From College Roommates to National Business Co-Founders
In 2023,Eddy Connors (Bus’21) andLuke Siegert (FilmSt’22) went from college roommates and fraternity brothers to startup co-founders when they launched, a marketplace for surplus food. The app aims to reduce food waste by offering “perfectly good unsold food” from local businesses at a significant discount. Since its inception, Goodie Bag has expanded nationally to over 200 partnering shops, including OZO Coffee, Charleston Bagels and Blend Juice Bar. Connors, who serves as CEO, talks about the company here.
Eddy Connors, middle left, and Luke Siegert, far left, started Goodie Bag in 2023.
You came up with Goodie Bag during a CU entrepreneurship course. How did it come about?
From the get-go, we wanted to muster up an idea that would both make positive social change and generate profit. There was an opportunity to prevent good food from going to waste by connecting it to people at lower prices. That business idea ended up winning the “Startup Summer” pitch competition.
How did you and Luke go from college roommates to business partners?
As roommates, we would always talk about different business ideas, different industries that needed to be shaken up. We both knew there was so much opportunity to create better outcomes for people and our planet, and that excited us.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in scaling the business?
In the beginning, our biggest challenge was figuring out the technology of our app since Luke and I were not engineers ourselves. We also faced some team challenges that required difficult conversations early and often as we took the company from a school project to a full-time business. Team is everything.
With over 200 partner shops and 45,000 meals saved from going to waste, what are your next big goals for Goodie Bag?
Our greatest goal is to ensure no good food goes to waste. That’s the vision that guides us. As for what’s next, we want to increase our presence in existing markets by partnering with more shops in cities like Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins.
Reflecting on your journey from CU student to CEO, what advice would you give current students interested in launching their own businesses?
Do it! In all seriousness though, just remember that inaction is always the wrong answer. Know that you’re going to have failures along the way, but as long as you’re able to learn and adapt, it’ll be a worthwhile experience.
Photo courtesy Goodie Bag