Meet Renee Guilabult | CEO and Co-Founder of Harry’s Famous Sauce

We had the good fortune of connecting with Renee Guilabult and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Renee, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Harry’s Famous Sauce operates with an integrated charity model, giving 50% of net profits to organizations fighting hunger, including two LA-based partners: LA Regional Food Bank and Project Angel Food. Every bottle purchased feeds families twice—once at your table, and once through our commitment to those who need it most. We recognize the power our business has to nourish communities, not just consumers. Every jar of sauce sold creates a ripple effect.

We’re proving that the food industry can operate differently. By combining open-source transparency with integrated charitable giving, we’re showing that businesses can be engines for community impact, not just profit extraction. Our model is simple: make exceptional products that are unforgettably delicious, share everything openly, and ensure that success lifts everyone up.

This is what happens when a food company puts people before margins. Join us in proving that profit and purpose aren’t just compatible—they’re inseparable.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Transparency is the foundation of everything we do at Harry’s Famous Sauce. Our open-source model means consumers know exactly what’s in their food—and even have the option to recreate our products at home using the recipes we publish freely on our website. Being an open-source food company means we have nothing to hide. We’re challenging the status quo of highly processed packaged foods by delivering products crafted with care, integrity, and recognizable ingredients customers can trust. Everyone deserves convenient, nutritious food that’s also delicious, and we’re proving that’s possible – without compromise. By focusing on simple, real ingredients and bold flavor, we believe The Open Food Company can help shift the way we eat for the better.
As both a working mom and a long-time food advocate for equity and access, I’ve seen firsthand how difficult it is to find high-quality, ready-to-use products that aren’t overloaded with additives designed for profit or shelf life. We want to change that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Start where I started—in Pasadena. Breakfast at Pie N Burger, then lose yourself in the beautiful aisles of Vroman’s Bookstore with a chai from Urth Café. Spend the afternoon at the Huntington Gardens wandering among masterpieces and botanical treasures, followed by lunch at Julienne in San Marino. Cap it off antiquing on Fair Oaks, then hit the taco truck parked just north of California—hands down, the best tacos in LA.

But here’s my real advice: stop trying to see all of LA in one trip. Pick a neighborhood and dive deep. LA isn’t a city you drive through—it’s a collection of communities, each with its own soul, flavors, and stories. The magic isn’t in checking boxes; it’s in slowing down enough to taste it, feel it, and connect with it.

Choose one neighborhood. Spend a day there. Eat like a local, not a tourist. That’s when you’ll discover the LA that lives beyond the guidebooks—and that’s the LA worth knowing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
LA Food Policy Council.

My time serving on the LA Food Policy Council from 2010-2015 fundamentally changed how I approach business. Working alongside visionary leaders like Paula Daniels—now heading LA’s Office of Food Equity—I witnessed firsthand the deep inequities in our food system and the communities struggling with access to nutritious food. That experience didn’t just inspire me; it demanded action.

Website: https://harrysfamous.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrysfamoussauce/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-guilbault-2208b55a/