FoundHER Blending Culture and Nutrition

“It's about deeply caring about what we're eating, what we're giving to our kids, and what we’re feeding our next generation.”- Mika Shino

Established in 2022 by first-generation Japanese entrepreneur, Mika Shino, Issei Mochi Gummies embraces the ancient Japanese tradition of mochi, a beloved rice-based treat with centuries of history. These delicious, chewy treats are crafted with a commitment to all-natural ingredients — devoid of GMOs, animal-derived gelatin, and artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors. The first of its kind, Issei Mochi Gummies debuted exclusively with Whole Foods Market in September 2022. Recognized for its commitment to excellence, Issei Mochi Gummies was nominated for Best of 2022 Nosh Award, named 2022 Disruptor and Innovator of the Year by Washington Life Magazine and became a Finalist as Best New Sweet Snack 2023 for the Nexty Awards at ExpoWest. Issei’s mission is simple: to innovate better food options for a happier, healthier life, ensuring everyone can enjoy delicious snacks that align with their values. 

Issei Mochi Gummies began as a simple homemade snack that Mika was making for her kids and friends. Weary of the ingredients in the various gummy snacks and candies her children often asked for, Mika sought to create a snack that did not have excessive sugar, artificial flavors, chemical stabilizers, and animal byproducts. The more she learned about how gelatin was the foundation of most chewy snacks, and the more she learned where gelatin came from (boiled animal skin), the more she was convinced that there had to be better options for treats. So she created a simple, pure, and natural snack — small bite-sized versions of the mochi treat she grew up with in Japan — infused with natural flavors. Her kids loved it. Their friends loved it. And Mochi Gummies were born. Issei, a woman-owned and minority-owned company, is driven by a mission of innovation and cultural heritage. The term “Issei” means ‘first generation Japanese immigrants in the U.S.’ 

Can you share the background for Mochi Gummies and the term “Issei”?

 Issei is a specific term for first generation Japanese immigrants in the U.S.. It’s a very  important word for my community. I chose to use this word for our brand to share cultural pride, the heritage of immigrants from all over, and all the beautiful things that we have to offer.

Inspired by your Japanese heritage, Issei started to provide your boys with a healthy alternative to gelatin-based candies in the market today. How has this demonstrated commitment to familial values shaped the culture and mission of Mochi Gummies?

The why of this entire journey has really defined our company values. I was really frustrated by the kind of candies offered to my two boys. When I started, they loved sour patch, gummy bears, and all kinds of chewy candies.

And I love candies too, I grew up eating a ton of candy from Japan. I'm not against sugar, but I'm against junk. I was not a fan of the artificial colors, artificial flavors, emulsifiers, chemical stabilizers, and especially gelatin, that was the basis of all these chewy candies.

It was infuriating to know that so many candies full of junk are marketed towards kids, even though the producers of these candies know what kind of ingredients are put into them. A lot of the artificial colors have been associated with attention problems and hyperactivity and many are banned in Europe. Gelatin is an animal derived ingredient made with boiled pig skin and bones. So, having grown up in Japan eating mochis, which is a sacred Rice cake, I knew that there was a way to make something chewy with rice flour and not gelatin. I started to bake these in my own kitchen and tweaked the traditional recipe - that's how Issei Mochi Gummies was born.

It's about deeply caring about what we're eating, what we're giving to our kids, and what we're feeding our next generation. 

I also created this brand to enhance and encourage cultural pride. Growing up in New Jersey, where we were the only Japanese family, we had to drive two hours away to get Japanese goods. And if we did find Japanese or Asian goods, they were always hidden in the ethnic aisle in the supermarkets.

These mochi gummies represent my heritage and my kids’ heritage. And today we're on the shelves at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Raley's on the candy aisle. Infusing diversity and inclusion as well as the “Clean Label Promise” are both things that have been really fundamental to our mission.

There’s a lot of intersectionality between these topics but how has your work for the United Nations and different industries like culture, music, writing, arts, shaped your approach to entrepreneurship?

I've had a lot of pivots in my career. I was always driven by my curiosity and my hope to express myself creatively. All of these experiences have shaped who I am and what I'm able to do today. I think if I didn't try all the things that I wanted to try out, it would have been challenging to have the experience for a startup.

I think generally, in society, people think that you must do one thing and you must do that for a long time or forever. But I think there's nothing wrong in starting a new page because you're always building yourself and learning, changing and shifting in your interests and goals.

