Kate Stoddard – Startup Community – Power List

Idaho native Kate Stoddard is a writer, scientist and river guide who wove together her passions for nature and the nourishment it provides by launching Orchestra Provisions, a maker of protein-based superfood powders that support regenerative agriculture (designed to require less water, arable land and feed).

Stoddard said her career as a wilderness river guide instilled “a keen sense of stewardship and duty to protect and educate people about the importance of wild, natural spaces.” She holds a bachelor’s degree from Montana State University – Bozeman and earned a master’s degree in nutrition science from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon.

It was while Stoddard was researching lifecycle nutrition and iron deficiency anemia that she discovered the story of individuals in tribal communities in Zimbabwe who ate grubs that were incredibly rich in heme-iron, and when dehydrated, very shelf stable. That research led her to studies on the viability and sustainability of feeding billions of people with insect protein, and she soon began to incorporate insects into her diet.

In 2018, Stoddard launched woman-owned Orchestra Provisions, which is “dedicated to mending broken food systems through entomophagy.” This, Stoddard said, can be achieved by eating insects.

Orchestra Provisions’ protein powders have been described by online customers as the best tasting protein powders on the market. The company also sells a variety of global seasonings and spices, all made with natural, whole ingredients. Over the past few years, due to serious business growth and success, Stoddard brought on a co-founder, Beppe Amodio, to help advance the company further.