Background
As The Honest Kitchen's Founder and Chief Integrity Officer, Lucy is responsible for making sure company upholds its values and mission, as it continues to grow and evolve.
Lucy collaborates across departments to further the company’s objectives in ethical sourcing, product integrity, quality and safety. She also helps oversee new product innovations and the company's external communications. She led The Honest Kitchen's initiative to successfully become a Certified B-Corp, which will provide a framework for the company's ongoing social & environmental commitments, that are tracked in the company's newly created annual Impact Report.
Lucy is The Honest Kitchen's primary brand spokesperson to the media, and is a visible and outspoken leader within the Pet Food Industry. Lucy is a public speaker who holds seminars and trainings for key retail partners, and speaks occasionally at conferences & community events.
Outside of The Honest Kitchen, Lucy works with a number of primarily female entrepreneurs in startups and established brands, as a mentor, advisor and pro bono board member.
Lucy is passionate about nutrition and holistic health, including complementary therapies like Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, & Herbalism. She is also certified in Homeopathy and is a Reiki practitioner.
History
Lucy grew up in rural England, and received her BA (Hons) in Equine & Business Studies from Moreton Morrell College of Agriculture. She immigrated to the United States in 1998. Prior to founding The Honest Kitchen, Lucy worked for several years as the equine and canine nutritionist for a Southern California pet food manufacturer and led a number of the company’s marketing and product development initiatives.
In 2002, her interest in natural nutrition led Lucy to investigate ways to make her own dog, Mosi’s, homemade raw food diet more convenient to prepare, and this eventually resulted in the creation of her holistic pet food company – The Honest Kitchen – which pioneered the concept of Human Grade Pet Food and healthy, whole food nutrition for cats and dogs.
In 2004, Lucy's efforts secured The Honest Kitchen as the first pet food company in history, to obtain approval from the Federal FDA, to use the term Human Grade on its product labels, after she successfully proved that 100% of the ingredients, production, storage, transportation and packaging are compliant with human food regulations.
In 2007, Lucy Postins prevailed in a law suit against Ohio Department of Agriculture, after that state initially refused to grant her company a license to sell its pet foods in that state. The judge in the case ultimately ruled that The Honest Kitchen had a right to truthful, commercial free speech and Ohio was required to grant the company its license.
The Honest Kitchen first secured investment funding in 2011 from Alliance Consumer Growth, a New York private equity firm, and White Road investments, the investment firm of Gary Erickson, the founder of Clif Bar. Both partners remain actively invested in the company.
In 2022, The Honest Kitchen successfully completed a large capital raise from Monarch Consumer Capital.
Media Coverage & Awards
Lucy has been featured in a variety of news outlets including Forbes, CNN, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Pop Sugar, Fast Company Magazine, The Huffington Post, TIME Newsfeed, San Diego Union Tribune, and more.
Lucy has been recognized by Pet Product News as one of the “25 people to watch in the pet industry” in 2006, 2011 and 2012, for her efforts in creating a sound, flourishing young company with innovative products and strong, widely respected marketing initiatives. The Honest Kitchen has been named among Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work on eight separate occasions.
In 2015, Lucy was named to the Pet Age Women of Influence in the Pet Industry, which honors women leaders who are influential in the pet manufacturing or servicing industry, with a solid reputation based on experience, integrity and leadership and a proven track record of accomplishments.
Lucy was named to Pet Age Magazine's Power 50 List in 2022 where she was recognized for her efforts in securing B-Corp Certification for The Honest Kitchen and furthering the company's efforts on environmental and social initiatives.
Considered an expert in her field, Lucy frequently writes articles for local and national online and print media, conducts radio & podcast interviews, and holds occasional educational seminars for retailers and pet owners on the importance of good nutrition.
Books
Lucy is the author of two books:
(A lifestyle guide for people who love their pets like crazy, published by Rodale Press)
&
(A book of healthy, real-food recipes to prepare at home for your pet)
