Food: Sarah Michelle Gellar and Galit Laibow, Foodstirs

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Food List Here.

Having a wholesome Foodstirs fight. 

“I hope to see more women supporting other women. I have always believed that when women work together we can do anything. So often we are pitted against each other instead of remembering we are a big tribe.” Sarah M. Gellar

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Galit Laibow, cofounders of baking startup Foodstirs, are proving they’re as equipped in the startup world as they are in the kitchen. Even better perhaps.

Inspired by their children and the desire for a product that would enable to connect with them in “meaningful, wholesome way,” the two set about reinventing the baking category with organic, clean quick-scratch mixes that taste better than anyone could imagine. “It's no easy feat, but we WILL make it happen!” exclaims Galit. 

Working in Hollywood from age Sarah developed a thick skin, but that doesn’t make her immune to the struggles of the startup founder and she says that in the last five years she’s developed an. “My career has shifted drastically,” she says, something “that has certainly taken some adjustment. At my age it would have been so easy to just stay and continue an already successful career, but instead I took the leap and try something I had never done before. It’s been exciting, scary, rewarding and quite the adventure.” 

"So often women are pitted against each other instead of remembering we are a big tribe.”

Tweet this.

As for her work wife, partner Galit Laibow, Sarah says, “I am so fortunate to be on this adventure with the best female partner anyone could ever ask for. To stand by someone in the trenches everyday who understands the struggle of working, and being a good and present wife and mother is everything to me.” 

Galit feels similarly explaining that she’s been lucky to work alongside people she respects. “Sarah has the most innovative ideas and is the craftiest person I know,” calling her a "powerhouse" she admires. 

But Galit doesn’t shy from the fact that conflict is a part of the creative process. "Our brand would never be where it's today if we had agreed with each other 100% of the time," she says. "At the end of the day, we share the same goal: to create a thriving, successful company that embodies key values we can stand behind.”

It’s a healthy approach to their rollercoaster journey. “For every five lows,” says Galit, “there's a high point that makes it all worth it. And it's those challenges that make the success that much sweeter.” 

Sarah says she likes to add "for now" to the end of sentences. "To remind myself that whatever struggle I am currently going through will pass.” Elaborating, “You can't ask other people to believe in you, unless you do.”

“You can't ask other people to believe in you, unless you do.”

Tweet this. 

Reading is Sarah’s escape. Galit jokes that she doesn't’ have time for anything else. Both admit they’d be totally lost without coffee. “We recently got an espresso machine in the office,” says Galit. “It was a very exciting day!” 

Each woman is committed to work, each other, and their families. Sarah’s goal is “to be able to bring Foodstirs worldwide. And while I am doing that, to still have the same amount of time to give to my family.”

“At this point, everyone in our family is Foodstirs-focused,” says Galit. “My daughters serve as our official ‘recipe-testers.’"

It’s a rewind to wholesome that seamlessly incorporates the digital subscription model. “I believe we have a product that is bigger than just baking,” explains Sarah. “It’s about time and experience. It’s about creating memories that last a lifetime.”

Sarah Michelle Gellar Talks Transitioning From Hollywood to Startup Founder

photo credit: Kelley Raye.

Successful women from different careers who now run a startup. 

That’s the story behind Sarah Michelle Gellar and Galit Laiblow co-founders of Foodstirs who took the Create & Cultivate stage this past Saturday in Atlanta to an audience of over 500 attendees. They talked a lot about taking the concept from idea to reality, overcoming doubt, as well as shifting out of their previous roles. 

‘Part of being an entrepreneur,” admits Laibow, who ran a successful PR firm or 12 years, “is not being afraid.”

They made the jump after shopping for ingredients for a baking play date with their kids. “Ingredients,” says Gellar, “that had more consonants than vowels.” Thus, Foodstirs was born and switch into roles that hadn’t previously imagined for themselves. 

“As an actor I’ve watched my industry change,” Gellar explains. “When I started you were either a movie actress or a television actress or you were serious and you did theater; the three didn’t meet anywhere. Then it changed and people realized you could jump from medium to medium.” She was looking for something else when the opportunity arose. ‘Ways,” she says, “[I] could still innovate and still be creative. Also, I’m a mom now, I have two young kids at young and I don’t want to be working 19 hour days and not see my children.”

