Innovator Voices: Herbaland Founders Aisha Yang and Musharaf Syed
When Aisha Yang and Musharaf Syed started their Vancouver-based nutra-pharmaceutical business to support their growing family, they could not have imagined that Herbaland would become Canada’s leading manufacturer of gummies with over 600 vitamins and private label and Herbaland brand nutrients. rich snacks. With Yang’s sales and marketing experience and Syed’s engineering and production experience, the pair have built a market-leading global phenomenon based on their ingenuity and adherence to professional and personal values.
Q: None of you had experience with gummy supplements. Why did you decide to create Herbaland?
Yang: In 2009, when we had our third child, we realized that we had no work-life balance. We decided to start something on our side to solve this problem. We wanted a health product not just for those in North America, but that would meet dietary restrictions around the world. That’s why we chose erasers; they can be enjoyed all over the world. We really wanted to create something that was global. We started by buying from a supplier, but in 2013 we started manufacturing for ourselves. Over the past three years, we’ve seen the gummy category grow three to five times.
Q: Herbaland’s gummy products are suitable for many customers, including those who are vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free. Why is this a key part of your business?
Sied: We build with an inclusive mindset. We have many international customers in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. We need a product that meets all government and cultural requirements. When we say vegan, that means we don’t use gelatin. Our gummies are pectin-based, allowing them to be shipped to countries with very high temperatures without compromising the active ingredients. Pectin is not only acceptable for vegetarians and vegans, it also meets religious restrictions for Halal or Kosher customers.
Q: Herbaland’s recent rebrand includes fully compostable packaging. Why did you want to lead the market in this innovative way?
Yang: The rebrand allows us to be more aggressive in communicating our sustainability mission. We are in the process of becoming B Corp certified, which means taking corporate social responsibility. One of our main goals was to introduce waste-free and plastic-free packaging by the end of 2025 – we introduced our sustainable packaging two years ahead of schedule! We also use stainless steel molds in our manufacturing. Our machines save a lot of water and energy, and we force this as an industry trend. We are definitely the first in the nutra-pharma market to offer a zero plastic solution.
Q: Your company is driven by its core values of sustainability, inclusiveness and community. Why do you stay true to these values?
Yang: We have 200 employees who speak 27 different languages, which we are very proud of. We want to do the right thing for our employees who are trying to raise their families like we do. Taking care of our team is the first step, but we also give back to our community. For example, we donated 37,000 bottles of gummies to frontline workers during the pandemic. In addition to giving back to people, we want to make sure we’re giving back to the planet. We are very grateful for the energy of our Herbaland team. It is the magic that makes us grow.
Learn more about Herbaland vitamins and gummies.
