I still vividly remember that period of time growing up in Fez, Morocco, on a 5 acre shared residential Olive tree cooperative, where every resident’s home had a front and back yard, which most of the neighbors, converted it into plantations of several varieties of fruit trees, small vegetable gardens, ornamentals, herbs, as well as beautifully designed and landscaped communal areas.

The place I was living in felt to me like a vast playground, where freedom of play was always associated with adventurous and often precarious activities, involving tree climbing, bicycle riding, soccer, marbles, Wooden spinning top, running around, jumping off into neighbors pools, building structures made from found debris, and picking ripe fruits which seemed to be always at my reach, even if I wasn’t always allowed to eat them. I liked to think that our friendly neighbors never seemed to mind sharing the succulent and so tempting fruits still hanging on the trees, which we rarely missed the occasion to taste. The rush brought from the experience of climbing the tree and feasting on it for hours was liberating. Abundance was around, and it felt natural to lead a life in such a way; The only way I knew. I also remember my father throwing me an apple to catch, eating grapes by the bunch, or the way he sliced a deliciously juicy melon in the hot summer, and shared the even wedges with the entire family reunited around the table. Oftentimes, all I ate during the day was fruits, and I never felt like I needed to depend on much more than that for survival. It gave me the daily energy and the vitality I so eagerly needed to discover the world around me, and this energy was for me an eternal delight.

Later throughout my life, I realized that not everyone shared the same tasting palate for fresh fruits and vegetables, and quickly was faced with accepting the reality of a commercialised food system that made financial gains at the expense of consumers’ health and well being, so I made it my life mission to try to change that, by building a company that will make a positive impact on people’s life, and give them their freedom back.