3 Women-Led Cheese Companies With Purpose

In 2014, I co-founded Conscious Company Media, the first multimedia organization in the country that specifically focuses on purpose-driven business. As the publisher of Conscious Company Magazine and host of the World-Changing Women Podcast, I’ve literally interviewed and shared the stories of hundreds of the most prominent leaders in the conscious-business space. In 2017, I created the World-Changing Women’s Summit, an intimate gathering of mission-driven female* entrepreneurs to talk all-things-conscious-business (we’re talking the good, bad, and the ugly), and had the privilege of choosing which incredible women graced our stage to tell their stories.  

All this to say: I know a thing or two about recognizing incredible female social entrepreneurs whose companies move the needle toward an economy, society, and planet that can better serve us all (not just the one-percenters) — and if you’re looking for some good news these days, let me tell you: there are a lot of inspiring entrepreneurs and leaders out there, and many of them are women and people of color.

In the age of COVID-19, it’s more important now than ever before to support social enterprises, purpose-driven entrepreneurs, and businesses that are founded and led by — as well as serve and support — under-represented and marginalized groups of people. Here are a handful of creameries whose purpose-driven missions are cheesy in all the best ways.

1. Vermont Creamery

In 1984, Allison Hooper and Bob Reese turned a chance meeting and a big idea into Vermont Creamery, crafting artisan goat cheese and cultured butter in the Green Mountains of Vermont. A certified B Corp, Vermont Creamery makes its dairy from high-quality ingredients while supporting its farms, people, and community by way of practices like paying a livable starting wage, using renewable energy, and sourcing locally — to name a few. Delicious cheeses with a side of positive impact? Yes, please.

2. Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.

Since 1904, the Giacomini family have run the Point Reyes Farmstead just north of San Francisco, with a reputation for producing the very highest-quality milk. But by the mid-90s, with more than 500 cows on 720 acres, the farm was causing too much stress on the local environment. Bob Giacomini turned to his four daughters — who had never worked for the farm and instead pursued careers in finance, Silicon Valley, marketing, and running a household — to help him reduce the size of the dairy. With their collective expertise, Diana, Jill, Karen, and Lynn Giacomini successfully transformed the business into a sustainable artisan cheesemaking facility — completely redefining the notion of the family farm. A company that’s “aged” (ha), sustainable, and led by four sisters is a slam dunk in my book.

3. Miyoko’s Creamery

Award-winning vegan chef and all-around incredible human Miyoko Schinner founded Miyoko’s Creamery to support the vegan cheese revolution. The company crafts 100 percent non-dairy cheese, butter, and other goodies from organic, real foods like nuts, legumes, and other plant-based ingredients. Using traditional creamery cultures, age-old cheesemaking techniques, and modern technology, Miyoko’s products lead the way to the future of food innovation. Cheese lovers and animal lovers, rejoice!