From Corporate Law to Conscious Meals w/ Ashwin Cheriyan
From Billion-Dollar Deals to 23 Million Plant-Based Meals
December 5th, 2024 • 5 min read
Ashwin Cheriyan isn’t your average CEO. He’s a visionary, a problem-solver, and a relentless force behind the plant-based movement. As Co-Founder and CEO of Thistle, Ashwin has turned a cold-pressed juice pop-up into a thriving subscription service delivering over 23 million plant-forward meals to customers across the country.
Planting the Seeds of Change
Born into a family of physicians, Ashwin grew up hearing stories about how diet and lifestyle choices could profoundly impact long-term health. These early conversations sparked a curiosity that stayed with him, eventually driving his decision to leave a successful career in corporate law to pursue something more personal: building a company that helps people make healthier choices for themselves and the planet.
“We care deeply about the health of a population as it relates to what they put in their body three times a day, as well as encouraging people to eat more plants and reduce their demand for animal products for planetary reasons,” Ashwin shared at the FounderMade Innovation Show.
Catering to the Flexitarian Future
The rise of plant-based eating has fueled Thistle’s growth, and the numbers speak volumes. “When we launched, about 80% of the products we sold included meat as an add-on option,” Ashwin explained. “Fast forward 11 years later that ratio has completely switched, and in fact about 80% of the products we sell are entirely vegetarian or vegan'.” This dramatic shift isn’t just about customer preferences — it reflects the growing recognition among flexitarians of the health and environmental benefits of a plant-forward diet.
At Thistle, flavor is key to making that shift possible. As Ashwin put it, “You can explain all of the functional benefits until you’re blue in the face - if the product doesn’t taste great, you’re probably not going to keep your customer.”
Thistle’s Trials and Triumphs
Building Thistle hasn’t been without its challenges. “We have had many periods where it wasn’t clear whether we were going to make it to the end of the month,” Ashwin admitted. Over the company’s 11-year journey, its survival often hinged on strong relationships with key partners; relationships that were built on trust, not contracts. “The only reason that in many of those cases we did [make it] is because someone decided to stand up for us and say, ‘That’s a payment that I can take a few months later,’ or ‘Here’s an infusion of much-needed capital because I believe in what you’re building,’” Ashwin shared.
He emphasized that these partnerships aren’t just about choosing the lowest price or the shiniest option, they’re about trust and shared values. “Fundamentally, that relationship isn’t built because you have a strong contract in place,” he said. “It’s built because that person trusts you, you’ve put in the face time, and that you’ve conveyed that if they were on the other side of the coin, you would be there for them as well.”
The Daily Dose of Determination
Ashwin credits his personal mindset for helping Thistle weather these storms. “The single most important decision that I find that I make every morning is deciding explicitly today's not the day I give up,” he said. “If you don’t [give up], then as a founder, you get back to building, and then you’ll be 1% better that day, and that 1% compounds over time. In this game, I think surviving is probably more important than almost anything else.”
Beyond resilience, Ashwin understands that people are the foundation of any successful business. “Get your first five hires absolutely right because that will set the culture for the rest of your business,” he emphasized. By focusing on building the right team from the start, he has created a company culture that supports Thistle’s mission to deliver health and sustainability at scale.
Ashwin Cheriyan has proven that true leadership is about more than just success, it’s about creating lasting impact. Thistle isn’t just feeding people; it’s fueling a movement toward healthier lives and a healthier planet. With Ashwin at the helm, the future of food is looking brighter, more sustainable, and undeniably delicious.
Ready to join the movement? Say goodbye to lunch sadness and hello to meals that are delicious, plant-forward, and planet-friendly. Check out a Thistle subscription today!
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