From Dorm Room to Startup: Harvard Student Launches Product to Cut Food Waste

BOSTON — A Harvard Grad student with an interest in mitigating food waste comes up with a solution to one of his own problems. With the help of a local business owner and mentor, he created a product that he hopes others will not only enjoy—but also share his mission.

“I eat a lot of hummus,” said Brian Youngblood, creator of Prest.

Brian Youngblood loves to indulge in the dip, but more often than not, he would end up throwing out whatever he didn’t finish because after about a week, the leftover hummus was spoiled.

“And it’s a lot of waste of food, it’s a lot of money, and so I thought, maybe there’s another way I can make this product where it’s easier to make on demand only when you want it, it lasts a lot longer, and it’s even higher quality than the store-bought stuff because you’re making it fresh.”

The Harvard Business School student bought equipment and started testing recipes in his dorm room.

“So I was soaking chickpeas, boiling, dehydrating, and grinding them into a flour, and then mixing all the components,” said Youngblood.

But Harvard found out about Brian’s cooking equipment and informed him he couldn’t be using it in his dorm. That’s where Peter Gladstone stepped in to help.

“We have a perfectly good kitchen for students to use,” said owner of Masshole Donuts Peter Gladstone. “And as long as they leave it the way they found it, we’re happy to let them sort of work out of here and work on their creations.”

The owner of Masshole Donuts in Somerville is also part of Harvard’s Innovation Lab, helping students interested in entrepreneurship. The innovation lab provides free resources to students, and in Brian’s case, the use of Peter’s kitchen.

“This entrepreneurial journey, there’s so many ups and downs, and if you don’t have a good support system and you’re not tough enough to fight through those lows, you’re never going to make it,” said Gladstone.

After a lot of trial and error—and taste testing—Brian came up with Prest: a resealable pouch filled with ready-to-use chickpea powder. When water and olive oil are added to whatever amount is desired, fresh hummus is instantly created.

“It lasts over two years in the package before you make it, and you can make it in the exact quantities you want to eat at any given time,” said Youngblood. “Beyond that, you’re reducing food waste, you’re saving money, and supporting a small brand.”

From one small business to another, Peter says 90% of entrepreneurs fail, and that’s why he’s made it his mission to help students succeed.

“We’re a four-person company, and we’re the big company helping the little company of one person,” said Gladstone. “That’s how entrepreneurship works. That’s how small businesses work—we support each other.”

“It’s a very lonely pursuit building a business, especially one that’s one person,” said Youngblood. “So having others who have done it before behind you, helping you through it, is super critical.”

Brian worked with a graduate student from the BU School of Design to create the packaging. He launched Prest this spring and plans to spend the summer talking to other businesses and getting his product out there to share both his creation and his mission of reducing food waste.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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