Company: Salt & Straw, Portland, OR
Company Description: Salt & Straw Ice Cream is a Portland-based, family-run ice cream company founded in 2011 by cousins Kim & Tyler Malek. Salt & Straw makes unbelievably delicious ice creams that tell the narrative of artisans, meaningful food movements and important social causes. The company creates unique menus that rotate monthly and designs a generous store experience that’s personalized and welcoming.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Female Entrepreneur – Consumer Products –11 to 2,500 Employees
 Nomination Title: Kim Malek, Founder + CEO
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the achievements since July 1, 2020 of the nominated woman, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the spaces below:
- Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 185 words used.
Kim Malek started Salt & Straw in 2011 from a humble ice cream cart. Today, the company has expanded to 29 stores on both coasts, all the while retaining its roots as a family-run company known for its culture of hospitality and culinary-first innovation. Kim is a passionate leader, engaged member of her community, and a champion for causes such as childhood hunger, equal rights, and community hiring programs. Prior to launching Salt & Straw, Malek held various positions at Starbucks, Yahoo!, adidas, and Gardenburger. Malek founded Salt & Straw to create neighborhood gathering places, and the company’s strong community roots and dedication to giving back drives everything they do. In 2014, Malek received the Portland Business Journal’s “Women of Influence” Award, and in 2017 was recognized by Basic Rights Oregon as an Equality Advocate Honoree. That same year, Malek interviewed then-Vice President Joe Biden for his “Promise Me, Dad” nationwide book tour. Additionally, Malek has been named to Inc. Magazine’s 100 Female Founders list of entrepreneurs, the Cherry Bombe 100 list featuring female leaders in the culinary space, and Nation’s Restaurant News’ Power List.
- Outline the nominee's achievements since July 1 2020 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 138 words used.
Since July 1, 2020, Salt & Straw’s revenue has grown by over 25% through the addition of 10 stores, including one in Disneyworld and two others on the east coast (Florida - a new market for us). We also added over 700 employees, grew our ecommerce business by over 300% year over year, opened up “ghost kitchens” (DoorDash, UberEats), reestablished our relationship with Alaska Airlines, and continued our partnership with mega-influencer Dwayne Johnson (The Rock). In the last year alone, Kim secured participation at premier events like Super Bowl Tailgate 2022, Best of the Fest at Southbeach 2022, and was a food headliner at Coachella. Additionally, we launched the first-of-its kind culinary perfume, expanded our plant-based line of innovations, and continue to innovate by creating five new flavors a month (churning out more new flavors than any competitor).
- Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 52 words used.
During the last two difficult years, Kim has not only kept the business afloat, but thriving in times of diversity (global pandemic, inflation, rampant supply chain issues). Salt and Straw is in a class of its own among competition, producing sales per square foot and unit volume at multiples to industry averages.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 1 words used.
Podcasts
Investment news
- This Mashed story does a great job of providing an overall look at Salt & Straw, including investment from Danny Meyer and The Rock
Further innovation
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