Plant Powered Pets: Interview with Dr. Mahsa Vazin, Founder of PawCo Foods

Stephanie Clark: In a world of a lot of advertising around high-meat dog diets, why would you feed a dog a vegan diet? This is when understanding your customer and having a team of experts comes into play.

Jordan Tyler: Dr. Mahsa Vazin is the founder of PawCo Foods, a plant-based dog food company with the mission of making the world a greener place, one dog meal at a time. Mahsa has worked with board-certified animal nutritionists to develop an optimal product for dogs. And her own background is beyond impressive and is actually a perfect fit for this disruptive pet venture, as Mahsa earned her PhD in nanoscience and was previously one of the early food scientists at Impossible Foods.

Stephanie Clark: You can see how this is setting up to be a perfect recipe for the first plant-based meat for dogs. On today's episode, we will dive into Mahsa and PawCo's story. Welcome to Barking Mad, a podcast by BSM Partners. We're your hosts, Dr. Stephanie Clark.

Jordan Tyler: And I'm Jordan Tyler.

Stephanie Clark: So Mahsa, you and I had a little bit of an intro before we sat down to record today. And you mentioned that people who knew you before you went to work at Impossible Foods might find it a little shocking that you now choose plant-based foods for yourself and your dog. So, do you mind sharing a little bit more about that part of the story?

Mahsa Vazin: Yeah, definitely. First of all, thank you for having me here today, and thank you for the amazing introduction. And you know, it's a very interesting story. I was born in a Persian family. In our culture, animal meats are widely used for different dishes. And in addition to that, I was also very scared of all animals, including dogs. So, that's why probably my former colleagues in Impossible Foods were shocked when they heard that I'm working on plant-based dog food — those combinations.

But everything has changed in my life since the day I welcomed Paco to my family. I became a vegetarian myself, and my love for Paco changed my career path as well. And now I really believe that all animals, and not just dogs, deserve to live and have a happy, healthy life, as Gandhi said, “Where there is love, there's life.” So, that definition really changed my life and my career.

So, I chose the plant-based diet to make a big difference in the pet food industry. So, we created this optimized product that we call “Green Meat”. It has all the nutrition, all the flavors, and tastes like meat. It looks like meat without sacrificing other animals or having a negative impact on the environment.

Stephanie Clark: Exactly. Again, I think your story is so neat. Because like a lot of pet parents, you get a pet, and you really want to know what to feed them. And you start searching for the best option. And unlike many pet parents, your background is a food scientist. So, it's a really neat combination for the birth of PawCo.

Jordan Tyler: So, one of our consumer insight specialists here at BSM Partners, Michael Johnson, always tells brands and companies that you can't simply say that your target audience is pet owners. It's just too broad and not specific enough. So, we see pet owners with a range of priorities and interests, and they also have different definitions for things. So, when you say vegan or plant-based, what is your definition?

Mahsa Vazin: So, I think basically there are two big differences between vegan and healthy food. Not necessarily every vegan food is healthy, especially when it's a dried pet food that has all the problems of low-quality ingredients that people won't really see, or being made at very high temperatures in which temperature the product will lose all of the nutritional value.

So here, we created — or actually I would say we invented — the first plant-based meat optimized for dogs, which is called Green Meat. We filed a patent for that, we trademarked it, and it's the base for all of our recipes. So, our goal is to change people's mindset that healthy plant-based can be delicious and it's the diet that dogs can actually thrive on. And there are lots of data out there that really proves that. But here we are also working so hard to make that happen and again, validate all of those data that are out there.

Stephanie Clark: That's a very good point. I like how you brought in that there are two definitions. Vegan can be vegan, but it doesn't mean it's healthy, and healthy doesn't have to be vegan. It kind of reminds me of potato chips or French fries. They're vegan, but maybe they're not the best healthy option for us. They taste great.

But you say you're binding the vegan, the healthy, and the taste-good all in one. So, I mean, it sounds pretty good to me, right? But going back to our pet owners, when you're looking at your pet owners who are attracted to PawCo, how would you describe them? What's specifically attracting them to PawCo?

Mahsa Vazin: First of all, it's very interesting to know that we have about 70 million dogs in just the US, and about 10% of them are already on vegan or vegetarian diets. So, already there's a huge demand for this type of product, but our customers, are interested in our product for different reasons. One of the most important ones is allergies. The top three allergens for dogs are actually animal-based products — chicken, beef, and dairy. But other groups of people are interested in our product or vegan, vegetarian pet products. Either they're a vegan or vegetarian themselves, and they have a dog, and they are not willing to actually sacrifice other animals to feed their dog also. And the third group are environment-cautious owners that really are looking for a more sustainable and eco-friendly type of product. But plant-based pet food is already at a $26 billion market globally, and it's also growing 10% annually.

