Reflections on Receiving Forbes 30 Under 30 with Our Founders
Last week, our co-founders Yuni Sameshima and Joey Petracca had the incredible honor of being included as part of the Forbes’ 30 Under 30: Class of 2020, in the Retail and Ecommerce category. With over 1,500 applicants for a mere 600 spots on the list, it goes without saying that our founders were overjoyed to be part of the 4% featured.
The list was released Tuesday morning, during our company’s weekly leadership meeting. The team was ecstatic, with Joey and Yuni jumping into a bear hug and our office manager Angela capturing it on camera.
To capture some of the jubilations in blog form, we got our founders’ thoughts on paper. Here’s what they had to say about the exciting moment!
Q: Alright so the cat’s out of the bag, together the two of you were announced as part of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2020 in Retail & Ecommerce! How exciting -- What were your initial reactions?
Yuni: My initial reaction was relief! Everyone knows about this annual list, and it’s been something I’ve dreamed of being a part of for so long. It was so exciting to feel that validation!
Joey: Gratitude. Seriously... it feels incredible to get an award like this after working on Chicory for so many years. It's a real testament not just to Yuni and me but really to the whole company because we would not have achieved what we have so far without every single person at Chicory working hard and believing in this business. I am so grateful that we've been able to keep the company going.
Q: Who was the first person you told when you found out?
Joey: My mom. I needed to call her for another reason right after my first meeting (we found out in the morning during a company leadership meeting) and so I mentioned it to her at the end of our conversation.
Yuni: My brother and my mom!
Q: What would you say are each of your second biggest achievements this year?
Yuni: I took my first real vacation this year after six years of running Chicory!!
Joey: I am most proud of some of the really big partnerships we've been able to land this year -- notably our work with Kitchn (Apartment Therapy Media), Hearst and Kroger. I think the quality of those partnerships is a result of how much we've learned about grocery ecommerce and grocery media in the last five years. Without failing (and learning) as much as we have, I don't think we would have secured these incredible partnerships.
Q: How do you guys see this affecting Chicory’s path and its culture?
Joey: To be honest, I don't. Chicory is Chicory is Chicory. We are a bunch of smart, crazy, weird, passionate people and the company's path is dictated each and every day by the work that we do. That is what matters and what defines the future of Chicory.
Yuni: In my opinion, accolades and honors are a byproduct of building a strong and innovative company. Being a 30 Under 30 honoree is indicative of what we've built so far. But it's only the beginning of our journey and I think that we'll continue on our trajectory and get recognition if we are doing our part to change the grocery industry.
Q: Anyone special you’d like to give a shoutout to?
Joey: My parents. Mark and Terry, I love you guys.
Yuni: This might be cheesy, but I'd like to thank everyone who has been part of the Chicory story. From our early mentors when we were still undergrads, to my mom who let us both use her house as our HQ for 2 years, to all of our amazing employees that work with us every day. History is made through the efforts of many!
Q: So 2020 is right around the corner…. What’s next for Chicory?
Joey: Online grocery finally feels like it's reached a tipping point and Chicory has spent years building a company that puts us in a really cool position to take advantage of those industry changes.
Yuni: Joey’s right; in 2020, we’ll be rolling out some cool new products that make our network of retailers, consumers, publishers and brands to a new level. We’re keeping it a bit under wraps for now, but keep an eye out for the amazing things Chicory will be doing in the next few months!
Interested in learning more about Chicory? Explore our website or send us an email at hello@chicory.co !