By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Petty Harbour businesswoman Li-an Delos Reyes is taking an extra month this summer to explore the area after attending the G20 Young Entrepreneurs' Alliance Summit in Brazil to explore the area and work on business ideas and research.
The summit was held June 12 to 14. Delos Reyes was one of two Newfoundland businesswomen invited to make the trip.
The 37-year-old, who moved from the Philippines to Canada in 2018, is already busy on her second business creation.
"I initially had another business which is also another very niche product, so I think I love niche businesses," she said.
That first business, Milksta, was featured on the Dragon's Den in 2020. It centered on beverages to aid milk production in breastfeeding mothers, an issue with which Delos Reyes herself struggled. Milksta now has investors, and Delos Reyes refers to herself as "just the face of it." She is more involved in and focused on her second business: Brother Sprout.
Delos Reyes said she got the idea while she was transitioning from vegetarianism to veganism. She noticed most vegan products are frozen or refrigerated. This gave her the notion of creating a vegan product that is shelf-stable, an aspect she had also prioritized with Milksta products, which have a shelf-life of about two years. She also wanted to make a product the average person could afford.
"What most vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians are looking for is something that's more affordable," said Delos Reyes.
She incorporated the business in late 2022, and in January of 2023 re-launched it with full branding. The business uses plant-based vegetable protein, which goes toward reducing the environmental impact of animal agriculture.
"I just thought, even with my little contribution, I hope some way we can also make a difference,” Delos Reyes said.
Brother Sprout sells dehydrated vegan-friendly snacks rich in the protein. Most of the products are made to resemble meat but are made of vegetables.
"When I interviewed my customers, I found out that there are moms who are buying it to incorporate in their children's meals," she said.
Campers are also interested in her product, she added, as it doesn’t need to be refrigerated and is high in protein.
Delos Reyes said she is the only vegan amongst her friends. There is often a negative connotation when it comes to veganism, she said, which is something she tries to counter with her products.
"If you look at my packaging, I try to make it look friendly."
Delos Reyes said her goal is to make veganism "less scary and more friendly."
The packaging itself is patterned and colourful. The symbol for the brand is also colourful and pleasant: two potted sprouts — one pot green, one pot blue — with faces, arms, and legs, high-fiving each other. The sprouts represent Delos Reyes' sons, hence the brand name Brother Sprout. Of her sons, Delos Reyes said, "One loves vegetables and the other hates it. And so, the other one who doesn't like vegetables is my tester. I told myself if my picky son likes it, I think other people would like it."
Delos Reyes said her first business gave her a head start with Brother Sprout and the saved her a lot of money. She has not spent anything on marketing or advertising for her second business. She got a Futurpreneur loan of $20,000, which she put towards her inventory. She describes herself as Brother Sprout's Chief Everything Officer. Her family members help with the business; her husband helps with shipping and logistics and her oldest son helps with marketing by taking photos and videos. "I would treat this like a family business, I would say, everyone's involved, although I'm the one really running it," she said.
Delos Reyes said she was excited to find out she was going to the G20 YEA Summit, which is taking place in Goiânia, Brazil.
"It's a coincidence,” she said. “It's where I gave birth to my second son. Like, of all the places in the world! Because that's where my husband is from."
The summit involved industry visits, and Delos Reyes said she tried to register for everything. "I like seeing what happens behind the scenes," she said. "That's where you would learn a lot."
Delos Reyes did not attend business school and said that with her first business, if there was something she was unsure of, she would ask another entrepreneur for their advice.
Her main goal for Brother Sprout is Canadian expansion. She would like it to remain a family business and is not planning to get any investors. An element she didn't like about getting investors for her first business was that every decision she wanted to make had to be run by them for approval first. With Brother Sprout, if she wants to do something, she can go ahead and do it.
"It's so easy,” said Delos Reyes. “I don't have to wait for days, sometimes weeks. And I love the freedom that I can do anything that I want. And of course, this is my personal vision and mission, and nobody's going to say no to whatever I want
Both Delos Reyes' first and second businesses focused on things that were necessities in her own life. "If I am going to work with something that I am passionate about, it doesn't feel like working," she said. "I'm more excited. Even though I'm so stressed, even though there's lots of things that are going on, I'm smiling… That's the most rewarding part. You're doing something that you love."