Stephanie Clark: That's fantastic. And you started talking a little bit about, it goes beyond the term vegan. You really pioneered plant-based meat for dogs. You mentioned this earlier, and you called it Green Meat. So, is there something that's really important to you when it comes to specifically plant-based meats for dogs?

Mahsa Vazin: I read something somewhere, I don't know where was it, but it mentioned that, why do we need to even mention it’s plant-based meat? Why not just say plant-based food? And I think it's going back to like people's mindset and perception of food. They really need to go through a transition to really accept that this is another type of food that can be tasty, and healthy, and it's the same for dogs. What we have created, it's really different than those that were already in the market, like plant-based kibbles or different types of products in the market. So having this plant-based meat that tastes like meat, has all the nutrition, it was something that shows people, dogs as being omnivores, they can really thrive, and they can really love this type of product.

Stephanie Clark: Excellent, excellent point. So, going deeper into PawCo, what would you say are the core values of PawCo that really drives your passion for the company?

Mahsa Vazin: So, I would say first, sustainability, we believe the future of food is sustainable. And we are changing the world and helping out our planet one meal at a time. We have that on all our shipping boxes, you probably have seen it. Another thing that is our top core value is a word that is animal cruelty-free. We don't have to kill animals to feed another category of animals. So, we already have partnered with nonprofit organizations like PETA or the Plant-Based Food Association to help push their agenda forward. And we're working together since we have the same vision and mission.

Jordan Tyler: And speaking on that, there's been a lot of exciting things going on in the world of PawCo. Since launching on the market about a year ago, you've received a ton of support from the startup and innovation world. You won the Food In Ag category of Rally's In-Prize Pitch Competition just last year. And I'm thinking back to what you said, it all started by filling out a form. You know, amazing things happen when you're a go-getter. So, what do you think was kind of the big thing that won over the judges for this competition?

Mahsa Vazin: I think first is that I believe everyone in the food and ag space understands the value of sustainable plant-based food for humans and pets. One of the biggest points that I think really was, I don't know, had influence on them was our revenue. They all say that number never lies. One of the judges also brought up a good point and he said that plant-based food for humans has the challenge of growth and asked me why that's not the case for PawCo. And the answer was very simple. Dogs, or like pets, don't have the ego that humans.

Stephanie Clark: Yeah, I love that. We all love pets for that. And really, we just love them, and they love us back. I love that point. Very smart judges.

Jordan Tyler: And Mahsa, would you mind sharing a little bit about how you've won this very large amount of money? Where's it going to go? Hopefully to grow PawCo. But I was wondering if you wanted to share a little bit about some of the things you're looking forward to doing with this funding.

Mahsa Vazin: So, definitely I would say expanding our production side, expanding our R&D team so we can create more innovative new products, so we can satisfy all customers with different like budget, different preferences. That is definitely our top priority, and also working on our marketing.

Stephanie Clark: I really love that. And you mentioned innovation when it comes to your products and some of the things you think about. You know, it's really one of the things I absolutely love about you and PawCo, just watching that. And so, you have this combination of a food science background, you have this amazing entrepreneurial spirit and this passion for PawCo's mission. You've also started leveraging AI, and you have some really interesting thoughts on how we can incorporate AI into the pet space. So how do you see AI coming into the pet space? And what are you most excited about leveraging specifically for PawCo?

Mahsa Vazin: We see AI as a catalyst that can help us unlock an infinite number of products for different people with different criteria. So, we use AI for optimization, reading, and assimilation, so we don't have to really manually go through thousands of trials and errors. And so, we can actually, even in a shorter amount of time, create more optimized types of products that are super delicious and healthy for our lovely dogs.

Stephanie Clark: I think it's really interesting the thought process that you've done and the innovation into making your products really feel and smell and taste like meat. Can you maybe explain to some of the listeners all the innovation that you've done to really make this product not just look like plants in a jar, or people really feel like it does look like me, which I love about your product. So, I think it's really interesting what you've done and how you've done it. If you could dig a little deeper into that.

