Indiana Soccer Moms Score Big as Global Entrepreneurs with USDA Assist

For a women-owned business in rural Indiana, working with USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service became a life-changing experience. Selling homemade peanut butter began as a team fundraiser idea for soccer moms Carol Podolak and Joy Thompkins. Seven years later, the mom duo is winning big with international buyers as BNutty – their small, women-owned business of gourmet nut butters ranging in flavors from Totally Toffee and Simply Salted Caramel to Cinnamon Sugar Cookie – now has fans across the globe.

BNutty got its start by raising enough funds for their kids’ soccer team to travel from Portage, Indiana to Dallas, Texas for a tournament. Customers wanted the pretzel, blueberry, and toffee peanut butter more than once a year, so Podolak and Thompkins started taking custom orders. Demand soon grew, and then they rented a commercial kitchen until they opened the “Nut House,” their manufacturing center. Soon after, BNutty products appeared on grocery store shelves across the United States. And now, BNutty is on shelves in stores around the world.

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