GIST: Organic cold-pressed juices, handmade nut milks and gluten-free granola
WHO: Potomac Falls native Alicia Swanstrom, 28
STARTED: After Swanstrom’s fiancé was killed in action in Afghanistan, she quit her public accounting job in pursuit of a career helping others, earning a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University with plans of becoming a war reporter.
INSPIRATION: While at Northwestern, Swanstrom also enrolled in a health coach training program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. “I just really wanted to feel good. I felt so bad emotionally that whatever I could do to feel better I tried,” says Swantsrom. She ended up creating Greenheart Organic. “I really started focusing on self-care, and juice was so accessible.”
DETAILS: The Greenheart roster includes: cold-pressed juices ranging from the fruity Sassy Sunshine (orange, turmeric, ginger, cayenne) to green-based The Rooster (spinach, kale, cucumber, broccoli); handmade nut milks using almonds and cashews flavored with medjool dates, Ayurveda spices and cacao; and granola with gluten-free oats, macadamia nuts, cranberries and coconut chips.
NEXT: Currently selling at local farmers markets, Swanstrom hopes for her own space “that creates a sense of community around healing and personal growth with clean foods that go along with that lifestyle.” –Emily Cook
