goTeff, Inc.

I was born and raised in Ethiopia where I grew up eating Teff every single day as part of our staple diet. When I came to the US for my undergraduate degree, I noticed a negative and narrow perspective about Ethiopia and Africa at large and wanted to be a part of changing this narrative. Food, specifically Teff grain, is vehicle I chose to reframe this narrative. Food transcends borders and Teff is a rising superfood is not only highly nutritious but has the potential to feed the world as a drought resistant, climate resilient grain. Entrepreneurship is not a typical path for an international student, nor is the easiest by any means, especially when you have zero culinary experience and no startup capital. However, with a lot of passion and grit, I've spent the last 4 years doing market research and R&D to learn about teff and find the perfect product to market fit as well as the right early adopters for our product. I conducted proof of concept and sold 7000 units of my product as a one woman team. It's been a rewarding and challenging journey that I am proud to be a part of.