The Origin of SweetBeasts

How it All Began

Our journey didn't start with plushies. It started with a simple idea and a lot of enthusiasm. As college students at UW-Madison, we volunteered at local food pantries and community programs, seeing firsthand the impact that dedicated support can have. However, when we learned how much food insecurity affected our fellow classmates (about 30%), we realized we wanted to create change beyond volunteer work. We knew we could do more to give back.

Learn more about food insecurity at UW–Madison here.

Our Perspective

Determined to create something lasting, we began brainstorming what we could build. We didn’t want just another product; we wanted a symbol of hope and change. Something that could bring comfort, spark connection, and represent a shared commitment to making a difference. If someone saw our product, they would know the person carrying it was part of our community. If they saw our brand, they would trust that it stood for real purpose.

But that raised an important question: in a world filled with endless products, how do you make people care? How do you create something that truly stands out? Was it even possible?

(Our brainstorming process)

The Lightbulb Moment

We found ourselves gathered in our apartment’s living room, tossing around idea after idea. We explored everything from a clothing brand to snacks to fitness products.

As the brainstorming dragged on, one of the three of us absentmindedly squeezed a plushie, using it like a stress ball to stay focused. That small moment caught the attention of the rest of us. Plushies. Everyone loved them. We owned plenty ourselves, and clearly, so did many others. There was undeniable demand. That’s when it clicked: plushies were the perfect place to start.

The next question was what kind of plushies. We knew they needed a unifying theme that told a story. It quickly became clear that we wanted to incorporate health and nutrition, which led us to fruits. They were healthy, vibrant, and full of life. But fruits alone weren’t enough. We envisioned plushies with real personalities, characters with depth and stories of their own, all living within a broader fictional world.

So how do you give a plushie a soul? You make it an animal.

By combining fruits and animals into hybrid characters, we found our answer. And with that, the name followed naturally: Sweet to represent the fruit, and Beast to represent the animal.

(The original SweetBeasts logo)

The SweetBeasts Vision

We envision a world where everyone has access to healthy, nutritious food. It sounds simple, and in many ways, it is. With the amount of food produced globally and the staggering amount that goes to waste, there is more than enough to go around. Yet countless obstacles stand in the way.

We know we can’t do everything, and we don’t expect to change the world overnight. But we believe in making change that lasts. Change that is bold, visible, and shared. Change that isn’t carried by us alone, but echoed through our entire community.

Those echoes create ripples. And ripples create momentum. When small, intentional changes add up and endure, they bring us one step closer to a better planet. If we can help move the world even a little in that direction, that alone makes it worthwhile.

Thank you for being part of this journey. We’re so glad you’re here.