About us

Freya was born from a lifelong love for plants, farms, and healing

Hi there 👋

Welcome to the Freya family! I’m Irene 🧘🏼 and my story starts with my roots. My path has always been intertwined with food and wellness, rooted in generations of healers before me. Healing people with food has always been my mission and a core value, even before I fully realized it.

Growing up in Ukraine, I learned early that food is far more than sustenance, it is medicine. My great-grandmother healed with herbs, my grandmother with nutrition, and my grandfather with Reiki. Cooking with homegrown ingredients was simply our way of life.

Generations of healers:

My great-grandmother used herbs and rolling eggs to treat illnesses in the old-world tradition

My grandmother Lena dedicated her life to healing through nutrition, selling herbal teas, oils, fiber, and natural cosmetics. From a young age, I worked alongside her, learning the power of herbs and nutrition firsthand

My grandfather Vasiliy practiced Reiki, sharing his energy healing with loved ones

My grandmother Tamila, both deeply spiritual and an incredible cook, infused her meals with love and care

My parents carried this spirit into the community, running cafés and restaurants that sourced from local farms. Nothing went to waste, every ingredient was used with care. For them, feeding people meant nourishing relationships and supporting the land that fed us

As a child, I dreamed of becoming an herbalist. I’ve studied natural healing by reading books and experimenting with herbs since childhood, diving into the world of plant medicine. Cooking with homegrown ingredients from our garden has always been part of my daily routine. The garden has always provided food for the table and, sometimes, a pharmacy, each vegetable and herb a potential cure.

My journey took an unexpected turn when I moved to the United States. What I thought was the same diet I'd known in Ukraine began to transform me. Bloating, weight gain, diminishing energy, and shifting moods became my new normal. I had unknowingly stepped into the world of the Standard American Diet: a landscape of processed foods, hidden sugars, and disconnected nutrition.

Freya was born from this understanding. I believe that every spoonful can be an act of healing, every ingredient a messenger of wellness. Our soups are nutritious meals and also a bridge - connecting you to the wisdom of traditional nutrition, to the earth that nurtures us, and to a more vibrant, balanced way of living.

Plant-based, nutrient-dense, and made with love from local organic produce. Every bottle is crafted to support your gut, energy, and mood, while reconnecting you to the earth.

Freya was born from the roots, and it’s grown into a living, breathing community. At its heart is an amazing team working together to craft food that heals and connects:

Our CTO & Tech Wizard, John 🧔🏻🔧
John has been with Freya since day one, turning big ideas into real systems. He’s the reason our tech runs smoothly, our operations stay organized, and our soups reach you fresh. An infrastructure architect by trade, he’s also our unofficial “Chief Soup Taster”. John’s mix of precision, problem-solving, and humor keeps our team grounded and moving forward.

Our Chef, Jose - The Maestro of Plant-Based Flavor 👨🏻🤌
Jose came to North America in ’89 with a mission: cook food that fuels people.
What he found? Processed meat. Zero veggies. People eating to survive, not thrive. So he flipped the script:
🌱 California Sunburger — plant-based before it was cool
🌱 Real Food Daily — LA’s vegan pioneer, where he turned veggies into magic as sous-chef
🌱 Veestro — shipped millions of plant-based meals nationwide

Now, he’s infusing 30+ years of flavor, purpose, and soul into every bottle of Freya soup.

Our Growth Partner, Meg 🦸🏻
Meg believed in Freya before the first bottle was made. She’s grown companies from the inside out, serving as both Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Operating Officer, so she knows exactly what it takes to scale without losing the soul of a brand.

Through her consulting firm, she helps mission-driven companies streamline operations, boost revenue, and create the structure needed for sustainable growth. She brings big energy, sharp strategy, and just the right push to keep us moving forward — even when things get messy. Meg helps turn our ideas into action, and our action into results.

Meet Megan – Our Climate Brand Coach 🧝🏻

Megan helps us build a brand that actually walks the talk - sustainable, intentional, and built to solve real climate problems.

She’s the brain behind our climate strategy, making sure what we do is good for you and the planet. Smart, thoughtful, and always pushing us to do better.

We’re lucky to have her in our corner. 

Meet Jonathan – The Brand Builder Behind the Scenes 👨🏼🎨

Jonathan is the creative force behind turning ideas into brands that flourish. He blends science with stagecraft to help climate founders (like us) get clear, stand out, and grow.

Before helping climate startups scale, he worked with legends like Disney’s The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Serious storytelling chops.

Now at HeadSpace, he transforms early-stage climate brands from hidden gems into unmistakable forces.

We’re lucky to have him shaping Freya’s world 🌍

Dasha - Artist & Storyteller 👩🏼🎨

Dasha is our creative spark and a dear friend. She’s an artist and certified psychologist with a degree in psychology, giving her a deep understanding of how people think, feel, and connect. She uses that insight to create intentional content that makes people stop scrolling and truly engage with us. Her art and perspective bring soul, creativity, and the support we need to keep thriving.

Our heart & cheer squad: Willow and the OG Freya Pups 🐶 🐾 🐶
Freya and Willow keep our days brighter with boundless enthusiasm (and a little bossy barking during Zoom calls). The pups remind us to take breaks, enjoy the simple things, and never underestimate the healing power of a good snack and a sunny walk.

And YOU! ❤️

We wouldn’t be here without our community - the people who believe in what we’re building, share our soups with friends, and remind us why we started in the first place. You’re as much a part of Freya as we are!

— Rooted in nature,

The Freya Team