Vincent Kitirattragarn, 31, launched Dang Foods in 2012 after his mother gave him a recipe for Miang Kum, a Northern Thai dish that requires toasted coconut. His company is named for his mother, whose name is popular among women in Thailand and is also the Thai word for the color red. Kitirattragarn, a New York City native, started his career researching environmentally and socially beneficial products for the City of New York. He moved to the Bay Area to work with GoodGuide, a natural product ratings company headed by a UC Berkeley professor. His product, Dang Coconut Chips, is sold in 7,000 locations around the United States, including Whole Foods, Target, Kroger, Safeway, Stop n’ Shop, The Fresh Market, Sprouts and elsewhere.

What inspired you all to create this company?
Growing up between NYC & Bangkok, I grew up eating differently. I created Dang, – แดง , named after my Mom – to share uniquely Asian-American snacks with the flavors and ingredients I love.

What distinguishes your company and product in the market?
We’re the biggest Asian-American packaged snack company, and the only one creating snacks for and by the Asian-American community. We also focus on low-sugar, non-gmo, gluten-free, and vegan options.