My career and the pivots I have taken have always been about taking on the challenges, problem solving, improvising, and taking risks. So that really cultivated me into who I am. But I think one of the biggest things that I carry with me now is the importance of creating a non-toxic workspace. Even though we're a tiny team, we still talk about our energy and the company culture all the time. I think a lot of companies make a mission statement, put it on the wall and then forget about it, but it's something that has to be nurtured.

I care about creating a company culture that creates value and gives people, especially women, a seat at the table.

Did you have people who were doubting you and if so, how did you navigate that?

All the time. It's hard. I'm a very sensitive person, so it is hard to brush things off when you have naysayers and skeptics.

There are people who are going to discourage you from doing what you feel you want to do, but it's kind of a gut feeling, and you have to take those risks and make those decisions.

You have to hone in on your sense of self and not listen to the doubters. It's important to take care of yourself and to nurture what you want to do.

What do you think is the biggest challenge you've encountered? What do you think has been the biggest challenge you've encountered as a female entrepreneur? And what advice do you have for young, aspiring business women who feel underrepresented in this industry?

As a woman, you're facing multiple challenges. From the get-go you'll find yourself to be one of the few, if not the only, women in the room doing what you're trying to do. There are not many female founders. Nor are there a lot of female CEOs, managers, or investors. They say less than 2 percent of investment funding goes to women-led companies. So, you are already at a minority disadvantage. And even more so if you're a woman of color. It feels really daunting and frustrating, but you can use these setbacks as motivation. 

I didn't know anything about the food industry. I didn't know what the industry standards were, and I didn't feel comfortable with the industry experts, brokers, or the other people running it. But I feel like “not knowing”  provided me with so many other opportunities,  because I didn't want to go along with the status quo.

 So, to aspiring young women, I would say you have to just go for it without knowing everything. As women, we often feel like we need all of the qualifications, the experience, and the expertise before launching into something. Sometimes you just have to take the leap of faith and believe that you will find the way. 

How has social media impacted the way you market your product to customers? And how do you know exactly what your target audience wants?

I didn't know very much about social media, but it's been instrumental in understanding who the core fan base or target audiences are. When I created this brand and the products, I was really targeting women like me: mothers who cared about food for their kids.

We ended up getting a lot of feedback through social media from individuals who were not in our expected original core demographic. The people who got the most excited, tweeted, and Instagrammed about it were younger, single women who were fashion and health conscious with a clean aesthetic. So yes, social media has been instrumental in understanding who our main audience is and how to build that community. .

We also think about how we are marketing through our packaging. I wanted something beautiful, and for it to feel like a gift. I thought I wanted to design something that I would feel happy about in my own purse, pulling out at a party, or giving to kids. And so that's really what's driven our design, logo, website, and everything that we do.

Each time we do an expo, it's unbelievable how many women come to us and say, “Wow, this is amazing.” I believe it is because I designed what I would want to see in the market, and it resonates with other women like me. How many CPG products are designed by women, for women? We have honed into this aesthetic, and I am creating what I want for me and my kids and at the same time I have listened to the feedback from the women who follow us.  

QUICK TAKES

When were you like “this is it”?

When we first got our deal with Whole Foods. The fact that they gave us a chance when we hadn't sold a single package of gummies before and they just gave us this incredible opportunity to launch with them in 170 stores.

We won the best female entrepreneur of the year of Stevie's awards for companies under 10 employees. All of that is amazing, but I have doubts every day. Like, what am I doing? Is this crazy? Yeah. So, I don't feel like we're there yet. There’s still so much to do.

Which gummy flavor is your favorite?

We're doing R&D on so many different flavors. But I would say the sour watermelon. We just launched it last month exclusively with  Sprouts. It is difficult to make because you usually can't make something that's a mochi, which is a rice flour based gummy or cake, with something that's acidic because it breaks down the starches. So, the fact that we were able to create that flavor and make it shelf stable is really a huge achievement for us. And it's the same flavor of sour patch that my kids love.

What is your favorite self-care ritual for maintaining a good work life balance?

I'm very simple. I must take a bath no matter how late it is. I'm usually up late because I have partners in Asia. And so, no matter how late it is, I have my bath and take a moment to myself.

What are your top three favorite cuisines?

I love food, it’s so hard to choose but I would say Japanese, Thai, Italian, Nigerian cuisine, and Senegalese food. 

What's the favorite, your favorite country that you've ever visited?

So many places, I have been lucky enough to travel to over 90 countries. But the most memorable, I would say Cuba. They're so restricted and there's a limit to their freedom -economically and physically - but the people are so happy and just full of life. It's a beautiful and powerful place despite all their challenges.