Jody Kozlow Gardner
Investor + Brand Strategist
Early and mid-stage food investing
With a passion for start-ups, Jody founded Graze in early 2019 to focus on seed and early growth funding in the food space. Working primarily with woman-owned businesses, Graze focuses on brands that embody the perfect balance of the right product + the right design, backed up by a dedication to sustainability. As an investor, Jody offers expertise gained from creating & later selling her own fashion start-up. That experience, combined with her expertise in food & nutrition, offers founders the ability to collaborate on branding, growth strategies, design & retail in the plant-based food and wellness arena.
Current portfolio includes: Matchaful, Havens Kitchen, Golde, Wooden Spoon, Great Jones, AKUA kelp burgers, Upward Farms, Chillhouse & BODY vodka.
About
Jody spent the early part of her career in fashion where she co-founded Belly Basics. Based on a little white box with four black pieces called The Pregnancy Survival Kit, Belly Basics revolutionized the maternity scene and quickly rocketed to fame as a global brand and industry leader. The Pregnancy Survival Kit was sold in department stores on four continents. The collection expanded to include a full collection of clothing, accessories and beauty. Jody co-authored the definitive book in style Pregnancy Chic which was published by Random House.
Plant-based healthy eating has been a lifelong commitment. She enrolled in NYU's prestigious Food Studies & Nutrition graduate program in 2016 and founded Graze Investing in 2019.
Jody received her MA in Food & Nutrition from NYU in May 2020 and her BA from The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Plant based gospel:- - don’t get stuck labeling your diet. It’s far too restricting. We are all one big science experiment anyway.
- -my favorite restaurants are actually steakhouses; the sides are fantastic.
- -protein is easy to find, so stop worrying about it.
- -juice cleanses are mostly unnecessary.
- -raw veggies are just too hard to digest.
- -salads are ok at lunch; very unfulfilling at dinner
- -bread & pasta are a must in a plant-based diet
- -organic, pasture-raised eggs can be hugely satisfying
- -eating plant-based may/may not save your life, but it will save our planet.
I'm a plant-based eater that hates the label vegan.
Though plant-based everywhere & anywhere, I favor the vibe of a place first & foremost. Usually, this means picking a spot with the right energy, whether it's veg friendly or not, and taking it from there. You'd be surprised at what you can find. Veg out anywhere.Instagram: @veg_out_nyc
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