Mahsa Vazin: So, first of all, I would say thank you to this amazing team that we work with, the BSM Animal Nutritionist team, that we had a chance and get lots of recommendations, lots of support from them to help us to understand different aspects of the pet food even more, and one aspect is palatability. If we were able to create the most delicious dog food, but it was not appealing to dogs, a pet owner wouldn't buy it. So, I think it's all of those things to consider when it comes to pet food, both the nutrition and the taste. And I think definitely that was something that we started thinking about it at the beginning. We had all of those palatability tests to make sure that our product had a very high-liking score. And when the result came back, I was super happy. You probably remember that day. But our product had a very high-liking score. And that shows that this is a product that even those picky eaters won't refuse it. Maybe like human dogs, they have different preferences and different tastes. Our goal is to create more products for those dogs with different tastes. And we really work on the individual products to make sure that we have good palatability, taste, and aroma for different types of palates.

Stephanie Clark: And I appreciate all the importance around aesthetics that you do put into it as well. It's been really fun to watch your products develop and change and grow into something super healthy and super tasty and enjoyable for the pen owner to give to the dogs.

Mahsa Vazin: Thank you, thank you. We definitely could have not done it without your help. So, thank you so much for all the help and support.

Jordan Tyler: So Mahsa, what do you think has been a key factor that's contributed to your success so far?

Mahsa Vazin: I would say, you know, we created the right product, in the right time, in the right market. If we had launched PawCo product 10 years ago or five years ago, we maybe couldn't have seen this much demand or couldn't see this much of success for PawCo Foods. So, the timing was also perfect for us.

Stephanie Clark: Yes, there's a podcast that discusses how things are built. And the host always asks, do you think that your success is from all the hard work that you did or luck? And it's interesting because most people say there's always an element of both, right? You have to do the work, and you have to show up at the right time.

Now, of course, we've really focused on a lot of your celebrations. You've had a lot of success. But at the same time, it's also good to understand that there are challenges out there. So, what do you feel are yours or will be your biggest challenges for you and PawCo Foods?

Mahsa Vazin: You are definitely right. Being a founder is so challenging, especially when you are a first-time female founder. So, I think for us, we really needed to bootstrap the company and really like launch the product and show revenue. And then that was like really like hard for the investor to say no, regardless of if you are a female or a male founder. That's what we did. We launched the product, and we show a very strong revenue. And that helped us to really like prove that this is a product and there's a huge demand for that. And there are many logistical challenges that you really need to overcome to be able to succeed.

Stephanie Clark: It's good of you to say that. because a lot of people don't realize that until they've gotten into it. So, thank you for sharing with everyone. There's a lot of moving parts when it comes to the pet industry.

Jordan Tyler: Now, we've talked a lot about your passion, but if you had to summarize things at the end of this episode or the end of the day, what continues to fuel your passion behind PawCo Foods?

Mahsa Vazin: I want to live in a world that is animal cruelty-free. And we don't have to have a negative impact just because we want to create food. We can create a more sustainable, eco-friendly, animal-friendly type of food. So, I think if I can see that I can have that impact, definitely I will be a happy person and I feel like I've achieved something.

Stephanie Clark: Speaking of happiness, you personally — though this doesn't necessarily have to be anything about PawCo, just wanting to know more about you — when or where are you the happiest, Mahsa?

Mahsa Vazin: At home, definitely the time that I spend with Paco, not the PawCo company, but Paco the dog. Those times that we go for a walk or play together, are definitely those times that I try to take my mind off work, and everything else, and just pay attention to him as my son, not like a pet or a dog. But I'm also happiest when we are as a team creating new products that can address one of the customer's needs. Just something new like that shelf-stable product, for example, that we created for those who were looking for something more like an affordable, shelf-stable type of product. And I love the R&D aspect of our project and I'm excited to bring new products to the market this year and more and more each year.

Stephanie Clark: That's really exciting. So up to this point, what do you consider your greatest achievement?

Mahsa Vazin: Probably inventing grain meats, the very first plant-based meat for dogs, and InstaBites, the very first shelf-stable product that we also launched earlier this year, was the greatest achievement that we had at PawCo as a team, not just myself, but we all were involved, and we are all proud of it.

Stephanie Clark: Excellent. Well, thank you so much, Mahsa. It has been a pleasure to learn more about you and share more about PawCo, both the dog and the company.

Jordan Tyler: Thank you for joining us on Barking Mad, a podcast by BSM Partners. If you want to learn more about us, please visit us at www.bsmpartners.net. Make sure you're subscribed to the podcast and share it with a friend. We'd also like to thank our dedicated team, Ada-Miette Thomas, Neeley Bowden, Paige Lanier, and Dr. Katy Miller. A special thanks to Lee Ann Hagerty and Michael Johnson.

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