Print
E-mail
Local Entrepreneur Makes Cookies In Africa
The Entrepreneur
By Marc Kramer, For The Bulletin
Alicia Polak is a former investment banker who left Wall Street before the storm hit because she realized there was more to life than making money. She found her calling after a trip to India where she saw how the poor lived and wanted to make difference. This center city resident and founder/CEO of The Khaya Cookie Company (www.khayacookies.com) launched her company in South Africa in 2006 with her own money.
Ms. Polak, who earned an MBA/MPA from New York University and The University of Cape Town, South Africa along with a BA from New York University, is one of the most dynamic driven entrepreneurs you could meet. Her cookies are a great gift for Valentine’s Day instead of the traditional chocolates and will make a huge difference for the women who work for her. She talks about her journey and dreams for company.
Marc Kramer: Why did you leave a successful career in investment banking to start your company?
Alicia Polak: I had long been wanting a switch in careers and wanted to transition my love of supply chain and logistics — this is what I think IPO bankers are really good at doing — from moving paper to moving supplies that would help those in need during a disaster be it man-made or natural. Haiti is, unfortunately, now a very good example of what I wanted to do. I wanted to be the Director of Emergency response for a large AID (Agency for International Development), specifically the International Rescue Committee. I had been incredibly lucky and had been able to travel the world with Merrill Lynch but what had happened is that I kept seeing too many discrepancies in this world between those who have and those who have not. I was in India in 1996 staying at the Oberoi Hotel — working hard, albeit. I was only an analyst at Merrill and we work long, long hard hours, but I was sleeping on lovely goose down comforters in a beautiful room, having staff carry my bags and when I walked out on the street I saw children who were purposely maimed by their parents as a way to increase their income as a beggar. I had never seen anything like this in my life. The more sights I saw like this over the years, the more I knew I would eventually have to leave. I left just as I became a vice president for Blackrock — an amazing firm and I had amazing bosses. Why did I leave then? Because I knew I had to leave then or I would never leave. I come from a humble background and I was really beginning to enjoy my life full of very nice, material things! One caveat here, I do not believe a successful social entrepreneur should not aspire to have nice things. I believe anyone who is passionate about what they do will ultimately do well. I just no longer cared about these nice things as a top priority. I wanted to make a difference to someone other than myself.
MK: Why did you start a cookie company?
AP: Because baking is a skill that is replicable and transferable across cultures and languages. Because I was limited in what I could teach to these mostly non-English speaking Xhosa women. Investment Banking? IPOs? No, that would be a bit boring for them and next to impossible for me and I could not quite figure out the revenue generation model for that. But cookies? Everyone likes them and you can SHOW baking. You can lead by example. That was my idea.
MK: What is your mission?
AP: Simply put — to create opportunity one bite at a time. For every 1,500 boxes of cookies sold, 1 new job is created (These boxes must be sold continuously. You can’t sell this number of boxes once and have a job created, The sales must be constant). That is the South African statistic. In the U.S., we can create one new job for every 500 boxes, which are “picked and packed.”
MK: Why did you select South Africa to start your company?
AP: I had been on exchange for my MBA and fell in love with the country, culture and the people. I saw a massive need – the need for employment. The unemployment rate for black women who are head of households is 70 percent! In addition, each employee tends to have 8 dependents. It is very easy to understand how many people are without work and how many people are going hungry. The number of children walking around at robots (traffic lights) begging and women just wondering around the city center was very hard to ignore.
MK: How many people do you employ?
AP: I do not own our production facility, so the women (and there are a few men employed there as well) work on other lines of products as well, however, in total there are 510 employees.
MK: What has been the most difficult part of building your business?
AP: Marketing and sales … taking a product from South Africa and building the brand in the U.S.
MK: What has been the most rewarding part?
AP: I do not think there has been one single “most rewarding part.” That would be too difficult to say. There have been some incredibly rewarding moments that have shaped my life. For instance, the day (very, very early days) I took the women out for pizza for the first time in their lives. Sitting at that table with them in Sea Point, South Africa. Having Cokes and pizza and getting them out of the township for me was one of the most rewarding days of my life. It is days like that which have added to an overall experience and one of these experiences continues to build on top of another.
MK: How many types of cookies do you sell?
