Oat Haus was launched in 2017 by Ali Bonar and Eric Katz, creators of the world’s first spreadable granola (a.k.a. granola butter). Ali, CEO of Oat Haus, personally struggled with a variety of eating disorders from her teenage years to her mid-20s and even after graduating from college with a nutrition degree. What started as a pure passion for healthy eating turned into an unhealthy obsession as Ali left for college, causing Ali to feel incapable of loving her own body and obsess over eating only clean foods. Eventually, she sought the support of a nutritional therapist who helped shift her perspective on food, and also decided to start an Instagram account to hold herself accountable through her recovery.

When Ali began to reintroduce her “fear foods” into her diet, she discovered that her stomach was no longer able to tolerate nut butter. Surprisingly, she wasn’t able to find any alternative nut-free spreads that resonated with or appealed to her. As a result, Ali began experimenting with various ingredients on nights and weekends, blending up oats and realizing — to her pleasant surprise — that they made the perfect spread. She knew she had to share them with the world. Once she had a formulation she was happy with, Ali and co-founder Eric launched the granola butter direct-to-consumer, simultaneously moving from San Francisco to San Diego to focus full-time on the business. Placements in Erewhon Market and Whole Foods were followed by a nationwide collaboration with Pressed Juicery and a Shark Tank appearance in October 2021. Through Oat Haus, Ali and Eric have helped others navigate their own relationships with food and live out their best lives.