Oatley, an overnight oats business created by Canyon Crest Academy students, was recently named the Junior Achievement of San Diego County’s Company of the Year.
Oatley’s founders Acun Kaya, Cala Ko, Roha Rupareliya and Sabine Chung will now go on to compete in the national Junior Achievement (JA) Future Bound summit at Georgia State University next month, sharing their jars of oats that make for a quick, delicious breakfast or snack on the go.
Nearly 800 students across the San Diego region engaged in the JA curriculum this school year, developing and running their own companies and sharpening their financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills. A total of 125 students pitched their business ventures at the May 1 Company of the Year competition, representing Canyon Crest Academy, Torrey Pines High School, e3 Civic High, Oceanside High, Chula Vista Learning Community Charter and CETYS.
With Oatley, the students hoped to satisfy the “growing demand for quick, nutritious meals that are both convenient and beneficial for the body.” Their jars of oats blended with chia seeds come in different flavors like the original with brown sugar and granola toppings, apple cinnamon, salted caramel crunch and the most popular, chocolate. Limited edition flavors included peanut butter and a matcha flavor offered on St. Patrick’s Day.
They sold products through their Instagram @Oatley.oat, where their social media presence is creative and playful. Over the last few months, each founder shared how they enjoy their oats: Roha preps hers with a cup of milk and pops it in the fridge overnight, Cala tops hers with fresh fruit and chocolate cereal, Sabine mixes Oatley with Greek yogurt in the morning, and Acun adds water and microwaves it.
The group also sold Oatley in pop-up shops in the CCA school parking lot and at Ballet Arte in Solana Beach. At the JA competition, they shared that they have sold 777 jars (at $5 a pop or $18 for a 4-jar bundle) and have restocked to continue selling oats even after their win.
With sustainability in mind, Oatley’s clean jar initiative is good for 25 cents off a customer’s next order when they return a used jar. And recognizing the importance of giving back, 10% of their profits go to Food4Kids, a program of the San Diego Food Bank.
“In my future, I really hope to be a small business owner,” said Sabine in a JA press release. “This experience has been amazing. I’ve really learned how to build my confidence and pitch myself to so many people, whether it’s classmates, a teacher, or judges from different companies.”
Oatley wasn’t the only local student start-up to make their mark in the Company of the Year competition. Sweet & Simple, a Torrey Pines business that makes cookie and cake kits, came in second place. The company was led by students Bridget Kenney, Zoe Jackel Katie Bauer and Grace Livingston.
Simply Sprouted, another Torrey Pines company, won the Social Impact Award. The company that makes DIY herb growing kits was created by students Ioanna Mellos, Manha Agarwal, Arielle Feco and Kayla Yoo.
