Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month - Spotlighting VANESSA DEW, Co-Founder Health-Ade Kombucha

What a treat to spotlight Vanessa Dew, Co-Founder of Health-Ade Kombucha—- say wahhht? She co-founded Health-Ade Kombucha in 2012 alongside her best friends and husband-and-wife team, Justin and Daina Trout. As the Chief Sales Officer, she brings an invaluable knowledge of sales and marketing amassed from years spent at a major pharmaceutical company before leaving to help start Health-Ade Kombucha. Health-Ade evolved from selling its flagship kombucha in the Los Angeles farmers' markets into one of the top-selling kombucha beverage brands with retail sales over $200M annually. Today, Health-Ade can be found in over 45,000 stores nationwide and disrupted the beverage industry.

I connected with Vanessa by way of meeting her co-founder, Daina Trout (see a fun photoshoot we did here at her old house) and reached out to her years ago to come to an event I was assisting with The Riveter. I even had the honor to see her in her early days as a mama, photographing her first born in front of her house during lockdown. It was the first newborn shoot where we created a bedlike setting, even though we were on her porch ! She just had her 2nd child, barely 2 months old and graciously took the time to be interviewed. Thank you, Vanessa !

Q:What part of Asia does your family descend from and let us know your lineage (ex: immigrant, 1st generation, 2nd generation etc..)

VANESSA DEW: China - specifically Dad is from Shanghai and my Mom’s family is from Taishan. I am 2nd generation.

Q:Tell us about your upbringing, where your parents very strict for instance? Were you pressured to study what they wanted or did you feel you had freedom to do what you wanted?

VANESSA DEW: I grew up in a suburb near Los Angeles called Encino—we were one of very few Asians who lived in a predominantly Caucasian neighborhood. The way I was brought up was indicative of traditional Asian immigrant upbringing but living through it, I felt like I was in a prison. Compared to my Caucasian friends, I was so different and my upbringing only magnified this. For starters, they were strict in that I couldn’t go to sleepovers—I think I slept over at a friends house 2 or 3 times and that is after knowing their family for 10 years. I couldn’t go to football games and live the typical American teenager life. I always felt like I was living up to a ‘should’ whether it be studying to be a doctor, getting into the best schools, and being the best academically.

Q: Share how you got started in doing what you are doing today!

VANESSA DEW: I was unfulfilled and knew I needed to pursue something that was going to give me something I felt excited about. I was working in pharmaceuticals at a Fortune 50 company and it was the quintessential me not feeling like I was living up to my potential and I wanted to build something - have something that I could be proud of. My best friends felt this too and we all bonded over this shared desire to start our own business. From there, we went to work on what that business would be through our entrepreneur clubs and out of that, Health-Ade was born.

Q: If you are business owner, tell us the name of your business and what you do . Include your favorite business tip/advice:

VANESSA DEW: My company’s name is Health-Ade - I am the CoFounder/CSO. Advice: The answer is always no unless you ask. I run into a lot of founders(especially women) who are tentative about the next steps and worried about the answer to the point of inaction. You never know what a question will get you! I’m based in Los Angeles, CA

Q: What advice do you have today for your peers who are looking to do what you are doing now?

A: VANESSA DEW: Starting something and thinking about starting something are two different things. Take that first step, no matter how small that step is because the constant philosophizing will never get you anywhere but taking those small baby steps might.

Q: A lot of people have a "why" they do what they do, if you have a "why" please share it with us ;)

VANESSA DEW: 2 things: 1) the freedom to have the time and control over how and when I spend time with my family 2) proud that I created something from nothing

Q: How can we support you:

VANESSA DEW: Engage with Health-Ade on all forms of media

Q How old are your kiddos?

VANESSA DEW: Oliver - 22 months, Audrey 7 weeks

Q: If you're like me, you were taught to be very humble. This is NOT the time to be humble, please share sis!! Tell us all the things that make you feel really proud!

VANESSA DEW: Proud that I am a mom of 2, built a business with ~$200M in retail sales, honored at places like USC and Goldhouse for my efforts to give back to students and AAPI entrepreneurs and that I can do all of that and not compromise who I am at the core.

Q: Where can people find you online?

Health-ade.com//IG @healthade. Personal: IG @v_dew

THANK YOU VANESSA!

Thanks for celebrating Vanessa Dew and the many others during AAPI Heritage Month!