Shazi Visram

Shazi Visram is an American entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, best known as the founder, CEO, and Chief Mom of Happy Family Brands.[1] In 2013, she was acknowledged by President Barack Obama as "not only an outstanding businesswoman, but also a leader that all of us can emulate."[2]

Shazi Visram
Born1976
Toronto
EducationColumbia University (BA, MBA)
OccupationEntrepreneur, investor, philanthropist
Known forHappy Family

Early life and education

Visram was born in Toronto to immigrants from Pakistan and Tanzania.[3] At the age of three, she moved with her parents and brother to Birmingham, Alabama, where they lived in a room at the motel the family operated.[4] Visram says that owning their own business was her parents’ biggest source of both stress and pride. She credits her entrepreneurial parents for their example: “I could see that if you wanted to build something, you could—and should—build it yourself.”[4]

Visram graduated from Indian Springs School in Indian Springs, AL before attending Columbia University, where she received her BA in History and Visual Arts in 1999, and later her MBA from Columbia Business School (‘04) in Management and Entrepreneurship.[5][6][5]

In 1999, Visram was the first employee in Horizon Media's interactive division.[3] Following her time at Horizon, Visram founded Maven Marketing, her own digital marketing and media consultancy.

Career

Founding Happy Family

While attending Columbia Business School, Visram began writing her business plan for Happy Family after chatting with a friend, who admitted to feeling guilty about not being able to make homemade food for her babies.[7] Visram discovered that many parents wanted access to healthy, organic options that weren't available at that time.[8][9]

After a brief round of investment from family and friends—the first person to write a check to the company was Visram's mother, Zarin—Visram raised $23 million from 186 individual investors from 2004 to 2012, including Honest Tea CEO Seth Goldman, chef Tom Colicchio, and actress Demi Moore.[7][10][11][12]

2006–2013: Growth, initiatives, and sale to Danone

In 2006, Visram, along with Founding Partner and COO Jessica Rolph, formally launched Happy Family, known at the time as Happy Baby. In May 2013, Visram sold 92% of the company to Groupe Danone, noting "the broader opportunity we weren't able to tap into" provided by Danone to bring more than 100 products to market in 34 countries.[7][13] Following the sale, Visram remained CEO until December 2017.[14]

2014–present

In 2014, Visram partnered with The Small Things to open the Happy Family Children’s Village, in memory of her father, Amir Visram.[15] The village, which housed 45 children as of 2016, provides education and nutrition to Tanzanian children separated from their families, and prepares them to assume leadership roles in their communities. Upon the opening, Visram said, “I believe that all children deserve to be happy, and oftentimes that starts with the little things, like access to nutritious food and a proper education.”

Under Visram in 2016, Happy Family launched the first see-through organic baby food pouch—Happy Baby Clearly Crafted—a development followed by rival baby food brands.[16] 2016 also saw the publication of Visram’s second book, “The Happy Family Organic Superfoods Cookbook for Baby & Toddler” with Cricket Azima.[17]

The following year, in 2017, Happy Family released a new organic infant formula and “infant support platform with expert resources and premium products,” along with the Happy Mama Milk Mentors, a support team for breastfeeding moms.[18][19] About the correlation between the two, Visram said, “No matter what, we believe we need to be there for parents at every turn to support the individual choices that work for their very individual families.”

Happy Family generated revenue surpassing $150 million for the first time in 2017.[20] Visram envisions the company as a billion dollar brand.[21] In December 2017, Visram transitioned from her position as CEO of Happy Family, while maintaining her role as chief visionary and "Chairmom" of the board.[14]

Philanthropy

In addition to her work with Happy Family, Visram serves on the Board of Overseers at Columbia Business School and works with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) as a mentor to young entrepreneurs from low-income communities.[22]

Visram is also an avid supporter of Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), a commitment constantly reaffirmed by the motivation she gets from her son Zane, whose regressive case of autism was diagnosed when he was two and a half.[23] Visram said, “I think the most significant thing I feel is this immense desire to protect them, especially Zane who just needs so much support and love. I believe it’s why I feel a need to be a voice for him and all kids who are wired differently.”[24]

Visram is a mentor for startups and an impact venture investor, with investments including EpiBone, Ovia Health, Recycle Track Systems, Simple Mills, and Bulletproof. She is also a Strategic Advisor at wearable breast pump maker, Willow.

