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Driven by a passion for food and a desire to make a difference, UNB alum Seema Sanghavi founded a global social enterprise that’s feeding millions—one apron at a time. Her journey from the classroom to the kitchen supply chain is a testament to purpose-driven entrepreneurship.

When Seema Sanghavi (BEd’06) arrived at the University of New Brunswick’s (UNB) Fredericton campus to pursue her bachelor of education degree, she didn’t know she was laying the groundwork for a business that would one day provide over two million meals to people in need.

“I grew up in Moncton, and my older sister was a professor at UNB,” Sanghavi said. “So I was already familiar with the university. I had done my business degree in Halifax, but after a few years in the corporate world, I realized I wanted to do something more meaningful. That’s what led me to UNB.”

Sanghavi fast-tracked her BEd, focusing on high school mathematics, and soon found herself teaching in the U.K. and later back in Moncton.

“I loved helping students, especially those who struggled with math,” she says. “But I also felt like my own growth had plateaued. I wanted to keep learning and find a way to make a broader impact.”

That desire eventually led her to pursue an MBA in Toronto, and later to a career in digital marketing. But it wasn’t until a trip to India for a wedding in 2016 that the seeds of her future business were planted.

“I visited an NGO that trained women from rural villages to become seamstresses,” she said.

“I was so moved by their stories. I remember thinking, ‘I don’t know how yet, but I want to help.’ I didn’t want it to be just a memory—I wanted to do something real.”

A few years later, Sanghavi founded Cooks Who Feed, a social enterprise that produces ethically made kitchen linens—aprons, totes, and more—while supporting food security initiatives worldwide.

For every apron sold, the company donates the equivalent of 100 meals through national and international charity partners.

“I’ve always loved cooking,” Sanghavi says. “I learned when I was six. My parents, who are Indian immigrants, encouraged me to pursue a more traditional career path, but food was always my passion. With Cooks Who Feed, I found a way to bring that love of food together with my desire to help others.”

The company’s products are made in India at a facility Sanghavi helped establish in 2022.

“We hire women from the village, provide paid training, and pay fair wages,” she said. “The woman who runs our production facility was actually my first hire—someone I worked with at our original manufacturer. She now owns part of the business.”

Launching a business just before the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t easy.

“I left my corporate job in 2019, thinking we’d focus on hospitality clients,” Sanghavi said. “Then everything shut down. Our production in India was hit hard by lockdowns. It was a really tough time.”

But Sanghavi pivoted, focusing on direct-to-consumer sales and expanding into corporate gifting and branded merchandise.

“We started working with restaurants, tourism companies, and even chefs who wanted to design their own aprons,” she said. “That’s been a huge part of our growth.”

Today, Cooks Who Feed partners with celebrity chefs such as Christine Cushing and Art Smith (Oprah Winfrey’s former personal chef), who design aprons that are sold under their names.

“We only work with chefs who share our values,” Sanghavi said. “Many of them are already involved in food security work, so it’s a natural fit.”

The company’s impact is impressive: over two million meals provided and counting.

“We do quarterly audits with our charity partners,” Sanghavi explained. “Every sale is tracked, and we make sure the donations match. In fact, each apron provides 107 meals, but we round it down to 100 for simplicity.”

Sanghavi recently pitched Cooks Who Feed on CBC’s Dragon’s Den, a surreal experience for a long-time fan of the show.

“I can’t share the outcome yet,” she said with a smile, “but it was an incredible experience.”

Despite the challenges, Sanghavi says she wouldn’t change a thing.

“I feel really lucky that everything came together the way it did. I’m not a chef, but I get to work with chefs. I’m not sewing the aprons, but I’m helping create jobs for women. And I’m still feeding people—just in a different way.”

As for her advice to current UNB students and recent grads?

“Don’t stay in a job that doesn’t make you happy,” she said.

“Find something you’re passionate about and pursue it even if it doesn’t look like the traditional path. You can create your own way. That’s what I did."