Arts
Leeann Rybakov grew up in Kiev, Ukraine, where buckwheat is ubiquitous on every table. And while her mom continued to serve it once they moved to the United States, Leeann didn’t see it around all that much -- not that she really thought about it anyway. After working for eight years at her family’s logistics company, her husband encouraged her to follow her passion for cooking and attend culinary school and launch a food company. Enter buckwheat. As she toiled away on concepts for a healthy bowl company, she started making “noshes” to keep herself energized. She didn’t think much of these buckwheat-based, no sugar snacks until a friend stopped by one day. As he devoured one after the other, he yelled, “buckWHAT?!” and the rest, as they say, is history. I talk to Leeann about the current challenges she’s facing, what she wishes she’d known before launching and what it’s like to have a baby while you’re also bootstrapping a business. She also gives me the skinny on buckwheat, including how to enjoy it if you’ve never dabbled and the myriad of health benefits associated. Full show notes: wecouldmakethat.com/buckwhat