The Founders' Story: It Started with A Seed
As told by Vivify's Chief Executive Officer, Marc Dahan
It all began on a hot summer day in 2016 at Montefiore Hospital in The Bronx. I had been slated to start production on a line of nutritious beverages based on ancient Native American remedies when I was introduced to Dr. Robert J Ostfeldt. Dr. Ostfeldt is a cardiologist and the founder and director of the Montefiore Cardiac Wellness Program pioneering a Plant-Based Nutrition (PBN) diet for cardiac patients in post-surgery recovery. It was my mission to pick his brain. Little did I know, that this visit would provide me with a seed of information that would change my initial business plan as I knew it.
The Montefiore Cardiac Wellness Program confirmed what similar studies conducted across Europe had already done, that patients recovering from any surgery on a PBN diet recovered twice as fast as patients on an animal-based diet (i.e., dairy and meat). I became utterly inspired. If consuming certain nutrients could hasten post-surgery recovery time and drastically improve health, imagine what it could do for consumers as a whole! How could the benefits of the PBN-diet be brought to consumers on a grand scale?
The Pawnee Seed Preservation Project in Nebraska and Oklahoma is such a project that is successfully bringing back ancient seeds and their produce rich in micronutrients with all their health benefits. I am proud to say that I have been a proud supporter of this project for the last four years and that Vivify supports with a grant for a Masters’ at the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL) one of the Pawnee Nation’s members. This unique project has guided me in formulating more transparent seed-to-table practices, with the help of our super tech team (you can learn more about the Pawnee Seed Preservation Project here). We also identified the fostering of partnerships with academic institutions (UNL) for certifying micronutrient analysis of Vivify produce as a crucial step in developing the seed-to-table model in a scalable fashion. And today, I work with farmers just like you to seed the future of sustainable agriculture with nutritious, productive seeds that boast transparent practices and traceability from seed to table.
The Vivify Vision is amplified by my co-founder, David Benattar’s expertise in the realm of sustainability...
Seeding Sustainability: Vivify's Co-Founder & Chief Sustainability Officer, David Benattar
My inspiration to join Marc as a co-founder on Vivify's non-executive advisory board stemmed from my desire to support farmers in growing healthier, tastier produce that consumers would love to eat. I aim to help create a more resilient and beneficial industry by ensuring viability at every level of business, focusing on sustainability leadership to seed a healthy, resilient economy that offers a better quality of life for all.
Learn More About Vivify’s Vision, Mission & Values.
Seed the Future with Vivify Seeds
Ready to grow your bottom line and contribute to a healthier way of life? It all starts at the seed. Seed the future with Vivify.