“Even when you’re a producer you still have other people to answer to. It’s not necessarily the product you intended to make. What I’ve loved,” she says about her new role as founder, “is that now when we have an idea, what you’re seeing is everything we wanted it to be, because it's up to us and only us. It’s our battle to win. It’s so satisfying in a way I’d never experienced and it’s using my reach and creativity in a new way.” 

"What you’re seeing is everything we wanted it to be, because it's up to us and only us."

Tweet this. 

As for the partnership Laibow says she was hesitant to partner with a “celebrity.” Having come from the PR world she knew that celebrity doesn’t give a brand a fast-track to success; sometimes it's the opposite. “There are so many celebrities putting their names on things and the consumer is much more savvy. I did have a lot of reservations. I knew that if we did have a celebrity it had to be someone who was really passionate. Sarah and I had many late nights talking about it and she really believed it in. She’s a real co-founder. We both invested our own money and time and we don’t get paid right now.” 

“It’s been fascinating,” says Gellar, “you think we would have each just done what we’re good at; it doesn’t work like that. In the beginning there were days when it was just us. Neither of us knew how to HTML code so I went and learned how to HTML code our emails. They were maybe not the best or the most professional, but that’s how you start and that’s how you learning.” 

“Fail is the first attempt in learning. I don’t see failure as a bad thing. I see it as exercise. When you exercise,” adds Gellar, “you want to work out until your muscle fails so that it grows bigger and stronger. To me those are the steps in learning. That thought in your head is invaluable.”

"Fail is the first attempt in learning."

Tweet this. 

“I always wanted the brand to stand on its own,” Gellar says, “I’m not the face of the brand, but I am the co-founder. At the end of the day you want the brand to be bigger than the person. I don’t want to first thing you think of to be me, I want the first thing you think is ‘Wow! That tastes really good.’”

MORE FROM OUR BLOG

Food Intentions: How Sarah Michelle Gellar Went From Hwood to Foodie

Food is one powerful force. It's tied to memory. It's hands-on. And it connects people. It's something 1/3 of the Foodstirs co-founders Galit Lebow knows well. "I remember the homemade cinnamon raisin kugel that grandmother would make for us on special holidays," she says. "I remember running into the house and we knew grandma was over. She passed away last year and it’s one of my goals to learn how to make it! I miss the smell." 

The other 2/3 of the e-commerce baking company that delivers creative baking kits and mixing to your home are Sarah Michelle Gellar and Gia Russo.  

Each woman brings something different to the table of the company that is "reinventing the baking category" and "intends to give consumers an opportunity to be creative and share their experience." We caught up with Foodstirs to talk all things baking and business in anticipation of #CreateCultivateATL where all three will be keynoting in conversation with Self magazine's entertainment director Rebecca Sinn. 

Founders and CEOs often talk about the “problem” their company will solve. What “problem” is Foodstirs trying to solve? 

Foodstirs is reinventing the baking category. We are offering a clean and green better tasting baking experience that is high quality, tastes amazing, and most importantly is accessible. There is nothing in the marketplace like us that exists right now. We see a huge opportunity to revolutionize the baking aisle and re-traditionalize home baking. 

Moreover what is the ‘why’ of your brand?  

Most of us are consumed by our digital devices, we're always on and always connected. Yet somehow because of this we often feel disconnected with our loved ones. We are so busy in our everyday lives that we are doing more but experiencing less. We wanted to create a product that gives you that time to spend with your family and friends - connecting, sharing and experiencing. We believe the act of preparing and enjoying food together has incredible power. Foodstirs allows us to connect effortlessly and create meaningful memories. 

You were part of Mucker Lab, an accelerator based in Santa Monica. We’ve talked to female entrepreneurs before about the benefits of being in an accelerator. What was your experience? 

