# Happy Family Organics: Shazi Visram

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2020-01-20
- Length: 1h 13m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-20-happy-family-organics-shazi-visram

## Summary

Shazi Visram, founder of Happy Family Organics, explains how she pivoted from frozen baby food cubes to shelf-stable pouches after realizing her initial product failed to replace jars. She details raising $550,000 from friends and family, securing a partnership with Whole Foods and Target, and leveraging an American Express campaign to raise $8 million. Visram discusses selling 92% of the company to Danone to secure financial stability after her son’s autism diagnosis, while maintaining the brand's mission. In a post-script, Dylan Wolff describes inventing the CNSRV WTR, a recirculating water defroster, to solve water waste in restaurants.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-20-happy-family-organics-shazi-visram#t=0) Introduction: Shazi Visram and Happy Family Organics
- [3:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-20-happy-family-organics-shazi-visram#t=234) Childhood in an Alabama Motel and Family Values
- [14:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-20-happy-family-organics-shazi-visram#t=899) The Idea: Frozen Baby Food and Initial Prototyping
- [26:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-20-happy-family-organics-shazi-visram#t=1588) Fundraising: Rejecting VC Terms and Raising $550k
- [35:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-20-happy-family-organics-shazi-visram#t=2143) Launch Failure: Frozen Cubes and the Pivot to Cereal
- [50:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-20-happy-family-organics-shazi-visram#t=3004) The Pouch Innovation and Retail Breakthrough
- [55:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-20-happy-family-organics-shazi-visram#t=3329) The American Express Campaign and $8M Raise
- [59:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-20-happy-family-organics-shazi-visram#t=3560) Selling to Danone and Personal Family Reasons
- [1:10:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-20-happy-family-organics-shazi-visram#t=4218) Post-Script: Dylan Wolff and the CNSRV WTR

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)
- [Packaging design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/packaging-design)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Happy Family Organics (company)
- Gerber (company)
- Beechnut (company)
- Earth's Best (company)
- Honest Company (company)
- Whole Foods (company)
- Target (company)
- Danone (company)
- American Express (company)
- CNSRV WTR (product)

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- [#117 Rebranding, Fundraising, and the Success Behind Launching Myles Comfort Foods at Target with Myles Powell](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-12-05-117-rebranding-fundraising-and-the-success-behind-launching-myles-comfort-foods) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Looking on the Starryside with co-founders Liz Seelye & Erin Fasano](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2022-04-12-looking-on-the-starryside-with-co-founders-liz-seelye-erin-fasano) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Fundraising Journey: Craig Dubitsky, Happy Products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-04-18-founder-fundraising-journey-craig-dubitsky-happy-products) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#59 Welcome to the Oat Haus! Celebrity Collaboration, Sprouts Launch, and Mental Health with Ali Bonar](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2022-08-30-59-welcome-to-the-oat-haus-celebrity-collaboration-sprouts-launch-and-mental-hea) (The Startup CPG Podcast)

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