AWAKE was founded in 2012 by Adam Deremo, Matt Schnarr and Dan Tzotzis.
Take a look at the inside story of how AWAKE came to be. It hasn't been easy and if you ask them, they'll tell you there is still a long way to go - but their story is certainly inspiring. And the fact that they've managed to stay close friends all these years, while running a successful start up, is empowering. The best part about this dynamic threesome is that they all compliment each other perfectly, both in personality and skill sets.
If you ask Matt, our CCO, he will tell you the inspiration came from an early age, growing up in an entrepreneurial household. He knew he wanted to transform his career in CPG into "doing his own thing", and as a non coffee drinker but caffeine lover, he knew he needed a better option than what was already out there: "Specifically we created AWAKE to leverage some of the trends at the time including functional foods, energy drinks, portability and convenience. Chocolate had not seen a lot of true innovation and it tasted great so it seemed like a great category to target. I already felt like I was my own proven case study since I did not drink coffee in university or early career years. I was always looking for good tasting and convenient ways to wake up. Options like chocolate covered coffee beans couldn't be the best option."
Dan, our CFO, also came from a dedicated and hardworking household: "I come from two immigrant parents that came to this country with nothing but the clothes on their back. I grew up in an entrepreneur's household, watching my dad build a successful business. He was my inspiration to break away from corporate life and start a business. From there, Adam, Matt and I brainstormed and AWAKE was born to solve a gap in the chocolate category - to introduce, market and sell functional chocolate products that actually taste great. AWAKE was the first real functional chocolate brand on the market, and our taste is unparalleled."
When we asked Adam, our CEO, he explained "there was no version of the career I imagined for myself that didn’t include building a firm from the ground up."
Having all worked together at Kraft Heinz and PepsiCo prior to starting AWAKE, Matt, Dan & Adam knew they had the experience and training to launch a food brand of their own. Plus the opportunity of the category and the lack of disruptors were too big to ignore. They collectively left corporate life to chase their shared dream in 2012.
Q: How did you meet each other?
If you ask any of them there is one consistency between all of their answers: "We hit it off fast and the friendship came easy." Matt and Adam met first, on Adam's first day of work at Kraft Heinz and Adam and Dan met on Dan's first day of work, at a new hire finance orientation. Adam jokes "I've been apprenticing him ever since".
According to Dan, "We have been through EVERYTHING on this business, including a pandemic that kicked us in the ass. And somehow, through all of the adversity that life threw our way, our partnership and friendships grew stronger. I couldn't ask for two better partners, and they are still among my closest friends outside of work. You hear horror stories about partnerships that went sideways. The strength of our partnership has been one major point of personal pride that I carry with me every day that I come into work. Truly blessed."
All 3 of them overlapped at Kraft & PepsiCo. Adam & Matt went to university together, though didn't know each other at the time (shoutout to all the current and future Laurier alumns!). AWAKE was founded over burritos the size of your head at a Mexican restaurant in Mississauga.
Q: What advice would you give others looking to start a business? Or others looking to start a business with friends?
It hasn't always been easy and it hasn't always been pretty. Dan's advice is honest and real "Starting a new business is really about one thing. Surviving. Surviving until you finally get your break. Structure every decision that you make (particularly in the early phase) by keeping this theme in mind. The one unifying tactic that I have seen among the most successful business owners that I have met survived by working their asses off. Be prepared to go through very difficult circumstances and be prepared to work the hardest you have ever worked in your entire life"
- Partner with people you trust and respect. It is best if the partners bring complementary skills (ie sales, finance, marketing, operations etc)
- Take risks but make sure they are calculated. Someone once told us, "if you are going to take a hit, make sure it is an arm shot, not a headshot". If you are going to bet on something, make sure it is calculated and it won't sink your company if it goes wrong
- Solve a problem! Whether you are a doctor, grocery store, car maker or caffeinated chocolate you need to solve a problem. Is your product or service cheaper, faster, better tasting, higher service, better quality? Differentiate your business from others based on research that told you there was a problem that needed to be solve
Q: What's been your biggest challenge?
In Adam's opinion, the biggest challenge has been "the pace of growth." The business steadily, if not quickly. But according to Adam, "That’s been challenging because we’re ambitious guys, who want to accomplish things as quickly as possible. But we started out pretty resource constrained and had to grow the business in a grassroots way. It takes a long time for word to spread if you’re not willing to sell a huge chunk of the business in return for growth capital to spend on advertising. We chose to retain as much ownership as possible over time, so things took longer than we wanted them to."
Q: What are you most proud of?
In the world of entrepreneurship, resilience, recognition, and relentless effort are common threads that drove their success to date.
Adam acknowledges their power of resilience. Over their twelve-year journey, marked by countless challenges—including the impact of COVID, which forced 75% of their customers to close temporarily. Adam recalls, "While giving up could have been easy, we saw each obstacle as a chance to adapt, rebuild, and grow stronger." Today, AWAKE is thriving, a testament to their unwavering determination and commitment to never giving up.
Matt is most proud of creating a recognizable brand, "I love being at an airport 1000 miles away and meeting people randomly that love our product. They know it instantly as 'the chocolate with the owl.' They all have a story about how AWAKE has helped them get through a busy day."
Dan is (rightfully so) most proud of their survival skills and credits their relentless effort as key to success. In the early phases, every decision was driven by a single goal: to survive long enough to make a breakthrough.
Adam, Matt & Dan all noted a common trait among successful entrepreneurs—working harder than ever before, especially through tough times. These founders share the essence of building a brand from the ground up: resilience, connection with customers, and the grit to endure whatever it takes. All 3 of them believe the best is yet to come for AWAKE!