How I Scaled My Pup's Raw Food Diet Into a Healthy Brand

Katie Spies, 32, doesn't know how to live without a pet.

- SARA DEETER

In 2015, after graduating from MIT with dual degrees in mechanical and environmental engineering, she rescued George, a 6-month-old Italian greyhound. But when George's first birthday arrived, Spies couldn't find much to celebrate. Her "spry and spunky" puppy had become tired and lethargic. He began having seizures; medications didn't work. Then a vet mentioned a raw food diet. Spies went to the grocery store for some ground beef and chicken liver, which she mixed with peas, carrots, and berries. Within a day-she swears-George was excited about food again, and soon his health had improved dramatically. At first, having George back was enough—until 2019, when, as a student at Harvard Business School, Spies decided to stake her claim to the $18 billion market for raw, frozen, and fresh dog food.

When I got George, I was working for an agtech startup in the Bay Area-I had always loved food systems. But when this thing with George happened, it didn't cross my mind that it could be a business. Plus, I had always associated entrepreneurship with tech. So for the first couple of years, I was doing this just for George and my friends. I made the food in my kitchen and froze it in ice cream pint containers; my customers picked it up on the weekend.