When American Licorice Company acquired the Torie & Howard Organic Candy brand in 2021, we were thrilled to also welcome the woman behind the magic: Torie Burke. This International Women’s Day, we’re proud to shine light on the grit and passion she put in to building a successful brand, and how she continues to innovate and inspire.
From Fruition
Torie and her business partner, Howard, were equally driven by their passion for improving their overall health and wellbeing. Torie suffered from severe food allergies and struggled to find something sweet as a treat after meals or throughout the day. Similarly, Howard faced the challenge of losing weight and struggled to find better-for-you goodies that made sense for his new lifestyle. They searched all over for cleaner confections, but they just weren’t finding them. “Low and behold, we decided to just do it ourselves,” says Torie.
They knew they wanted to make something flavorful and different. They began with unique profiles that combined flavors like pomegranate & nectarine and d’anjou pear & cinnamon. “We thought we’d make it interesting and have fun flavors,” says Torie. “So we did so with organic hard candy, and then we moved throughout the years to chewy candy.”
Finding Purpose
The Torie & Howard brand is driven by the purpose of Inspiring Organic Well-Being from Source to Self. “We’re really inspiring well-being and improving people’s diets by providing a better-for-you candy,” Torie explains, “and treating the world a little bit better, and inspiring people to continue with organic farming and improving our planet.”
Torie & Howard’s choice to specifically create organic candy came from a desire to invest in their own health, and in the health of all of us. “We know that it’s a cleaner ingredient deck and we also know that it’s better for the planet to support organic farming,” says Torie. Equally important was the desire to be a “full circle better-for-you, better-for-the-planet company.”
Staying Inspired
Since joining the American Licorice family, Torie’s role has evolved to one which focuses entirely on developing new products. With a proven track record of innovating amazing treats, we wanted to know what she thinks is key to continued innovation. “Throughout my career, I have had roles which demanded robust creativity and often required me to think ‘out of the box.’,” Torie shares.
“I find the challenges of innovation to be quite inspiring, [and] therefore this role has been a natural fit for me; it’s where I truly find excitement in my work.” She went on to say that “Here at [American Licorice], our team’s dedication is unsurpassed. I’m consistently inspired to contribute to the teamwork it takes to achieve our goals.”
When asked what she would say to encourage other young female innovators who are looking to make an impact on the world, Torie provided a short list. In true Torie fashion, we found these tips to be as sweet and humble as they are profound:
Focus on yourself first to find your authentic passion or vision – either within your role or not – whichever makes you more comfortable in the early exploration of your pursuit
The best way to become effective and make change is to practice the effort. Sometimes it’s not successful for whatever reason and that is part of the process.
Do your best to remain driven toward your goals. Remember it takes time, and to keep your connections from everywhere you have made them. It is shocking how many opportunities in life are intertwined and lead to each other as you travel through any pursuit.
Being able to reach out for help is mandatory. Practice this often and remember it’s a two-way street.
More Than Candy
Just as Torie believes that reaching out for help is a necessary part of life, she believes that extending a helping hand to someone who needs it is equally important. The Torie & Howard brand has worked closely with local food banks and community organizations, including the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House, the Drug and Crime Free Youth Foundation, The Wounded Warrior Project, and the LA Regional Food Bank. Of these efforts, Torie says, “We are proud of our efforts but there is more work to be done. We are focusing on increasing our community efforts and will remain dedicated for years to come.”
The Torie & Howard brand has donated over 8,200 pounds of candy, and we look forward to seeing what the brand (and Torie!) does next. The American Licorice family is extremely proud to have Torie on the team, to create new and exciting products and flavors, and to inspire our young female leaders. Cheers to Women’s History Month, and cheers to continued innovation!