AP: We sell five different types of cookies — three shortbreads and two Krunchis, which are an old-fashioned, soft-eating granola. Our products are high in antioxidants and many contain ingredients such as Rooibos, which can be found ONLY in our Native South Africa. Each one of our cookies is very unique. Most of these ingredients come from women owned/operated farms. This further helps job creation and provides us with, quite literally, “farm fresh” ingredients. Take our Orange Zest, for example. It is hand grated by a team of four women, once homeless and unemployed. Take our Orange Rooibos shortbread, which has won many accolades and is sold at the premier on-line food catalog – Zingermans, and you will understand why that product is so good. That zest was hand zested on a stainless steel grater by a woman named Bosiswe! Same goes for our Krunchi - the apricots are hand picked at just the perfect time to ensure they are neither too sweet nor acidic. Just like grapes, we take a wine makers approach to making cookies. All these hand picked, hand selected ingredients are then brought to our shop and baked by once unemployed women (and yes, a few men).
Here is a full description of all our products:
Khaya Krunchies
Khaya Krunchis are carefully handcrafted cubes of moist dates and organic apricots surrounded by oats, sunflower and flaxseed blended with a touch of honey and sealed with brown sugar. All of our Khaya Krunchis are heart-healthy and rich in Omega-3’s.
The Granola
Fruit Krunchi
Find sweet inspiration—on a hike or with a quiet cup of tea—as you savor these morsels of moist dates and organic apricots mixed with satisfyingly chewy grains. Dates add 14 essential vitamins and minerals to these Krunchi’s and you get 4 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per serving.
The Chocolate
& Orange Krunchi
With a timeless combination of pure orange zest and choice dark Belgium chocolate, this Krunchi makes a great mate for a cup of dark roast coffee, morning, noon or night. Enjoy its heavenly flavor along with the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids in the flaxseed and essential fiber and nutrients in oats and sunflower seeds.
The Chocolate Orange
& Cinnamon Krunchi
The very essence of orange, in the form of hand-grated zest, meets dreamy, dark Belgium chocolate in your first bite. Then, a hint of warm cinnamon reveals itself, completing the taste sensation. Our signature blend of good-for-you Krunchi grains includes Vitamin E and magnesium-rich sunflower seeds.
Shortbreads
Khaya shortbreads are made by combining just a few simple ingredients and adding indigenous South African Rooibos extract to create a unique fusion of flavors. Our shortbreads are handcrafted using only all-natural ingredients and contain no trans fats. Ever.
Cranberry Rooibos
Shortbread
Our artisan bakers have added bits of naturally tart, intensely flavorful cranberries and all the benefits of Rooibos extract to this classically buttery-rich shortbread. We think it just begs for a cup of amber Rooibos tea alongside.
Orange Rooibos
Shortbread
The allure of aromatic citrus peel transforms this dense, buttery shortbread, taking it out of the ordinary and into the realm of extraordinary. We like it paired with a cup of delicate white tea or with a glass of fine dessert wine.
Grapeseed Shortbread
Khaya’s bakers have access to an abundance of grapeseeds —known for their incredible nutritional properties — including a potent dose of Vitamin C. We decided to make the most of this good fortune by blending pure grapeseed powder and tangy, tiny currants into this ultimately satisfying shortbread. You’ll find it has a delectable depth of flavor—not too sweet and just buttery enough.
MK: Who develops the recipes?
AP: I come up with the original idea. These ideas are based on things I’ve seen such as a shortbread or a traditional South African Krunchi. Then I look around and see what is local and indigenous to South Africa such as Rooibos. I play with the recipes, modify them for the American palate and, of course, add in a few of my own taste preferences. Also, I believe if you are going to make a cookie, it should have some health properties and a “twist” and we should “work with what we’ve got.” So, we added Rooibos. It is grown only one place in the whole world, South Africa in the Western Cape in an area called the Cederberg. It has an amazing range of health properties as it is incredibly high in antioxidants. I like to get everything 110 percent, so I am a firm believer in “smarter people should leverage smarter people.” We have a bona fide French pastry chef at the factory, an amazing product development team and a rocket scientist Food Scientist. They help me perfect everything such as the ratios. For example, our Granola Fruit Krunchis, which are honey sweetened oats surrounded by moist dates and organic apricots, have an almost perfect ratio of Omega 3:6 of 1:3. My food scientist Andrea was instrumental in assuring the ratio of Omega 3:6 was near perfect. I am not a scientist, so I work with the top leaders in the industry to get me where I need to go.
MK: Where can someone buy your cookies?
AP: Whole Foods in the Mid-East (which is basically all stores from Kentucky to Pa.), Peets Coffee on the west coast, Zingermans.com, Gourmetgiftbaskets.com and at our shop www.khayacookies.com.
MK: If you had to give an aspiring entrepreneur one piece of advice what would that be?
AP: DO NOT GIVE UP! If being an entrepreneur was easy, everyone would do it. You must be patient, persevere and stick with it. There is no short-term solution. You have to stick with it and weather the storms. Build your ship and sail on it. Do not jump ship.