We have had a great experience. We knew we wanted to launch an e-commerce site with a subscription component  but we did not have a tech background. We decided to surround ourselves with e-commerce advisors and investors that could help. Our good friend  of ours had been part of Mucker accelerator and recommended we take a meeting. We have a ton of respect for the founders of Mucker capital, Erik Ranalla & Will Hsu. They are smart investors who saw a unique opportunity that was a little out of their wheelhouse. They took a chance on 3 female entrepreneurs with an idea for a baking brand and we will be forever grateful for their early support. They have been super helpful to our business by offering resources, advice and mentorship. We have also met fellow start up founders in the program who are very collaborative. It’s a fun environment. 

Why was it the right decision for Foodstirs? 

We had big ideas and a big plan that involved an e-commerce subscription business that none of us had experience in. We believed that an accelerator would help guide us through the initial start up process and get us focused on the right things. We have been able to gain access to a network of amazing entrepreneurs and executives who we have built great relationships and have helped us execute more effectively. 

"There is nothing in the marketplace like us that exists right now."

Tweet this.

Have you heard of the Rule of Three? It’s a concept in writing that says things that are presented in threes are more interesting, enjoyable, and memorable. Any thoughts on this as it pertains to having three founders? 

We all have different strengths that compliment each other. Galit is the operator and visionary, Gia is the product innovator, and Sarah is our brand ambassador and creative officer. We share the same vision and passion. We sometimes agree to disagree but that's what makes it special. We respect each other. I have the best job in the world because we get to work with my close friends. 

For female founders looking to raise capital, when you walk into a room of investors what are you thinking? How would you say your first meeting went compared to a later one? 

Well first, we usually walk into a room of all male investors and we are 3 females selling a baking mix company. We knew it was going to be a challenge to sell them on this vision but luckily we have found amazing investors who believe in what we are doing and see the opportunity to disrupt a sleepy category. Sarah and I had our first investor meeting at a coffee house back in March and it was a disaster. We didn’t really know what to expect and probably weren’t as prepared as we should have been but it was a great lesson. We keep in contact with the investment fund and recently got a second chance to pitch them as we are currently in the process of raising another round. It was a much better presentation and we all laugh about it now.

With Sarah as the brand ambassador what challenges are you facing? People assume having a celebrity as the face of a company makes it easier, but in what ways is this not the case? 

Having a celebrity as part of the start up comes with great advantages but also challenges. We have found that people sometimes don’t believe that Sarah is as involved in the day-to-day. She actually does come into the office everyday and even answers customer service calls. We are focused on producing the highest quality product and best experience. We take pride in what we have created and having an amazing partner who is also a celebrity allows us to amplify our message and get our story out there. 

I’m pretty useless in the kitchen, but have a three-year-old and would love to bake with her. Why does Foodstirs make sense for me? Why does it make sense for her? 

We created Foodstirs to make it simple and convenient for the modern parent to create a traditional home baking experience with their families and friends.  We were inspired by our children and longing for a product that’s high quality made up of simple and delicious ingredients that allows us to spend quality time with family. Our mixes and baking kits are less than 6 easy steps - we call it quick scratch baking.  

Among the three, who is the best chef? Who is the worst? 

Gia is definitely the best chef, she grew up in an Italian household. She has also written three cookbooks! We go to her house when we want an amazing homemade meal. 

What is a meaningful experience you each remember in the kitchen?

Galit: I have three sisters and both my pretend worked full time. We did not spend a lot of time in the kitchen, although we had dinner as a family every night. We had this amazing recipe for a sugar cookie with homemade frosting. Every Valentine’s Day we would make these cookies together - it was one of the few times we did not fight, we just had fun! We would frost, decorate and share them with the neighborhood. They were the best tasting cookies and more importantly, the inspiration for our amazing organic sugar cookie mix and frosting. Now I get to make it with my kids every weekend! 

Why do you think there is such a tie between food and good memories? 

Food just brings people together - it makes us happy. Everyone has a memory of favorite dish or recipe from when they were young.  We hope to provide a product that gives you that opportunity to easily create your own food memories with your family and friends. 

Why do each of you want to be a part of Create & Cultivate? 

We believe in the power of collaboration and creativity. We believe that creativity leads to innovation. It’s important as women business leaders that we support each other and learn from each other.  Our website has tons of recipe inspiration using our base mixes and we encourage our Foodstirs community to share their own. We love looking at the thousands of social posts of customers sharing their creations.