Denise Woodard, founder and CEO of Partake Foods<\/a>, launched her company in 2016 after her infant daughter ate an innocent-looking snack that resulted in a trip to the emergency room. That\u2019s when Woodard discovered that her daughter was allergic to corn, tree nuts, eggs and bananas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inspired by her daughter\u2019s experience, Woodard\u2014who spent a decade in consumer-packaged goods at various Fortune 100 companies\u2014set out to make delicious snacks accessible to those with allergies. Partake\u2019s first product was allergy-friendly cookies. The brand can now be found in more than 8,000 retailers including Target, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods Market, and the company has expanded its product line to include baking, pancake, and waffle mixes.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPartake came from my frustration that existing allergy-friendly brands focused on what their products were free from,\u201d Woodard says. \u201cI never wanted my daughter (or anyone else!) to feel as though she was relegated to the \u2018safe\u2019 foods. I saw a future where people enjoyed foods that were safer because they enjoyed them, not just because they were an \u2018allergy-friendly\u2019 option.\u201d Woodard\u2019s goal is to make Partake a brand that people can rely on for being inclusive, enjoyed by those with or without food allergies.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America<\/a>, 32 million people in the U.S. have food allergies. The most common food allergies are milk, soy, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. Food allergies affect 1 in 13 children across the country, according to the Centers for Disease and Prevention<\/a>. That\u2019s roughly 8 percent of children, or approximately two students in every classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of Partake\u2019s products are free from peanuts, eggs, dairy, soy, tree nuts, sesame, artificial flavors, GMOs, and artificial preservatives. They are also gluten-free and certified vegan. In fact, the entire manufacturing facility is free of these allergens and ingredients, and the finished products are tested for allergens. <\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/02\/Partake_Denise_Woodard_Office_2021_v1-scaled.jpg\")