Founder: Mayssa Chehata
Mayssa has always had a serious sweet tooth. Growing up, she lived in a household that was strict when it came to candy (her father was diabetic), which only strengthened her love of sweets. As she got older, the experience of eating candy changed. Mayssa became more conscious of her health, but would give into her candy cravings, end up bingeing, and then feel terrible afterwards. She wasn't willing to give up candy, so she decided to look for healthier options. Mayssa couldn't find what she was looking for, which led her to start thinking about how to bring a healthier candy to market. Thus, BEHAVE was born.
BEHAVE Candy sells lower sugar, lower net carb, and lower calorie gummies direct-to-consumer on its ecommerce site. The candy is a better-for-you option that boasts all natural ingredients and chef-crafted, inventive flavors. Mayssa teamed up with celebrity chef, Elizabeth Falkner, to make sure her healthy candy tastes incredible. The two landed on some premium flavors that are still reminiscent of traditional candy from childhood, such as lychee, passionfruit, and raspberry. The gummies are naturally sweetened with monk fruit, which allows each package to have only 3g sugar, 6g net carb, and 90 cals.
"I knew that I'm not the type of founder that would be able to just go in the kitchen and make this myself, but I really felt that to create a better-for-you candy, it was going to have to taste incredible. I really felt like the taste of this was going to be the key to success because at the end of the day, it is still an indulgence. People are still turning to candy for that moment of joy." - Mayssa
Sources: Forbes, Confectionarynews, Candy Industry, DORÉ, BEHAVE website