Marc Kramer, who is the author of five books and faculty member at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, is a serial entrepreneur.
Ms. Polak, who earned an MBA/MPA from New York University and The University of Cape Town, South Africa along with a BA from New York University, is one of the most dynamic driven entrepreneurs you could meet. Her cookies are a great gift for Valentine’s Day instead of the traditional chocolates and will make a huge difference for the women who work for her. She talks about her journey and dreams for company.
Marc Kramer: Why did you leave a successful career in investment banking to start your company?
Alicia Polak: I had long been wanting a switch in careers and wanted to transition my love of supply chain and logistics — this is what I think IPO bankers are really good at doing — from moving paper to moving supplies that would help those in need during a disaster be it man-made or natural. Haiti is, unfortunately, now a very good example of what I wanted to do. I wanted to be the Director of Emergency response for a large AID (Agency for International Development), specifically the International Rescue Committee. I had been incredibly lucky and had been able to travel the world with Merrill Lynch but what had happened is that I kept seeing too many discrepancies in this world between those who have and those who have not. I was in India in 1996 staying at the Oberoi Hotel — working hard, albeit. I was only an analyst at Merrill and we work long, long hard hours, but I was sleeping on lovely goose down comforters in a beautiful room, having staff carry my bags and when I walked out on the street I saw children who were purposely maimed by their parents as a way to increase their income as a beggar. I had never seen anything like this in my life. The more sights I saw like this over the years, the more I knew I would eventually have to leave. I left just as I became a vice president for Blackrock — an amazing firm and I had amazing bosses. Why did I leave then? Because I knew I had to leave then or I would never leave. I come from a humble background and I was really beginning to enjoy my life full of very nice, material things! One caveat here, I do not believe a successful social entrepreneur should not aspire to have nice things. I believe anyone who is passionate about what they do will ultimately do well. I just no longer cared about these nice things as a top priority. I wanted to make a difference to someone other than myself.
MK: Why did you start a cookie company?
AP: Because baking is a skill that is replicable and transferable across cultures and languages. Because I was limited in what I could teach to these mostly non-English speaking Xhosa women. Investment Banking? IPOs? No, that would be a bit boring for them and next to impossible for me and I could not quite figure out the revenue generation model for that. But cookies? Everyone likes them and you can SHOW baking. You can lead by example. That was my idea.
MK: What is your mission?
AP: Simply put — to create opportunity one bite at a time. For every 1,500 boxes of cookies sold, 1 new job is created (These boxes must be sold continuously. You can’t sell this number of boxes once and have a job created, The sales must be constant). That is the South African statistic. In the U.S., we can create one new job for every 500 boxes, which are “picked and packed.”
MK: Why did you select South Africa to start your company?
AP: I had been on exchange for my MBA and fell in love with the country, culture and the people. I saw a massive need – the need for employment. The unemployment rate for black women who are head of households is 70 percent! In addition, each employee tends to have 8 dependents. It is very easy to understand how many people are without work and how many people are going hungry. The number of children walking around at robots (traffic lights) begging and women just wondering around the city center was very hard to ignore.
MK: How many people do you employ?
AP: I do not own our production facility, so the women (and there are a few men employed there as well) work on other lines of products as well, however, in total there are 510 employees.
MK: What has been the most difficult part of building your business?
AP: Marketing and sales … taking a product from South Africa and building the brand in the U.S.
MK: What has been the most rewarding part?
AP: I do not think there has been one single “most rewarding part.” That would be too difficult to say. There have been some incredibly rewarding moments that have shaped my life. For instance, the day (very, very early days) I took the women out for pizza for the first time in their lives. Sitting at that table with them in Sea Point, South Africa. Having Cokes and pizza and getting them out of the township for me was one of the most rewarding days of my life. It is days like that which have added to an overall experience and one of these experiences continues to build on top of another.
MK: How many types of cookies do you sell?
AP: We sell five different types of cookies — three shortbreads and two Krunchis, which are an old-fashioned, soft-eating granola. Our products are high in antioxidants and many contain ingredients such as Rooibos, which can be found ONLY in our Native South Africa. Each one of our cookies is very unique. Most of these ingredients come from women owned/operated farms. This further helps job creation and provides us with, quite literally, “farm fresh” ingredients. Take our Orange Zest, for example. It is hand grated by a team of four women, once homeless and unemployed. Take our Orange Rooibos shortbread, which has won many accolades and is sold at the premier on-line food catalog – Zingermans, and you will understand why that product is so good. That zest was hand zested on a stainless steel grater by a woman named Bosiswe! Same goes for our Krunchi - the apricots are hand picked at just the perfect time to ensure they are neither too sweet nor acidic. Just like grapes, we take a wine makers approach to making cookies. All these hand picked, hand selected ingredients are then brought to our shop and baked by once unemployed women (and yes, a few men).
