How old are your kids and how long have you lived in Westport? I have a 6.5-year-old son who is in 1st grade and a 4 year old daughter. We moved to Westport in the summer of 2019, but I grew up here and my family has been in the area since 1996—I started at Coleytown Middle School in 8th grade.
How did you end up where you are now in terms of your job, or whatever passion project it is you might be doing? We moved to Connecticut in 2019—first to Stamford, then to Westport—to open an all-day, fast-casual restaurant. As we were in the early stages of building it out in early 2020, COVID hit. With so much uncertainty around how long the pandemic would last and how it would affect the restaurant industry, we ultimately paused the project and took a step back to reassess our plans.
Around the same time, our son turned two and became increasingly picky with food, eventually cutting fruits and vegetables out of his diet entirely. Like many parents, I began experimenting at home—hiding vegetables like spinach, beets, carrots, and cauliflower in smoothies, muffins, pancakes, and sauces. We quickly realized we weren’t alone in this struggle. Wanting to stay in the food world and make things easier for other families, Michael and I began developing the concept of House of Yes, a kids snack brand we founded to help take the daily stress out of feeding kids.
We wanted to create something that filled a real gap in the snack market and that felt like a real solution for parents who had children who didn’t eat enough protein, fiber, or vegetables. Another priority for us was combining the taste and texture kids love with ingredients parents want to give them. One thing we found, after surveying parents, was that most kids were not gluten free. So, by using organic whole wheat, we were able to create a bar that tastes like bakery cookies but are made with hidden vegetables, protein, and fiber. We developed two flavors: Chocolate Chip and Maple Cinnamon and each bar has 6g fiber, 6g protein, 7g total sugar, and uses real, whole vegetables (carrot, sweet potato, and zucchini). We are currently in the process of developing a third flavor!
Every decision—from the ingredients to the texture to the flavor—was guided by one simple question: Would we feel good giving this to our own kids every day? House of Yes was built from our kitchen outward, with the goal of helping families say “yes” to snack time a little more easily.
What is the best show you have recently (binge) watched? AND/OR what is the last book you read?
Best shows I’ve recently binged: The Beast in Me; All Her Fault; Emily in Paris; The Pitt; Landman.
The last book series I read were The Housemaid series by Freida McFadden, as well as other books she has written. I’m also currently reading A Court of Thorn and Roses. My favorite genre of books is Historical Fiction and a recent book I read that I loved, was Circe by Madeline Miller. I also really liked the series by author Elena Ferrante, My Brilliant Friend.
What is your favorite podcast? Scamfluencers, My Favorite Murder; Crime Junkies (I like true crime).
What is one food you could not live without? Cheese! Also, Coffee if that’s considered a food.
What is one product you could not live without? A yeti or simple modern water bottle. I love ice cold water and bring it everywhere.
What is your greatest fear? Honestly, I have a bird phobia (lol)
What is your greatest indulgence? Honestly, probably French fries; they’re my favorite food.
Which talent would you most like to have? To be Polylingual and could easily learn and peak multiple languages
If you did not live where you do, where would you like to live? Tel Aviv, Miami, Paris
What is your favorite hobby? Collecting sneakers
What is your go-to karaoke song? Maybe “Forgot About Dre” (Dr, Dre and Eminem ) or anything by Biggie or Nas.
What is your greatest extravagance? I love a nice belt, specifically from the brand Khaite
When and where were you happiest? Anytime I’m in Tel Aviv.
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? I rowed crew in high school, I was on the Staples Swim Team; I have 80+ pairs of sneakers; I became a pescatarian at age 15 and a vegetarian 8 years ago; I LOVE History.
If you weren’t doing what you are today, what might your career path might have been? I have a master’s degree in Fundraising, Grantmaking, and Nonprofits from NYU, so I would likely be in that industry.
QUICK THIS OR THAT:
At a movie: Candy or Popcorn? Popcorn
Cook or order in? Both!
Coffee or tea? COFFEE!
Be embarrassed or be afraid? Hmm.. Embarrassed.
Camping or glamping? Glamping
Broadway Show or TV show? TV show, 100%
TikTok or Insta? TikTok
Text or call? Both!
Sneakers or dress shoes? Equally love both but I do have 80 pairs of sneakers (but I love high heels/dress shoes, too)
Sauna? Or cold plunge? Sauna
Beach or Mountain? BEACH
Comedy or Drama? Both! But I do love comedy.