As a businesswoman and mother, Visram has also spoken out on the importance of generous parental leave policies and the need for CEOs and other executives to lead by example.[25]

Personal life

Visram lives in Connecticut with her husband Joe and two young children, Zane and Asha. In 2009, she and her family’s story was featured in American Express’s “Shine a Light” broadcast campaign, which aired during the Super Bowl and Golden Globes.[26]

Recognition and awards
  • An Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Company[27]
  • New York Region Entrepreneur of the Year (Ernst & Young, 2011)[28]
  • Top Ten Female Entrepreneurs (Inc. Magazine, 2011)[28]
  • Moms Who Are Changing the World Nominee (Babble, 2011)[28]
  • Crain’s New York Business 40 Under 40 (2012)[28]
  • Rockstar of the New Economy (Fast Company, 2012)[29]
  • Young Global Leader Class Member (World Economic Forum, 2013)[28]
  • Innovator of the Year (Stevie Awards, 2016)[30]
  • Distinguished Early Achievement Award (Columbia Business School, 2016)[31]
  • 20 Most Influential Moms of the Year (FamilyCircle, 2017)[32]

Values

Visram has shared many of her personal and business values in interview and speeches:

  • "When I started this business [Happy Family], my very naïve dream was to change the world with organic baby food. I can't tell you with 100% certainty that our business changes the world on a daily basis, but what I can tell you with absolute certainty is that we're feeding the young minds that will."[33]
  • "We, unlike a lot of big food companies, are not just about marketing based on the perception of nutrition or sustainability. My company's DNA is all about actually giving people, from even before conception through childhood, and someday maybe even beyond that, the best possible nutrition in the most transparent way possible."[34]
  • "I think immigrants are the best mentors for entrepreneurs that you can possibly have. Immigrants are the ultimate entrepreneurs."[33]
  • "Life is short, so don't waste a moment on guilt or anything that doesn't serve you."[24]
  • "Smart people invest in stages. They start small. They protect their assets. They try to mitigate risk by making a number of small investments. And then they go back and support the ones that meet milestones and have a brighter future."[34]
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References
  1. "Shazi Visram - HappyFamily". HappyFamily. Retrieved 2017-10-16.
  2. Happy Family (2013-07-27), President Obama Speaking About Happy Family and CEO Shazi Visram, retrieved 2017-10-16
  3. Parekh, Rupal (2013-06-02). "Women to Watch: Shazi Visram, Happy Family". Ad Age. Retrieved 2017-10-16.
  4. Shah, Khushbu (2016-05-08). "Thanks for Making Me a Fighter". Success. Retrieved 2017-10-16.
  5. "Columbia College Today". www.college.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  6. "Notable Alumni". www.indiansprings.org. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  7. Savchuk, Katia. "Shazi Visram On Building A Multimillion-Dollar Business And Work-Family Balance (It Doesn't Exist)". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  8. Strom, Stephanie (2014-04-25). "As Parents Make Their Own Baby Food, Industry Tries to Adapt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  9. "Our Roots - HappyFamily". HappyFamily. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  10. Jordan, Mary (2013-09-03). "Honest Tea CEO Seth Goldman is expanding the company in pursuit of healthier foods". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  11. "Happy Family's Shazi Visram Talks to Chef Tom Colicchio about Organic Food for Kids". The Worley Gig. 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  12. Pothering, Jessica (2014-10-08). "How 'Happy Family' Became Healthy Baby-Food Pioneers". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  13. "The Best Exit? The One You Do On Your Own Terms". Inc.com. 2013-08-26. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  14. "Happy Family taps new CEO, teases 'breakthrough developments' in 2018". Food Dive. Retrieved 2018-01-18.
  15. "Who We Are – The Small Things". thesmallthings.org. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  16. Family, Happy. "Happy Family Launches Clearly Crafted™, a New Line of Premium Organic Baby Food in Transparent Pouches". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  17. "HAPPY FAMILY ORGANIC SUPERFOODS COOKBOOK FOR BABY & TODDLER". Weldon Owen. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  18. "Happy Family debuts infant formula modeled after breast milk". New Hope Network. 2017-05-18. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  19. Family, Happy. "Happy Family Introduces Unprecedented Infant Feeding Support Platform With Premium Products And Expert Resources". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  20. "How This Daughter of Immigrants Went From Living in a Hotel to Commanding a National Baby Food Empire Worth $150 Million". Inc.com. 2017-06-14. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  21. Savchuk, Katia. "Shazi Visram On Building A Multimillion-Dollar Business And Work-Family Balance (It Doesn't Exist)". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  22. School, Columbia Business. "Board of Overseers". Columbia Business School. Retrieved 2017-10-17.
  23. "Being Mama: Shazi Visram". Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  24. "Mom + Friends: Happy Family Brands Founder, Shazi Visram Is An Autism Mama We Love". WOLF + FRIENDS. Retrieved 2017-10-16.
  25. "Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Is the Latest Executive to Take Parental Leave (and More Will Follow)". Inc.com. 2017-08-31. Retrieved 2017-10-17.
  26. Yi, Jae (2016-07-11). "Thinking Beyond the Jar". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  27. "Happy Family co-founder has reason to smile". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  28. School, Columbia Business. "Shazi Visram". Columbia Business School. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  29. "Happy Family Founder and CEO Shazi Visram Honored as Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum". Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  30. "2016 Stevie Award Winners | Stevie Awards". stevieawards.com. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  31. yz (2015-09-25). "Honorees". Centennial Dinner. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  32. "The 20 Most Influential Moms of 2017". Family Circle. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  33. "How can a baby food company change the world?". Quartz. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  34. "Staying Happy: The Shift From Founder to Funder – B the Change". B the Change. 2016-12-05. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
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