Here is a full description of all our products:
Khaya Krunchies
Khaya Krunchis are carefully handcrafted cubes of moist dates and organic apricots surrounded by oats, sunflower and flaxseed blended with a touch of honey and sealed with brown sugar. All of our Khaya Krunchis are heart-healthy and rich in Omega-3’s.
The Granola
Fruit Krunchi
Find sweet inspiration—on a hike or with a quiet cup of tea—as you savor these morsels of moist dates and organic apricots mixed with satisfyingly chewy grains. Dates add 14 essential vitamins and minerals to these Krunchi’s and you get 4 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per serving.
The Chocolate
& Orange Krunchi
With a timeless combination of pure orange zest and choice dark Belgium chocolate, this Krunchi makes a great mate for a cup of dark roast coffee, morning, noon or night. Enjoy its heavenly flavor along with the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids in the flaxseed and essential fiber and nutrients in oats and sunflower seeds.
The Chocolate Orange
& Cinnamon Krunchi
The very essence of orange, in the form of hand-grated zest, meets dreamy, dark Belgium chocolate in your first bite. Then, a hint of warm cinnamon reveals itself, completing the taste sensation. Our signature blend of good-for-you Krunchi grains includes Vitamin E and magnesium-rich sunflower seeds.
Shortbreads
Khaya shortbreads are made by combining just a few simple ingredients and adding indigenous South African Rooibos extract to create a unique fusion of flavors. Our shortbreads are handcrafted using only all-natural ingredients and contain no trans fats. Ever.
Cranberry Rooibos
Shortbread
Our artisan bakers have added bits of naturally tart, intensely flavorful cranberries and all the benefits of Rooibos extract to this classically buttery-rich shortbread. We think it just begs for a cup of amber Rooibos tea alongside.
Orange Rooibos
Shortbread
The allure of aromatic citrus peel transforms this dense, buttery shortbread, taking it out of the ordinary and into the realm of extraordinary. We like it paired with a cup of delicate white tea or with a glass of fine dessert wine.
Grapeseed Shortbread
Khaya’s bakers have access to an abundance of grapeseeds —known for their incredible nutritional properties — including a potent dose of Vitamin C. We decided to make the most of this good fortune by blending pure grapeseed powder and tangy, tiny currants into this ultimately satisfying shortbread. You’ll find it has a delectable depth of flavor—not too sweet and just buttery enough.
MK: Who develops the recipes?
AP: I come up with the original idea. These ideas are based on things I’ve seen such as a shortbread or a traditional South African Krunchi. Then I look around and see what is local and indigenous to South Africa such as Rooibos. I play with the recipes, modify them for the American palate and, of course, add in a few of my own taste preferences. Also, I believe if you are going to make a cookie, it should have some health properties and a “twist” and we should “work with what we’ve got.” So, we added Rooibos. It is grown only one place in the whole world, South Africa in the Western Cape in an area called the Cederberg. It has an amazing range of health properties as it is incredibly high in antioxidants. I like to get everything 110 percent, so I am a firm believer in “smarter people should leverage smarter people.” We have a bona fide French pastry chef at the factory, an amazing product development team and a rocket scientist Food Scientist. They help me perfect everything such as the ratios. For example, our Granola Fruit Krunchis, which are honey sweetened oats surrounded by moist dates and organic apricots, have an almost perfect ratio of Omega 3:6 of 1:3. My food scientist Andrea was instrumental in assuring the ratio of Omega 3:6 was near perfect. I am not a scientist, so I work with the top leaders in the industry to get me where I need to go.
MK: Where can someone buy your cookies?
AP: Whole Foods in the Mid-East (which is basically all stores from Kentucky to Pa.), Peets Coffee on the west coast, Zingermans.com, Gourmetgiftbaskets.com and at our shop www.khayacookies.com.
MK: If you had to give an aspiring entrepreneur one piece of advice what would that be?
AP: DO NOT GIVE UP! If being an entrepreneur was easy, everyone would do it. You must be patient, persevere and stick with it. There is no short-term solution. You have to stick with it and weather the storms. Build your ship and sail on it. Do not jump ship.
Marc Kramer, who is the author of five books and faculty member at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, is a serial entrepreneur.
 |
||
| Hiring A Salesman Who Will Stay Awhile |
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of thebulletin.us.
You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here: |
Become a Registered User |
