InceptionU graduate designs a pet food solution for allergic dogs

If you’ve ever had a dog with allergies (food, environmental or of an unknown cause), you know how troublesome and frustrating this condition can be for your furry family member. Frequent scratching, inflamed hot spots and ear infections are common symptoms, but can progress to more serious skin infections and systemic issues for the dog. 

Being a former health care worker, product designer and innovator, Chitra Bakshi-Bencivenga set out to assess this problem and find solutions for her beloved pug-beagle mix dog, called Aria. 

Diagnosing allergens can be tricky, costly and time-consuming and applying novel protein (such as imported kangaroo meat) or hydrolyzed protein diets can be expensive and exclusive, with lack of certainty that your dog will indeed prefer and opt for these diets. Trying elimination diets, reading long ingredients labels and finding food and treats without artificial ingredients or preservatives can be difficult and time consuming.

With a background in pharmacy and compounding, Chitra took to the kitchen to work on recipes that would be safe (and delicious!) for her pug-beagle mix named Aria. She used things like sardines, omega 3 fats, cantaloupe, carrots, carob chips and molasses, cutting out all egg, dairy, grain, soy, gluten and fillers.  It turns out Aria and her dog’s friend, Ezzy, loved the treats and had no allergic reactions or side effects. Her business idea was born. 

While the Aria and Ezzy business sat on the back burner for a while, Chitra decided to join the Design stream of InceptionU’s TechAdjacent program in the fall of 2023. 

Knowing that she’s a big picture thinker who likes to look at problems from all angles to design solutions that help people (and animals!), she was excited to receive formal design training from our team of expert facilitators. 

“I loved learning about all things design including the vision statement, project charter and compass, experience promise. I’ve been able to use alot of those concepts as I grow and develop my own business,” she says. 

Chitra says she had never experienced a learning environment quite like InceptionU before. The community, the support and encouragement to know herself better proved valuable. 

“This is a true gem of a program. I never did anything like this before, especially working with experienced designers, like Greg Hart, and the Lifepath program with Margo. I have never understood myself so well,” says Chitra.

Through the program, she realized how important it is to work at a company that aligns with her values of education and sustainability. It taught her to carefully assess the impact of every decision in the design process.

“You really need to reflect on the culture and society you want to create. Don’t just think about the product, but the environmental,social and ethical effects,” she adds. 

As the time for her final project drew near, she decided to build out the Aria and Ezzy website, making it a user-freindly online experience and even adding an e-commerce element so she can fulfill orders online. Previously, she had been visiting markets and doing all in-person sales, which is rewarding but also time consuming.

These days, her business is growing and evolving. She’s looking at making a hypoallergenic cookie dough that can be served as a treat or meal topper. It also prevents spoiling and extends the product’s shelf-life, which is a big issue for treats that don’t use preservatives.

“Chitra's self-motivation and dedication truly stood out. It was incredible to watch her design skills improve week after week,” says Ayan Hassan, InceptionU’s program manager. “Her joy for entrepreneurism, combined with her work ethic, are truly impressive. I can't wait to see where her journey takes her next.”

If you’re thinking about joiing InceptionU to further your career in Design, her words of advice:

“This is truly a great starting resource for anyone interested to work in tech and innovation. You learn about KANBAN, SCRUM, Agile principles and Build, Test, Learn from working on difficult client projects with a team - and supporting the work as a team. I have taken so many courses and programs over the years. This program gave me and the cohort an enriching experience that was so real, with customers and deadlines and feedback to implement for next client check-in and support from the start. You have to be here and commit the time needed to learn and reflect and absorb as much as possible. This program is so valuable, go for it!”