Founder Feature: Leanne Viola and Jesse Barruch of WHIMS
Leanne Viola and Jesse Barruch, co-founders of WHIMS Delights, explain how personal health crises led them to create low-sugar, gluten-free, and dairy-free confectionery products like peanut butter cups and caramel cookie bars. They detail their journey from prototyping in a home kitchen to securing a pastry chef and manufacturing partners, emphasizing the importance of financial responsibility and unit economics from day one. The founders discuss their retail strategy of self-distributing to independent stores, using aggressive sampling to drive trial, and preparing for Expo West 2025 to expand distribution partnerships while maintaining long-term relationships.