Good Innergy Bars are refrigerated snacks bars free of preservatives, refined sugar, seed oils, or anything artificial (they’re also gluten-free and vegan). The seed of this idea was planted 15 years ago. After graduating from Michigan State University, I drove across the country to start my graduate studies in psychology. On the way, I stopped into a Whole Foods, where I first discovered the “Perfect Bar” (one of the first refrigerated protein bars). I was obsessed! As a busy graduate student, as well as someone with dietary sensitivities, I ate one of these bars every single day. I started dreaming about creating my own protein bar – one with even more stringent ingredients, to help serve dietary sensitive and ultra health-conscious individuals like me. But, I was still in graduate school, and didn’t know anything about business. Fast forward, after receiving my Ph.D. and working several years as a professor, clinician, and consultant, my entrepreneurial spirit was re-invigorated when I moved back to Michigan – this time with a clearer vision and relentless determination to offer a unique product that could incorporate my passions, and also do good for the world. The idea? I would create the world’s CLEANEST energy bar that is also focused on supporting the GOOD inside – not just physical, but also mental and spiritual. In a world filled with loneliness, anxiety, and division, “good innergy bars” not only nourish your physical health, but support mental health and interconnection through positive messages and practices that come with each bar. With this funding, we’re able to expand the reach of the bars by improving branding, packaging, and access to the mental health resources that accompany our product.