How the founder behind the latest Girl Scout Cookie jolted an industry

A tough day definitely deserves a cookie. But for one founder, a cookie was only the beginning of a tough journey — one that ultimately led to more cookies for more people.

Denise Woodward's road to success began in the back of her SUV, where she launched Partake Foods. She's since overcome funding challenges, landing her products in over 11k+ stores and partnered with the Girl Scouts to offer an allergy-friendly vegan cookie, per Inc.

Inspiration at home

After her daughter Vivienne was diagnosed with food allergies, Woodward was inspired to fill a void of delicious, allergen-friendly snacks. She launched the company in the wee hours before her corporate gig at Coca-Cola.

Woodward hustled cookies out of her SUV around NYC in 2016, bootstrapping Partake, before quitting her job.

Funding became an obstacle as Woodward was rejected — 86 times — for ever-shifting reasons. Until the first big yes came from Jay-Z co-founded Marcy Venture Partners.

• First Black founder to raise $1m for a consumer packaged goods (CPG) food brand.
• $4.8m Series A funding included Rihanna and H.E.R.
• $30m+ raised to date
• Certified B Corporation in 2023.
• Now carried nationwide, including Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, and Kroger.
• Partnered with major brands — Ben & Jerry's, DoubleTree, and American Airlines — and non-profits.

Partake Foods includes a lineup of flavors from chocolate chip to snickerdoodle, plus mini cookies. All are free from the top nine allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, wheat, milk, soy, fish, shellfish, and sesame.

Partake's inclusivity extends beyond cookies

As a Black Korean-American woman, Woodward has also inspired other women of color to launch businesses and built an investor base that is predominantly people of color and a board that is 80% women of color.

• People of color hold just 16% of CPG leadership positions and make up 23% of business founders.
• Women and other historically marginalized people make up 35% of board members in the consumer staples (food) industry.

Most recently, Partake partnered with the Girl Scouts to launch Sparkables, the non-profit's first cookie free of the top nine allergens, which will be available beginning in January 2027.

Now, more of us can enjoy a delicious cookie, thanks to Woodward's dogged determination. (TBH, I plan to enjoy more than one.)