Some of the best brands begin with a personal experience. A health diagnosis, a mother's determination, a family facing cancer, or simply the desire to create something better.
This November, we're introducing four makers who turned their experiences into something meaningful. From a Michigan mom creating snacks for people with dietary restrictions to a farmer sharing the goodness of Hawaii, each has a story worth knowing.
And at AwearMarket, we believe knowing the people behind your products matters just as much as knowing what's in them.
Free and Simple Foods: Good Food, Without the Compromise
Free and Simple Foods began with a personal journey toward better health.
From founder, Renne Sorgi:
After being diagnosed with autoimmune conditions, I started looking more closely at what I was putting into and on my body. I began changing my diet, eliminating certain ingredients, and paying closer attention to the products I was using. I learned firsthand how much effort it could take to find foods that fit my needs while still tasting good. I didn’t want to feel like I had to sacrifice enjoyment just to make choices that felt right for my health.
That experience sparked an idea: what if I could create snacks with simple, thoughtfully selected ingredients that tasted so good people would want them regardless of their dietary needs?
During COVID lockdown, with two young kids at home, I started experimenting in my kitchen. I had no business background, no extra money to invest, and no clear roadmap. My background was in cosmetology, but I was willing to learn. After the kids went to bed, I spent my evenings taking free online business and marketing classes, slowly figuring out how to turn an idea into a business.
What started in my home kitchen under Michigan’s cottage food law eventually became Free and Simple Foods. The journey was far from easy. For four years, I worked to find the right space to grow, continuing to make and refine my products along the way. After countless kitchen searches and 13 kitchen attempts, I finally found a dedicated commercial kitchen where I could expand production and continue building the business.
Today, Free and Simple Foods makes granola and crackers with thoughtfully selected ingredients, including tigernuts and extra virgin olive oil. Our products are made without the top nine major food allergens, along with several other ingredients we choose to avoid, including grains, corn, rice, coconut, and seed oils. We produce everything in a dedicated kitchen without shared kitchen space or equipment.
My health journey may have sparked the idea, but my vision has grown beyond my own needs. I want to make it easier for people to find snacks they genuinely enjoy and feel good about eating, whether they’re navigating food allergies or dietary restrictions or simply looking for delicious options made with simple ingredients.
Building this business has taught me that you don’t need to have everything figured out to get started. Sometimes you just need a reason, a willingness to learn, and the determination to keep going when the next step isn't obvious.
Free and Simple Foods is still growing, and I’m excited about what comes next. My goal is to bring more people back to the joy of good food, made simply, without feeling like they have to compromise on taste or ingredients.
A little more about Free and Simple Foods: We’re a women-owned, Michigan-based small business creating granola and crackers for people who want great taste, thoughtfully selected ingredients, and more freedom in their snack choices.
Hawaiian Health Co.: A Little Aloha in Every Sip
From Founder, Louis Antonelli
Founded in 2022, the Hawaiian Health Co, was built to share Hawaiian-grown superfoods across America. We started with a farm in Kaua'i growing herbs and tending our beehive. I started to sell handmade supplements at our local farmers market. On a hot summer day, I decided to blend coconut water, Hawaiian salt, and fruit to make our own version of an electrolyte drink. The idea had sprouted: let's make a cleaner version of the electrolyte powders on the market and Hawaiian Hydration was born. Our products are hand-made in Kaua'i and utilize the mineral-rich salt from the island of Moloka'i. We just released our new magnesium sticks that help support deeper sleep and muscle aches. We aim to share a little piece of aloha with every drink.
Mona Moon Naturals: Nurturing Mind, Body & Purpose
Mona Ockenden spent 25 years in the engineering consulting field before discovering a new way to make a difference—one small batch at a time.
When Mona's sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, it changed the way she thought about the products we put on our bodies. Wanting to make more intentional choices, Mona began creating her own natural deodorant. What started as a personal mission soon blossomed into Mona Moon Naturals, a natural skincare and body care brand built around the belief that caring for ourselves should be simple, thoughtful, and accessible.
Mona drew on the problem-solving skills and creativity she had developed throughout her career to create small-batch products made with simple, recognizable ingredients. From natural deodorants and nourishing body butters to soothing aromatherapy blends, every product is thoughtfully created to nurture both mind and body.
Mona Moon Naturals is about more than what goes into each jar, tin, or bottle. Giving back is woven into the heart of the business. Mona donates a portion of profits to cancer-related charities, supporting organizations that make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals and families affected by cancer.
For Mona, this business is deeply personal. It's a way to turn a family's experience into something positive, encourage others to make self-care a priority, and support a cause that will always be close to her heart.
Because sometimes, the smallest acts of self-care can be part of something much bigger
Poofy Organics: A Family's Search for Something Better
Poofy Organics began in 2006 with a breast cancer diagnosis and one family's determination to rethink what they were putting on their bodies.
When founder Kristina Gagliardi-Wilson's mother, Nella, was diagnosed with breast cancer, Kristina started taking a closer look at the ingredients in her family's everyday personal care products. The more she learned, the more questions she had.
She began searching for organic alternatives but struggled to find products that met her standards for ingredients, effectiveness, and affordability.
So she decided to make her own.
Kristina poured herself into researching ingredients and developing formulas, initially creating products for her own family. What started as a personal mission eventually grew into Poofy Organics, a company dedicated to making organic personal care more accessible.
And the name? It came from Kristina's daughter, Mariah, whose family nickname was Poofy.
Today, Poofy Organics offers a collection of beauty, personal care, and household essentials, including everything from soaps and deodorants to skincare and baby products. The company emphasizes ingredient transparency, organic certification, and more sustainable everyday choices.
But the personal connection to cancer doesn't end with the founding family's story.
The company's current leadership also has deep connections to the mission. Ana Osuna began her own journey toward more intentional living after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2022. Her business partner, Auclair Walters, lost his mother to cancer. Together, they are carrying Poofy's original purpose forward, helping families make more informed choices about the products they use every day.
Nearly two decades after it began, Poofy Organics remains rooted in a simple idea: caring for the people we love can inspire something that helps countless others.
One family's search for better products became a mission to help families everywhere.
Why These Makers Matter
Four brands. Four very different stories.
A Michigan mom who wanted food that worked for her health without sacrificing flavor. A farmer on Kaua'i who saw an opportunity to make a cleaner electrolyte drink. A sister who turned her family's cancer experience into a natural body care business that gives back. And a family determined to create organic products they could feel good about using.
Different beginnings, but something important connects them all: they cared enough to create something better.
That's exactly why we started AwearMarket.
We believe healthier living can begin with one simple choice. One snack with thoughtfully selected ingredients. One personal care product. One everyday swap that makes sense for you and your family.
And we're continuing to make AwearMarket more intentional, focusing on products that earn their place in your home.
Because less really can be more, especially when you know the story behind what you're buying.
Meet the makers. Know the story. Shop with greater Awearness.