Enrique Moel is a freshman and aspiring Applied Qualitative Finance major. In his spare time, he is also a foundational member at an emerging ketogenic shake company. Keto Kind, which was founded by his older brother and a friend, is now where Moel works part time as one of four employees, with his expertise being in user and market research. 

As a student in the business school, Moel takes what he has learned in classes such as financial accounting and business dynamics and applies it directly to his work. 

“Key things that I have learned in these classes have given me context to understand the numbers and understand the importance of management, especially in a developing business and in kickstarter company culture,” Moel said.

The company was initially founded to help those on the Keto diet by providing an additional item for a snack or pre/post workout shake. The Keto diet is infamously strict in what one can and cannot eat. It has also been proven to be a helpful diet for people who are diagnosed with cancer, epilepsy or type II diabetes, as it can alleviate symptoms and provide a more structured, healthy lifestyle. 

Moel understood that this audience was important to market to, but he also insightfully noticed that the Keto diet market was gaining increased popularity in the fitness industry and becoming a recognizable diet for the average person. After doing market research to solidify his suggestion, Moel helped shape, refine and expand Keto Kind’s target audience. 

As it was starting this business, the team’s original vision was to sell these shakes in stores. When Moel joined the team, the pandemic was a new hurdle this company had to jump. Moel suggested that they focus more on building a reputable online presence and sell these shakes from the internet. 

“I suggested that amidst this pandemic, people are already turning to online shopping more than ever before and that we should start selling online and promote these shakes from a website,” Moel said.

Keto Kind had to raise more funds before it could bring these shakes to the public. Moel and his brother were tasked with developing and overseeing a Kickstarter campaign. It went live last week, and it has already raised enough money for Keto Kind to produce its first commercial batch.  

“Sales have been much better than forecasted and now my main focus will shift to expanding this business and its potential audience,” Moel said.

Moel views this company as a great opportunity to grow outside of the classroom. The mission of the company in addition to working with a close team is what makes the extra efforts worth it. He works with great time management skills and tries to do a little bit of work for Keto Kind every day. 

“The workload comes in waves, and sometimes there are things that come up that are out of my expertise,” Moel said. “I still check in with the rest of the team to see if there is anything I can help with and see what I can learn.” 

Moel hopes to continue working with Keto Kind in some capacity as long as he can. While he does not know what the future holds and is open to other opportunities, he knows that Keto Kind will always have a special place in his life. 

There are currently two flavors of Keto Kind, chocolate and vanilla. As the company grows, it is looking to add more flavors that customers would enjoy. Researching what these flavors might be would fall directly under Moel’s duties. Be sure to check out Keto Kind on social media. It can be found on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram as @drinkketokind.