Along with his sister Lezlie Karls and his brother in law Nick Saltarelli, Jake Karls founded in 2018 Mid-Day Squares, a food company that produces plant-based snack bars with a surprising list of ingredients: tapioca syrup, prune juice concentrate, Jerusalem artichoke powder and dark chocolate.

Since its foundation, the company has grown rapidly. But, beyond the vegan chocolate bar, their success stems from the »behind the scenes » footage of the business the team posts to social media.

Jake Karls was named to Forbes magazine’s prestigious list of 30 people under 30. And that new approach to marketing landed him an invitation to Quebec City this week, to speak with food startups looking to promote their products.

I caught up with him moments after he shared his secrets for »thinking outside the box » and a business motto that suggests to « get comfortable being uncomfortable ».