Umd Student Starts Business To Sell All-Organic, Vegan-Friendly Snacks

Bethany Monaghan’s startup, Bethany’s Organics, is based out of the Maryland Co-op.

While some rising seniors are thinking about securing a full-time job, Bethany Monaghan is ahead of the game — she’s thinking about how to expand her own business.

Monaghan’s startup, Bethany’s Organics, is based out of the Maryland Co-op and works to sell healthy foods that are 100 percent organic and vegan-friendly. They don’t contain GMOs, preservatives or artificial ingredients.

“Food shouldn’t be your enemy,” Monaghan, a communication major, said. “Food can be your friend.”

As Monaghan was juggling six classes and working at Eppley Recreation Center this past academic year, she noticed the need for healthy foods to be more convenient and affordable. So Monaghan said she thought of a fun, creative twist on her childhood favorite — the peanut butter and jelly sandwich — and created “Crustless Creations.”

While she said she always knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur, one of her other passions was food and nutrition. So Monaghan, 21, received the opportunity to launch her business idea into reality when she got involved with Innovation Fridays at this university’s business school. 

When she was then accepted into the Fearless Founders program at the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, she gathered enough support and funding to create her startup in December.

“Back when I was younger, I knew I wanted to own my own business,” Monaghan said. “I always had a ton of ideas — I would always keep an idea journal.”

Danielle Bennings, marketing and event manager for the Dingman Center, said she noticed Monaghan’s drive and willingness to learn from the beginning.

“[Bethany] is extremely persistent,” Bennings said. “She has an entrepreneurial spirit.”

Monaghan hand-selects the ingredients to be outsourced from local farmers and bakeries, and will only use familiar ingredients.

“I want to keep the ingredients simple, minimal and able to pronounce,” Monaghan said.

Bethany’s Organics products officially debuted inside the Co-Op on the campus June 18. 

Monaghan said the creation of the Bethany’s Organics products has involved a lot of trial and error, and the company is still finding its rhythm. Currently, the business has one “Crustless Creations” flavor — grape fruit spread with organic peanut butter on organic whole wheat bread — in addition to two other mystery flavors she plans to release later this month.

“It’s interesting,” she said. “It’s a learning experience.”

Bethany’s Organics also employs two students at this university as interns. One intern, Joseph Byun, said he joined Bethany’s Organics team because he supported the ideas behind the startup.

“As a student working at a student start-up at Maryland there aren’t many precedents in place for what or how you’re supposed to do things,” the junior finance major wrote in an email. “It’s more working on the fly and collaborating together with Bethany at the center of operations of course.”

Monaghan has participated in events such as The Do Good Challenge and the Cupid’s Cup Startup Showcase — a university and regional student competition sponsored by university alumnus and Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank — to gain more business experience.

Five years from now, Monaghan said she sees her business expanding to multiple locations and producing a full line of new organic products.

“Food is fuel,” Monaghan said. “If you truly want your body to perform at its best, then fuel it with healthy food.”