News — Vegan

Many entrepreneurs would grab a $1 million investment opportunity from any credible investor. But that was not the case for Deborah Torres when angel investor Mark Cuban offered to invest in her fried chicken company, Atlas Monroe.

Torres had appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank in 2019 to pitch her company for investment and was offered $1 million for 100% of the company. However, she refused the investment because Cuban and guest investor Rohan Oza’s offer did not reflect the true value of her company.

“The fact you guys are even offering a million dollars lets me know you do understand what we are worth,” Torres said on the show.

CNBC quoted her as saying, “As soon as we get our facility, we will fulfill the orders and hit a million dollars immediately.”

“We walked away from a million dollars, and we’re walking into $24 million. We know we have something really extraordinary in our hands,” she said at the time.

Since then, her company has made giant strides in the food industry. Atlas Monroe is set to become the largest vegan fried chicken company in the world. This comes as the company recently acquired its own multi-million-dollar manufacturing plant at a two-story, 10,000-square-foot warehouse in San Diego, CA, VegNews reported. The company is eyeing a second location this year after exceeding $2 million in online sales since Torres appeared on the show.

Since the groundbreaking sales, the company now sells a range of vegan meat substitutes including deep-fried turkey, ribs, bacon, beef, and fried chicken.

Meanwhile, Torres has accused ‘Shark Tank’ of not fairly representing her on the show. “On [Shark Tank] there were many edits of conversations to make it appear that I wasn’t intelligent enough for obvious dramatic effects of the ‘shocking’ ending. I was completely blindsided when it aired and had no idea the effect it would have on my life,” the California entrepreneur told VegNews.

“I mean, if we are going to talk about it honestly, just imagine being a Black woman in America graduating high school at age 15 and receiving your first degree at 17 all to be made to look like an idiot on national television for the sake of views, when you were just trying to pursue your dreams—it was crushing, to say the least. I think God works in mysterious ways because what was meant to harm me propelled me to where I am today—the proud and sole owner of the world’s largest vegan fried chicken manufacturing company and 100-percent owner of a multi-million dollar manufacturing facility.”

According to CNBC, Torres was inspired to develop her plant-based food after her father was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. The move was to develop a healthy lifestyle among her family.

“My whole family and I went on a raw, vegan, and organic diet for 90 days. We grew really ‘hangry’ at each other from just eating salads and fruit salads,” Torres said. “After the 90 days, [my father] was completely healed. We vowed to stay organic, plant-based, and natural. We continued to experiment, and Atlas Monroe was born.”

Vegan entrepreneur Babette Davis proves that anything is possible at any age. The 70-year-old chef has been a vegan for over twenty-five years. Davis uses her vegan lifestyle to share powerful self-love tips that help women around the world enjoy healthier lives.

On her birthday last year, Davis posted fitness photos on Instagram to “admire, inspire and realize how incredibly intelligent the human body is and how it will ALWAYS respond to self-care and LOVE!”

The Bathing Suit Photoshoot

Davis turned 70-years-old in December. To celebrate, she decided to do a black bathing suit photoshoot.

“Well, my daughter had sent some photos of she and myself. I must have been in my early forties, maybe late thirties and I noticed that I hadn’t really changed very much aesthetically,” Davis told Yahoo Life. “I thought, well, for my 70th birthday, I’m gonna do a photoshoot in a bathing suit.”

Davis engaged more than 100,000 followers on Instagram in her “Seven at Seventy” photo series. The overwhelming responses confirmed one thing: Davis is the definition of goals for women of all ages.

“I have so much to be grateful for. I am healthier now than I was when I was thirty and my lifestyle is conducive to maintaining health! My heart is filled with love and appreciation for LIFE ALL LIFE!” Babette shared on Instagram.

Transitioning to a Vegan Lifestyle

Davis is making major moves in her career and isn’t showing signs of slowing down. She’s a fitness expert, motivational speaker, and world-class chef. Davis is embracing every moment as a 70-year-old vegan entrepreneur.

“People get depressed about their age, but I’m so excited about every age I am. What’s the next thing I’m going to be able to do?” Babette shares. “Am I going to be able to defy some odds? What am I going to be able to do at 75? Retire?”

Davis gives credit to her vegan food choices for the life she enjoys today. After eating a meal made by her husband, she was instantly inspired to commit to vegan foods. Now, she helps others be more intentional about their food choices through her books, online recipes, and social media motivation.

Maintaining Healthy Habits

Numerous articles prove that successful people commit to a morning routine. Davis is no different. She often shares the benefits of having an active lifestyle.

Davis wakes up at 2 am and commits to frequent workouts around 3 am. Then she starts her day at her California-based restaurant, Stuff I Eat. This restaurant specializes in vegan, organic, and eco-friendly foods.

Davis has made health a part of her lifestyle by becoming a vegan entrepreneur. She started off selling vegan items on a cart outdoors. Her food was a hit, forcing her to expand to a physical restaurant location. Over twelve years later, her restaurant is still going strong even throughout the COVID-pandemic. The combination of her nutritional foods and motivational messages have kept customers tuned in.

“We want to look good for as long as possible, but we need to care for ourselves and we need to stop comparing ourselves to other people,” says Davis.