The Ripple Effect: Lentiful

When Ben Bacon started Lentiful in 2022, he wasn’t trying to compete in an already crowded food category. He was trying to create a new one.

After years in corporate America, Ben saw a gap in the plant-based food world: there were plenty of bars, snacks and frozen meals, but no convenient, ready-to-eat lentil meals designed for busy consumers. Lentils were nutritious, affordable and packed with plant-based protein, yet they had not been modernized in a way that felt fun, easy or craveable.

Ben saw an opportunity to change that.

Lentiful launched with a simple promise: healthy, plant-based meals ready in just one minute. The branding was bright, bold and playful by design. Ben didn’t want the product to feel like another serious, earthy health food brand. He wanted Lentiful to stand out, spark curiosity and make lentils feel exciting to a new generation of consumers.

Early on, Ben leaned heavily into direct-to-consumer sales to build momentum. Social media ads on Facebook and Instagram helped introduce the product, but customer feedback became one of the brand’s most powerful growth tools. People were commenting that Lentiful had become their favorite lunch or something they ate multiple times a week. That kind of social proof helped drive online sales and gave the brand credibility before it ever reached major retail shelves.

Retailers noticed quickly. Within a year of launching, Lentiful secured placements with The Fresh Market, Thrive Market and Whole Foods, with Walmart soon following. Ben’s clear product proposition, bold branding and strong base of customer reviews made it easier for buyers to understand the opportunity.

As Lentiful grew, Ben stayed close to the people buying the product. Even as the business became more complex, he continued reading customer emails and monitoring social channels himself. That direct connection helped him understand what people loved, what they needed and why the product mattered in their everyday lives.

Like many founders, Ben had to grow into the CEO role while building the company. In the beginning, he handled nearly everything himself, from bookkeeping to supply chain management. Over time, he began building a team to support the next stage of growth, while carrying forward the lessons he learned by doing the work firsthand.

Naturally Colorado played an important role in helping shape that journey. Before launching Lentiful, Ben had attended Naturally Colorado pitch slams and found inspiration in watching other entrepreneurs take the stage. When he started his own company, he joined the organization to connect with the region’s deep network of natural products founders, mentors and emerging brands.

Through Naturally Colorado, Ben found practical guidance on scaling operations, managing inventory and preparing for retail growth. Just as importantly, he found reassurance. The community helped him see that he was not building alone and that others had faced — and solved — similar challenges before him.

That support became even more visible in 2024, when Lentiful won Naturally Colorado’s pitch competition and the People’s Choice Award. The recognition helped shine a brighter spotlight on the Broomfield-based brand, supporting major growth in retail presence and e-commerce momentum.

Ben has described the pitch slam as one of the most important moments in Lentiful’s early visibility. After winning the regional competition, the brand was recognized at Expo West, putting Lentiful in front of investors, industry leaders and national natural products audiences at a critical stage of growth.

Today, Lentiful continues to build on that momentum. With a growing presence in Whole Foods nationwide, more than 370 Walmart stores and strong direct-to-consumer sales, Ben has created a brand that combines innovation with practicality and playfulness.

The story of Lentiful is a reminder that category innovation does not happen in isolation. It takes a clear idea, a deep understanding of the customer and a community that can offer guidance, encouragement and connection at the right moments.

Naturally Colorado helped provide the mentorship, visibility and collaborative support that allowed Lentiful to grow from a bold homegrown concept into a nationally recognized on-the-go meal brand — proof that when founders are surrounded by the right ecosystem, even a humble lentil can become something much bigger.