“There wasn’t a time that I don’t remember being part of this industry. I think I was kind of born into it. So my mom started in the industry because my sister had eczema. And so she was finding solutions for my sister, who’s six years older. And then from there, she also fell in love with the industry. So I’ve kind of been around it my entire life,” she said. “But when my own daughter ended up having iron deficiency, it basically pushed me in that direction of going, you need to solve this. You need to solve this now.”
Family remains a strong component of her work, with Vanderhaeghe’s brother being a cofounder and CTO of Kidstar Nutrients.
“I actually really like working with family. The one thing about working with family is that they always show up.”
Having launched in early 2020 amid pandemic challenges, the family-run business successfully pivoted their strategy, turning obstacles into opportunities for growth. Vanderhaeghe emphasized the importance of trust and adaptability and increased consumer focus on health.
After pitching KidStar on the Dragon’s Den (the Canadian version of Shark Tank), she got a call back. Vanderhaeghe shared insights on pitching to investors and offered encouragement to women entrepreneurs navigating funding obstacles, highlighting the significance of quality in nutritional products for children. Despite receiving multiple offers and a handshake deal, she chose not to partner with the dragons, prioritizing the right fit over immediate funding
“There’s a multitude of reasons why I didn’t [move forward]. But ultimately, I’m very happy it didn’t because by the time the handshake happened and then the episode aired, our company was already doing better. And once the episode did air, of course, it was even better for us.”
