When Angela Vranich co-founded Little Spoon, she wasn’t working out of a sleek office or a VC-backed incubator—she was hand-churning baby food in the back of a tamale factory. Like many brands, Little Spoon was born from a “there has to be a better way” moment that has resonated with many. Now, the company has become the #1 online kids' food brand in its category and just made Target history with the retailer’s biggest-ever food and bev launch.
Angela’s story has gone viral on TikTok as she leads the conversation about how we feed the next generation. We sat down with Angela to talk about the company’s scrappy beginnings, modernizing a category, and defining success.
Why do you think your story has struck such a chord?
I think people connected with my story because it’s a very real, very imperfect entrepreneurial journey. There’s something relatable, and honestly kind of funny, about starting a baby food company at 24 in the back of a tamale factory because no one else would take a chance on us. It’s the definition of doing whatever it takes to start and believing in yourself.
More than that, people are craving transparency from founders. And I think seeing that arc, from those scrappy beginnings to where Little Spoon is today, more than eight years later, gives people a sense of what’s possible.
What was the “we have to build this” moment for you when it came to Little Spoon?
The lightbulb moment hit me well over a decade ago. I was walking through the grocery store and realized that every category of food was getting a modern, healthier, fresher makeover except baby and kids' food. Even dog food was getting fresher! The baby food category had been ignored for decades, dominated by the same shelf-stable jars that we ate as babies.
You’ve fed over 80 million meals—what are parents telling you right now about what they need from food brands?
What we’re seeing now is that parents don’t need more judgment or pressure. They need honesty, clarity, and support. Parenting today comes with burnout, information overload, and so much decision fatigue, and food brands can either add to that noise or actively cut through it.
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