A Cashew King’s Compelling Rise From Couch to Culinary Star
A little over a decade ago, Joshua D. Velasquez called his aunt’s sofa in the Bronx his home while attempting to make something of himself in New York City. At the same time, he struggled with a health issue affecting more than 30% of the U.S. population: lactose intolerance. One day, he had an epiphany: Why not address both problems simultaneously by going into business as a plant-based cheesemaker? Fast-forward to 2025: Velasquez and his partner, Adam R. Hamilton, lead one of the nation’s most respected plant-based food companies … and it all started by finding inspiration in a popular snack. FROM CRUNCH TO CAPITAL In 2014, Velasquez transformed his parents’ basement in Harrisville, New Hampshire, into an ad hoc fermentation lab to develop the perfect non-dairy cheese. After four years of research and development, he succeeded in fermenting plant-based cheese using an uncommon source: cashews. Soon, he and Hamilton launched Clean Simple Foods, Inc. — New England’s first plant-based cheese producer — and brought their creations to market under the brand Nuttin Ordinary. Last year, the duo rebranded their products as Shire’s Naturals.
Unsurprisingly, the clearest sign of the company’s growing success was that Velasquez could finally stop couch surfing. Now based in Peterborough, New Hampshire, Clean Simple Foods, Inc. manufactures its ever-popular items out of an 8,000-square-foot facility. Shire’s Naturals products are available at over 300 food retailers in the Northeast, including Whole Foods and Market Basket. Last year, the company’s sales rose 96% from April through December, marking a dramatic increase in market recognition and profit. A HEALTH-FOCUSED HONOREE With plant-based diets growing in popularity across the U.S., Clean Simple Foods, Inc. continues to generate sales and accolades by delivering goods that live up to its name. Last spring, the company was named the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Small Business Manufacturer of the Year for New Hampshire. In addition to honoring the company for its ingenuity and rapid growth, the SBA’s announcement on the award also credited Velasquez’s resourcefulness in seeking “SBA-backed funding provided by Mascoma Bank, support from the Monadnock Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) [and] the Community Development Finance
Authority (CDFA) funds, and the backing of local investors” to help make his goals a reality.
In addition to consistently seeking financial assistance when needed, Velasquez also benefited from admirable economic foresight. In 2019, long before COVID-19 and today’s concerns over tariffs, he negotiated locked-in rates from his cashew suppliers in Vietnam and South Africa. REVOLUTION THROUGH RAVIOLI Based on its astronomical sales in 2024, it's no surprise that Clean Simple Foods has major plans for the rest of this year and beyond. Its dairy-free ravioli line is set to expand significantly, and the company intends to increase employment opportunities in New England. By focusing on finding solutions to his physical and financial needs, Velasquez began an animal-friendly entrepreneurial adventure that shows no signs of slowing down. If there’s one critical lesson from his meteoric rise in the retail food world, it’s this: Never count out the person living on your couch.
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I didn’t plan on working in personal injury law, but an internship during law school showed me how vital this work is. You’re not just moving papers around or working for a big corporation — you are helping real people through difficult, often life-changing situations. Listening and connecting with people can be as crucial as knowing the law. You learn those skills over time, but the foundation for me was built upon in those days at Binghamton and Hofstra, as well as through all of the part time jobs and internships I had during those years. I ended up finding full time work as a personal injury attorney in 2013 after graduating Hofstra and have not looked back ever since.
Now, life has taken another turn. I have a brand-new baby at home, and some of those old Binghamton friends and I are already talking about a 20-year reunion trip to Binghamton coming up in 2028. Time
really does fly by. If nothing else, it reminds me that the lessons and friendships from your college years stick with you, sometimes in ways you don’t expect. -John G. Papadopoulos
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