Partake Foods Scales Allergy-Friendly Snacks to 10,000 Stores
Denise Woodard scaled Partake Foods from a grassroots New York operation to a national brand through strategic partnerships and venture capital investment.
Founder and CEO Denise Woodard launched Partake Foods in 2016 to provide inclusive food options for children with life-threatening allergies. The company began as a grassroots operation selling cookies from a car in New York and experienced rapid expansion, growing from 300 stores in 2019 to over 10,000 stores shortly thereafter.
Woodard noted that this period was driven by a "growth-at-all-costs mentality," which resulted in significant financial and infrastructure challenges. To stabilize the brand, she leveraged storytelling and cultural capital to secure investments from Marcy Venture Partners and established high-profile partnerships with Ben & Jerry's and the Girl Scouts.
Partake Foods is now expanding its product offerings, with plans to release protein and fiber granola in late 2026 and soft-baked cookies in early 2027. The company also maintains a 501(c)(3) organization focused on increasing diversity within the food industry.
