Tofurky

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About Jaime Athos

Jaime Athos is President and CEO of The Tofurky Company, a leading manufacturer of plant-based proteins in Hood River, OR. Jaime has held positions in the Quality, R&D and Operations Departments before taking his current leadership role. His prior work history also includes stints as both an academic and a government scientist in his previous career, as a neurobiologist. 

His industry experience has given him a strong background in the technical and regulatory compliance issues facing today’s plant-based foods manufacturers as well the general organizational management challenges that face any company. Jaime is also President of the board for Plant Based Foods Association, an organization advocating for a fair and competitive marketplace, into which plant-based goods are sold. 

Why You Should Listen

Tofurky is one of the most iconic brands in the plant-based food world and has effectively pioneered the meat alternative space for many of the new startups popping up today. In this episode, I get CEO Jaime Athos’ take on how Tofurky was able to stay independent and family-owned while experiencing exponential growth. Although Tofurky has been approached by investors, they have always been clear on their model for success and knew exactly what they defined as a “healthy” company and culture. With a strong mission in mind, they’ve been able to scale and keep their focus on sustainability and making wholesome, accessible products. 

Jaime believes that the burgeoning plant-based food space is a collaborative environment and talks about his efforts to mentor new companies and share everything from insights to manufacturing to ensure mutual success. There’s a reason that Tofurky has been around for nearly 40 years and managed to stay relevant and innovative – to hear more about how they did it, listen in!

People/Companies/Resources Mentioned in This Episode