The Sky’s the Limit with Erica Huss, Co-founder of BluePrint Juice and New Wellness in the Schools Board Member

In her own words . . .

When we launched BluePrint Cleanse in 2007, the goal was to bring the benefits of juicing to a mass audience and raise awareness on the importance of adding fresh raw vegetables and fruits into your diet to achieve optimal health.  We were really struck by how much confusion was out there around what constitutes a “healthy” diet.  It’s not about a miracle pill or a magic bullet, it’s about consuming fresh, minimally processed, real food.

As an entrepreneur in the healthy food industry, it’s been really exciting to see how much more of an interest people are taking in their health and what they put into their bodies, and how their food choices affect them, impact their families, and ultimately the community at large.  But while it’s encouraging to see so many new products and brands dedicated to helping people feel better and live well, there is a bit of an imbalance in terms of who has access to better food options.  In my opinion, there should be no limit on that type of opportunity.

It’s our responsibility to make every effort in extending the basic right of good health as far as possible, through whatever kind of giveback program a business can support. Beginning with BluePrint, and through my subsequent ventures, I have always aimed to strike that balance between giving the customer the product or service they want, and contributing to the underserved audience in a meaningful way. I was a New York City public school kid, so for me, helping support a better nutritional upbringing for the same kids felt like the most authentic connection I could make. Wellness in the Schools was doing it in a way that felt special to me. It’s not just an isolated class where kids learn about nutrition for a day; it’s a long-term plan with measurable results, which creates the systemic change that our schools need.

Teaming up with Wellness in the Schools in alignment with my business goals was the start, but I realized that regardless of what I could do through my company, I just wanted to participate however I could.  I am thrilled and proud to be part of such a special organization, and I look forward to seeing where our collective efforts will take us. Entrepreneurs believe the sky’s the limit, so that’s the approach I hope I can help to instill into everyone connected to Wellness in the Schools.