Kate Flynn, HBS ‘12, began her entrepreneurial journey with a passion for healthier snacks. After corporate burnout and a growing commitment to healthy living, she made a bold life change. Her idea? Create delicious, plant-based snacks that are good for people and the planet.

She launched Sun & Swell Foods as a certified B-Corps in 2016, testing her products at local events where positive feedback confirmed a demand for her healthy snacks.

We loved Kate’s mission and accepted her without hesitation. She had everything we were looking for in a founder. She belonged in our program.

It turned out, the timing wasn’t right. We deferred her spot to the next year, and she came back strong.

Today, Sun & Swell is thriving, offering organic, plant-based snacks in plastic-free packaging. Kate’s commitment to sustainability has fueled her business growth and inspired others in the industry to embrace eco-friendly practices. Despite setbacks like the pandemic, which closed many of her clients, Kate’s resilience drove Sun & Swell to success. She expanded the product line and shifted to a direct-to-consumer model, reducing their carbon footprint. 

Sun & Swell products are now available in over 500 stores, corporate offices and hotels nationwide- they have kept over 1.2M plastic bags out of landfills. With rave reviews from Forbes, WSJ, Inc., Sierra Club, and LA Times, and awards like Google’s Single-Use Plastics Challenge, Sun & Swell is leading the charge in sustainable snacking.

Kate’s vision for sustainable snacks is leading the way in eco-friendly packaging, just as we knew she would.

Key Successes

• Winner Google’s Single-Use Plastics Challenge

• In 500 stores nationwide

• Over 1.2M plastic bags kept out of landfills

• Raised to date $1.8M

• Revenues $4.2M (all time)

• Features in Forbes, WSJ, Inc., Outside, Sierra Club, LA Times