Tara Bosch
Tara Bosch | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1994 (age 31–32) |
| Education | University of British Columbia (dropped out) |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
Tara Bosch (born 1994) is a Canadian businesswoman.[1] She is the founder and former CEO of SmartSweets, a brand of low-sugar candy.[2]
Early life and education
Bosch was born in 1994.[3] She grew up in Surrey, British Columbia.[4] She attended the University of British Columbia as an arts student before dropping out in 2015 to focus on her business.[5][6]
Career
Bosch began experimenting with making low-sugar candy in 2014[7] using plant-based fibers and sweeteners.[8]
Bed Bath & Beyond agreed to carry Bosch's gummy bears in Canadian stores[7] and Bosch formed the company as "SmartSweets" in 2016.[2] Bosch's company was selling its products in 700 stores across Canada, including Whole Foods Market by the end of 2016.[4] In 2017, Bosch appeared on Dragon's Den, a Canadian reality television series similar to the U.S. series Shark Tank.[4] Bosch began distributing her company's products in U.S. stores in 2018.[4] In 2020, Bosch's company was acquired by TPG Capital for $360 million.[9] Bosch, who had been the majority shareholder prior to the acquisition, remained a shareholder but stepped down as CEO of the company in 2020.[10]
In 2023, Bosch founded a business incubator program for women entrepreneurs called "Bold Beginnings"[9] that offers peer support and grant funding to women under 30.[11]
References
- ^ Kyte, Katheryn (28 October 2019). "A sweet idea that created a $40m business". BBC. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ a b Madell, Robin (23 November 2019). "A college dropout who started her own healthy candy company at age 21 shares how she grew it into a multimillion-dollar company within 6 months of launching". Business Insider. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ "From lemonade stand to profitable food business | Vancouver Sun".
- ^ a b c d Scipioni, Jade (8 August 2019). "How this 24-year-old created a low-sugar gummy bear company now bringing in $40 million a year". CNBC. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ Stone, Felicity (14 March 2017). "She launched a line of low-sugar candy sold across North America". BC Business. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
- ^ "How reformed sugar addict Tara Bosch found the sweet spot for healthier candy". October 21, 2019 – via www.theglobeandmail.com.
- ^ a b Morse, Brit (18 April 2019). "How This Former Candy Addict Is Trying to Wean People Off Sugar, One Gummy Bear at a Time". Inc. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
- ^ "PROFILE Tara Bosch". Forbes. 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ a b Breen, Amanda (22 August 2023). "People Underestimated Her 'Sweet' Idea, and She Took Advantage of It — All the Way to $125 Million in Annual Sales and a $360 Million Exit". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
- ^ Best, Dean (27 October 2020). "SmartSweets sells majority stake to TPG". Just Food. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ Vauclair, Isabella (9 June 2023). "BC's SmartSweets founder just launched a program to support female entrepreneurs under 30". Curiocity. Retrieved 3 April 2025.