuable nutrition was going to waste on a massive scale globally, exacerbating climate change.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Everything happens for a reason.

Being involved in advocacy, activism, and science provided me with the tools and conviction to build a business creating climate solutions.

This journey has been almost ten years long, from starting in farmers’ markets to where I am now. It takes a lot of dedication and commitment to stay in the game.

That’s why having a real personal passion for the problem (and not the solution!) is extremely important. You have to be flexible and shape shift to meet customer needs and continuously improve your product. 

What are some key lessons that you’ve learned about growing a mission-oriented business, and gaining traction and credibility in such a competitive market?

With the rise of social media, I think storytelling is what resonates with consumers, and powerful stories have the ability to reach a broader audience.

We’ve been featured on PBS NewsHour, Shark Tank, and recently on Going Green Media, which went viral and drove a lot of followers to our Instagram (@trashy_chips)!

As a mission-oriented brand, we’ve been able to lean into storytelling and connect with consumers who care about sustainability.

You had an amazing pitch on Shark Tank that led you to secure a deal with Mark Cuban. What advice would you give to young women in developing confidence and clarity when pitching to potential investors?

Shark Tank was my first foray into seeking investment.

It was really valuable because it helped us to figure out, “What is going to make this product stick? What's going to make us successful and how do we communicate that to investors?”

I carried that experience into a fundraiser in 2023. By then, we had already achieved over a million in revenue.

Being armed with data is super crucial for fundraising because you’re asking people to invest in your dream, and convincing someone to write a check is a big challenge.

Now, raising money is more challenging than ever, but showing traction, your resourcefulness, and effective storytelling increases your chances of success with investors.

How has your perspective on leadership evolved since creating Pulp Pantry and now Trashy? What qualities do you think make an effective leader?

I really have a do-it-yourself mentality.

Having dug my hands into every aspect of the business, I’m now better equipped to delegate and have people support me in core functions.

I’m excited to guide others, and I believe in the power of treating each person you work with as a partner, driving mutual goals together!

I wanted to talk a bit about the Trashy rebrand. What inspired that, and what do you hope the rebrand accomplishes?

With Pulp Pantry, we were distributed in ~1000 doors on the West Coast and did business with great partners like Whole Foods, Sprouts, Target, and regional west coast grocers like Erewhon.

But when it came to national expansion, it felt like we had a cap on our growth. So, with the “Trashy” rebrand, we really wanted to lean into flavor, fun, and culture!

We wanted to build on what we knew consumers loved about our product, like authentically being a veggie chip packed with fiber.

What excited me about “Trashy” was the opportunity to use the name’s pop culture reference to hopefully build a stronger social presence and digital selling strategy.

That’s how we want to bring the Trashy brand to life when it launches—by having more fun and engaging with consumers in a bigger way.

How do you balance the demands of being a CEO with your personal well-being and work-life balance?

I make it a priority to take care of my health. I focus on eating well, cooking meals at home, and I’m always on that entrepreneur budget, which helps in finding ways to be scrappy.

Recently, I’ve rediscovered my love for tennis, and I’ve found a lot of benefits in combining my workouts with something social.

Another key thing is not isolating yourself, especially as an entrepreneur.

I’ve learned that people are the connective force, and that networking and sharing challenges with other entrepreneurs can help.

Looking ahead, what changes would you like to see to better support and elevate female entrepreneurs?

I think it’s about trying to remove affinity bias as much as possible.

Affinity bias means that those in powerful positions may have a preference for people who look, think, and talk like them, resulting in a lack of diversity in decision-making.

Most buyers and investors are men, and it can be challenging to reach those individuals when you’re building a product that really resonates with younger women.

Women are building amazing products and services that cater to a huge demographic.

Breaking through the affinity bias barrier involves not only raising awareness about the value of diverse perspectives but also encouraging investors/buyers to consider the broader market potential.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?

I’m incredibly proud to look back on this journey and realize that with my own two hands, I built something from scratch into something of real value.

For me, it’s those moments when people buy the product or share that they’ve discovered it, and I think, “Wow, this is something I imagined and brought to life.”