Meet Kalene McElveen | Tastefull Vegan Owner,

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kalene McElveen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kalene, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
Success is not final and failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts, by Winston Churchill. I truly believe that as we endeavor to grow in business there will be challenges as well as victories. It’s so important not to stay in the moment. I have to remember to not let success dull my momentum nor let the failures make me pause. When we celebrate the victories and learn from the failures, the success we experience will continue and we can use them to help others in hurdles they may experience along their journey.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started out with a degree in Elementary Education from Grand Valley State University but didn’t realize that my educational pursuits would take me out of the classroom and into the kitchen. I went from lesson planning to meal prep plans that I would create for friends and family who wanted to eat healthier. I then launched a Facebook Group in 2018 “Vegan on the Weekend” meant to share recipes, reviews, and cooking tips on plant-based meals. I have always enjoyed cooking for others and have done live cooking demos within my community. When given an opportunity to scale that love of cooking by making a product that I could share with a greater audience, I studied how to do so effectively and during 2020 Tastefull Vegan launched offering naturally sweetened desserts that were free of common allergens such as gluten, dairy, soy, and peanuts.

I believe what sets Tastefull apart is our desire to bring options to a group of people who’ve often had none. Since my background has been plantbased since childhood and my education has been focused on educating others, I bring a unique combination of education, product and service that aims to meet the needs of a very unique population.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Living in West Michigan and being a part of the local foodie scene here is amazing and if given the opportunity to showcase Grand Rapids I’d have to start the day with food. Here’s a mini-excursion of how a fun day in GR would look.

Early Morning
Coffee at Last Mile with some sweet treats from Rise Bakery
Fulton Street Farmers Market

Mid Afternoon
Downtown Market
Arts Marketplace

Evening
Tamale Mary’s (love their vegan tamales)
Shopping trip in Downtown Holland (if the weather’s nice then a stroll by Lake Michigan is definitely warranted) 🙂

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am forever indebted to my loving family. They are a huge reason for the success of Tastefull Vegan. They have sacrificed of their time, energy and even finances. They have continued to support and encourage me and even though my youngest supporters aren’t even old enough to drive, our children, they assist in so many ways. They are the marketing team at the markets and do the register at the ice cream shop. From my parents, siblings, spouse, and children they are my village that makes this company a success.

Website: www.tastefullvegan.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/tastefullvegan.com

Image Credits
Juanita Toronto