When Drew Chose Fruit Over Cake
It started with my boys. As a working mom, I was running on diet soda and drive-through dinners, until a local produce co-op changed everything. Almost overnight, the boys went from tacos to Swiss chard, started asking where food came from, and actually got excited about eating. Then one day, my six-year-old Drew pushed away his birthday cake. "Too sweet," he said and asked for fruit instead. That was the moment: if fresh food could do this for my family, what could it do for families who didn't have the same access?
Building Something Bigger
That question wouldn't leave me alone. In 2011, I teamed up with childhood obesity expert Dr. Shreela Sharma and launched Brighter Bites. Bringing fresh produce, nutrition education, and real food experiences to communities where access was low and need was high. What started as a small Houston program grew into something I never could've imagined: twelve cities, over 70 million pounds of produce delivered, and more than a million people whose relationship with food quietly, permanently changed.
A New Yorker and a Roman Lightbulb Moment
In 2019, I met Lee and on our first date, he mentioned he always brought fresh fruit for the students he mentored. I knew immediately he was my kind of person. We married in March 2023 and honeymooned in Rome, where everything changed again. Lee tasted a simple snack made from pineapple pulp, grabbed my hand, and said: "What if we made something like this? Clean ingredients, and used it to carry Brighter Bites forward." I looked at him across that Roman table and thought: of course. Of course this is what we do next.
From Our Kitchen to Your Snack Aisle
We came home and turned our kitchen into a test lab, burned batches, started over, and dragged friends and family in as taste testers until we had something worth sharing. Bright Side Crisps were built on everything we believe in: upcycled produce, clean ingredients, and a direct line back to the communities Brighter Bites serves. Getting from our countertop to the shelves of H-E-B was one of the hardest things we've ever done. But here we are and every bag you open is part of something bigger than a snack.
What we stand for
The Impact
A nonprofit born in Houston, now changing how families across America eat, cook, and live.
001
Fresh Produce, Every Week
Families receive nearly 20 lbs of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables — completely free — every single week of programming.
002
School-Based & Accessible
Brighter Bites shows up where families already are — elementary schools and summer camps — making access effortless and consistent.
003
Education, Not Just Food
Every produce bag comes paired with nutrition education and recipes — building the knowledge families need to actually use what they receive.