Copyright Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Miyoko Schinner, the founder and namesake of Petaluma-based vegan dairy brand Miyoko’s Creamery, said her bid to buy back the company she started more than a decade ago was unsuccessful. After fundraising and crowdsourcing money to buy her company back, Schinner said on LinkedIn that the company chose a higher bidder instead of her. “The company that bears my name went to someone else with a higher bid,” Schinner said in the post. “While they may have deeper pockets, I may have deeper connections with the community. At the end of the day, I’d rather take that to my grave than a pile of money.” The sale came after Miyoko’s Creamery entered a court-supervised process to sell its assets and pay off debts, according to industry outlet AgFunderNews. The process, similar to a bankruptcy, was managed by Resolution Financial Advisors, which collected bids earlier this month. Schinner founded Miyoko’s Creamery in 2014 and saw the company — which makes vegan cheese and butter alternatives now sold in thousands of grocery stores nationwide — grow into a leading name in plant-based foods. The company gained a national following for its cashew-based cheese wheels and cultured butters. She was removed as CEO in 2022 after what she described as conflict “around the best path forward for future growth while continuing to live our values.” The board later said it sought a CEO with more traditional business experience, while Schinner said her ouster reflected philosophical differences. Since her departure, Miyoko’s Creamery has continued operations under new leadership, keeping her name and branding even as Schinner launched new ventures focused on ethical entrepreneurship. In October, as the company entered the sale process, Schinner launched a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $103,000 from supporters hoping she could reclaim the brand. Her bid proved unsuccessful, she said Monday night, citing limited time and fundraising constraints that made it difficult to compete with corporate buyers. As of Tuesday evening, Miyoko’s Creamery had not confirmed the sale of the brand or named a buyer. Neither Schinner nor a company representative could be reached for more information.
