Meet Jason Rosenbaum | Co-CEO & Co-Founder, Actual Veggies

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

Hi Jason, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Honestly, starting Actual Veggies was really personal for me. It wasn’t just about launching a business—it was about creating something I actually wanted and needed in my own life. I had cut out meat for health reasons and was looking for a clean, restaurant-quality veggie burger that wasn’t trying to mimic meat or loaded with processed ingredients. But I couldn’t find one. Everything on the market was either highly processed or just didn’t taste great.

That’s when I realized there was a real gap in the market. I wanted to make something that put real vegetables first, something that wasn’t pretending to be anything else—just fresh, simple, and packed with flavor. It started as a passion project, but the more I talked to people, the more I saw that others wanted the same thing. So I took the leap, found the right co-founders, and turned the idea into a real brand.

At the end of the day, I started Actual Veggies because I wanted a better option for myself, and I knew others would appreciate it too. It’s been amazing to see how much people resonate with the idea of eating whole, real food, and I’m proud that we’re bringing something different to the plant-based space.

What should our readers know about your business?
Building Actual Veggies wasn’t my first attempt at starting a business—it was actually the result of a long road of “failed” ventures that, in reality, were just stepping stones. Each one taught me a different skill set, from “right market fit” to teaming up with complimentary founding partners. Those experiences, while not always successful in the traditional sense, gave me the foundation to finally build something that stuck.

One of the biggest things that sets me apart as an entrepreneur is my unwillingness to give up—but also my ability to recognize when it’s time to move on. That’s a tough balance. A lot of people get stuck holding onto a business idea for too long, either because of ego, fear, or the belief that persistence will eventually win out. But sometimes, the best decision you can make is to walk away and apply what you’ve learned to something new. That ability—to push forward relentlessly, but also to step back when needed—is what ultimately led me to Actual Veggies.

What excites me most about Actual Veggies is that it’s a completely different take on plant-based eating. When I cut out meat for health reasons, I realized there was no clean, whole-food veggie burger that truly let vegetables shine. Everything on the market was either highly processed or trying too hard to mimic meat. So I set out to create something that was real, simple, and delicious—made with fresh veggies, beans, and spices, nothing else. That core idea—of making vegetables the star—resonated with people, and that’s why we’ve been able to grow.

But getting here wasn’t easy. One of the biggest challenges in starting any business is the time it takes to go from idea to market. Most people underestimate just how long and grueling that process is. I’ve always had a knack for taking an idea and executing quickly, pushing it across the finish line when so many others get stuck. Whether it’s figuring out packaging, distribution, or getting on retail shelves, I don’t wait—I make things happen.

If there’s one thing I want people to know about Actual Veggies and my journey, it’s that every so-called failure is really just training for what’s next. The key is staying persistent, learning from each experience, and knowing when to double down or when to pivot. Actual Veggies is the culmination of everything I’ve learned along the way, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’re building.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting, we’d start the day with a Runyon Canyon hike, there is nothing like hiking in LA! After that, we’d hit Erewhon for a smoothie and to browse all the insane, next-level health products. From there, we’d head to Malibu, grab lunch at Nobu Malibu for the food and of course views. Later, we’d walk over to Crossroads Kitchen for my favorite plant-based dinner. Hopefully the next day we would be up for waiting in line at Courage bagels so they could get the full spectrum experience of the LA food scene (which is very important to me).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
One of the biggest shoutouts has to go to Big Idea Ventures. They were the first check in, the first real outside validation that what we were building at Actual Veggies had potential. They put us through their five-month accelerator program, alongside 12 other CPG and food tech startups, and that experience was like going to grad school for running a CPG company.

What’s crazy is that during the interview process, we had to send them product samples—and this was one of the first times we had ever shipped our veggie burgers in the mail. Let’s just say…it did not go well. By the time they arrived, the burgers were completely inedible, falling apart, and basically looked like soup. It was a disaster. But instead of writing us off, they still took a chance on us. They believed in our vision, our mission, and our founding team, even though our product wasn’t quite there yet.

That investment and accelerator experience gave us the building blocks of our business. We learned so much, made incredible connections, and had access to mentors and resources that shaped how we approached scaling Actual Veggies. That early support—both financially and educationally—played a huge role in getting us to where we are today.

So a massive shoutout to Big Idea Ventures for believing in us before anyone else did. We might have had a messy start, but their trust and investment helped turn Actual Veggies into a real, thriving brand!

Website: https://actualveggies.com/

Instagram: @actualveggies

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosenbaumjason/

Image Credits
Cassi Rosenbaum, Jason Rosenbaum, Hailey Swartz, Caroline Gartshore, Spencer Milliard