Ripe, a Brooklyn-based company is passionate about corporate health. Founded in 2013 by Ben Huffman, CJ Richards, Anmari Botha and Maria Bradley, this team of former models understand what it means to be stuck in a frantic schedule. They also understand the power of nutrient-rich foods and their benefits as fuel for the mind and body. The company motto, “People Who Eat Together Grow Together” is the idea behind a prominent brand in the food delivery service industry.
“It’s about growth and community,” explains CEO Ben Huffman. “When eating in groups, especially during the same fine meal, acquaintances can quickly become a team. Our goal at Ripe is to reinforce that corporate culture by building a community around our food. Our best ideas here at Ripe often occur during team meetings about healthy and delicious food.”
Ben and CJ, both former personal trainers, saw a need for a service that would allow their clients quick access to healthy food in addition to the physical gains achieved through exercise. Ben and CJ wanted to make more impactful changes to the lives of individuals outside the gym. “So many of us spend time at work stressing out or eating unhealthy to get through the day. With the rise of startups and large corporations providing catered meals, this is the perfect opportunity to reach a large number of people at no cost to individuals looking to get healthier,” said Ben. Ripe was meant to be an app that would provide individuals with healthy food choices, “but grew into a more viable business model that now delivers select meals to corporate offices,” explains Ripe’s PR and Communications Manager, Lauren Tureaud.
The name “Ripe” in this case refers to the most nutrient-dense and flavorful food available. “Through our name, we want our clients to embrace the idea that good food fuels long-term happiness among employees,” said VP Maria Bradley referring to the trend of increasing corporate health with companies providing food as a benefit.
Ripe ran a “Lunch & Study” session after the first food delivery. This session explains to employees what they eat and the benefits of food on their productivity at work and their overall health. “For our loyal clients (those who order more than one meal a week), we offer free wellness training,” says Lauren. “Order frequency paired with wellness training ensures people stay on track towards their goal of better quality health.”
There are benefits for both employers and employees participating in the Ripe lunch program. “Clients enjoy the easy and straightforward delivery and setup process, while our knowledgeable brand ambassadors (often trained in fitness and nutrition) handle everything,” explains Lauren. “We want employees to be really excited when lunchtime rolls around,” says Ben. “Happy employees get to take a break during the day to connect and celebrate something good (our food) which will also increase their productivity for the rest of the day,” is what Ripe believes keeps a robust sense of corporate community and productivity all around. Ben adds, “Seeing the positive effect our food has on clients makes a healthy lifestyle that much more important in our daily routine.”
Jacqueline Sneyers at Kickstarter, a Brooklyn-based American public company and client of Ripe says, “I’ve never had so much positive feedback after lunch. Everyone loves the choices and the fact that it’s healthy and tastes great. The Ripe team is friendly, fun and engaging.” Analyst Svehaug of Betaworks, an American startup studio and early-stage venture capital firm based in New York City shares his experience. “We had high expectations for Ripe and they delivered.” This type of feedback “is positive reinforcement that we are on the right track to make people happy and healthy through the power of nutritious food. We want delicious, healthy food to be a catalyst for change for employees who take pride in their work and well-being,” explains Lauren.
Ripe provides lunch most days for most of their clients. “This means that 1/3 of our clients’ daily food intake comes from local, nutrient-dense and sustainable sources. We at Ripe not only play a role in employees’ short-term happiness and well-being, but also drive the company’s own long-term success by helping people experience the benefits of good eating,” said Ripe VP Maria Bradley. “Knowing that we influence people in positive ways is what motivates us as a team to push our company to make a bigger impact.”
As well as food being delivered on weekdays, there are “Ripe Life” training sessions offered on Saturdays at local parks. This workout is meant to be a fun, judgment-free zone where anyone who wants to join in can come and sweat it. Currently on a donation basis. “The park is free, we have contaminated juice and water products, the trainers are volunteers, and the fees for providing towels, t-shirts, etc. worth the healthy smiles we see every week,” says Lauren.
There is a genuine passion at Ripe to build a company that works at all levels to deliver quality products, contented customers and a reduced carbon footprint. “We love people, food and the environment and we are always passionate about finding ways to ensure harmony between the three,” explains Ben. All Ripe ingredients are local, organic and sustainably produced, served in recyclable and compostable packaging.
“Ripe has grown more than we could have ever imagined,” said Ben. “Looking around and seeing something you have built your passion for is a humbling and rewarding feeling. We’ve had some rough times like any other company, but we’d rather call it growing pains than setbacks.” The biggest challenge to date has been having my own kitchen and determining the delivery system so that each order is delivered
specified time. With their current kitchen in Little Italy and an office in Brooklyn, Ripe wanted to move into a new space with a larger kitchen in Manhattan, an office above and a place to store delivery trucks. Something that happened seamlessly was getting new clients. “It’s been surprising to see the number of companies that actually want to eat and be healthier,” says Ben.
Ripe is looking to expand to more establishments in NYC in addition to into smaller cities like Philadelphia, Boston and Austin. “In 5 years we want to be a must-have service for startups and larger companies who want healthier employees and a culture,” says Lauren.
“It was really special to see a company eating, laughing, and bonding over the kind of healthy, farm-to-table food that brought us (the founders) together,” said CJ, COO of Ripe. “Health and fitness is something I’ve been passionate about for over a decade. Working at Ripe is very fulfilling and every day we can do what we talk about. Health is not something we do only 8 hours a day. We live it 24/7.”
*Photos of the 4 co-founders on Ripe T-shirts are (from left to right):
Ben Huffman, CEO
Anmari Botha, Creative Director
Maria Bradley, Vice President
CJ Richards, COO
