Meet Lucy Cullen, founder of EarthPup™ and recipient of Founders Fund’s $7,000 grant:
Who Is Lucy Cullen And What Is EarthPup™?
Lucy Cullen is an animal lover, sustainability expert and award-winning environmentalist. Ever since she could remember, she has been obsessed with dogs. At the age of 7, Lucy convinced her parents to let her get a puppy, who she named Winnie. With her new best friend at her side, Lucy had dreams of one day becoming a vet and helping all the dogs in need around the world.
Fast forward to adulthood and Lucy’s passion for the environment has garnered her a successful career in food sustainability, where she co-founded her first company, Terus; a social enterprise that reduces waste in the restaurant industry. Terus has helped divert over 200,000 pounds of waste from landfill.
That experience led her back to her childhood dream of helping animals, and in 2019, she combined her passion for sustainability and dedication to helping dogs and founded EarthPup™ along with her partner, Adam Alguire, an acclaimed Toronto chef. Adam brings his dedication to animal welfare and delicious food to EarthPup™ where he and Lucy work closely with animal nutritionists to create eco-friendly treats that give back.
What Are Your Plans For The Funding And What Does This Funding Mean To You?
This funding means we can get new printed packaging for our products and do our first production run with a manufacturer! We are so excited about this because it opens up the opportunity for us to start selling to bigger retailers, new markets like Quebec and ultimately increase our impact in addressing the food waste problem in Canada. We are so grateful for this funding from Founders Fund and can’t wait to get EarthPup™ to the next level!”
What Has EarthPup™ Been Up To Since?
Thus far, Lucy Cullen and the EarthPup™ team have diverted 1,100 pounds of vegetables from landfill, and have been supporting their retailers by offering their community perks for shopping with their retail partners. The EarthPup™ team has also announced they’re now Canada’s first ever plastic-negative pet food company!
For more information about EarthPup, check out their website! You can read more about their values and impact or find a retailer near you!