Ever thought of using jam to make your meals, snacks, and cocktails more flavorful? That’s My Jam makes pectin-free and low sugar jams for all your jammin' needs. After filling up her car full of strawberries with no idea on what to do with them, founder MarQuita Pettis began her journey of making jam recipes.
MarQuita was selected as a seed capital recipient after participating in the Lab at ICA, our seed-level business mentorship program. This investment was made using the ICA Impact Note, our innovative investment structure that partners with entrepreneurs to prioritize social impact – like good jobs and employee wealth creation – as they grow their business.
"Being an entrepreneur is a constant game of pivoting and figuring things out on the spot. It has forced me to let my perfectionism go and quickly taught me my strengths and weaknesses." – MarQuita Pettis
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What inspired you to start your company? During the height of the pandemic, I made a trip to the farm, and they were selling strawberries for $1 per pint and for some reason, I felt that I needed them all. So, I had a car full of strawberries that I didn’t know what to do with. People suggested that I should make jam, and that's what I did. I started researching recipes and saw that it was one cup of sugar to one cup of fruit. Fruit is already sweet so why were we adding so much sugar? So I started creating my own recipes — mixing flavors and experimenting with creations that were low in sugar and pectin-free.
What has been your biggest challenge as an entrepreneur? I like that my journey as an entrepreneur has been an adventure. A big part of that adventure is experiencing every unfamiliar step of the journey and growing from that. It’s a constant game of pivoting and figuring things out on the spot. It has forced me to let my perfectionism go and quickly taught me my strengths and weaknesses.
What’s next for your company? We are going to be focusing on expanding our team and our production over the next 2 years, and launching some new offerings!
What was the most surprising thing about your journey with ICA? It opened my eyes to just how many other people took the leap and launched their own businesses within our community. I think we are so accustomed to seeing the brand that we don’t always see the people behind the brands.
What are the impact note metrics you’re focused on achieving? We want to focus on hiring new folks and expanding the team, and building the wealth of our community by giving back. This is where education is important as well — we want to engage children in the community through more That’s My Jam programming.
Founder MarQuita Pettis joined the Lab at ICA in 2023. Follow That's My Jam on Instagram to stay updated on upcoming flavor launches and visit www.thatsmyjamcompany.com to order from the current small-batch releases now. MarQuita is a Lab at ICA alumni, our seed-stage accelerator program designed for early-stage businesses generating revenue and looking to develop a plan to strategically grow.
In the News
The Founder of This Bay Area Jam Company Says Fruit Spreads Aren’t Just for Breakfast Toast, The Bold Italic, August 19, 2022
