Full Name
Aishwarya Iyer
Job Title
Founder & CEO
Company
Brightland
Speaker Bio
Aishwarya is the founder and CEO of Brightland, the AAPI-founded California-made cult-favorite pantry essentials brand known for making the freshest, highest-quality olive oils, honeys, and vinegars on the market.
While living in New York, Aishwarya and her partner began cooking more meals at home as a means to live a healthier lifestyle, during which the two realized almost every night they both would be met with an uncomfortable stomach ache not knowing what was to blame. Eliminating item after item, they eventually identified the culprit – olive oil. Aishwarya immediately began researching all things olive oil only to discover just how corrupt the industry was. To her surprise, there was an extreme lack of transparency from harvesting to bottling, to selling.
After moving to California, Aishwarya began taking classes at the UC Davis Olive Center and started visiting coastal farms on the weekends solely as a passion project. Learning everything from different olive varietals to identifying tasting notes, Aishwarya began to fall even more deeply in love with the art of olive oil and began truly considering what it could look like for her to get involved. In 2018, Aishwarya decided to turn her passion project into something bigger, setting out to build Brightland from the ground up with a goal to champion quality California olive oil that was also elevated.
Since the brand’s bootstrapped inception nearly 5 years ago which started with just two hero olive oils (AWAKE and ALIVE), the company has expanded their offerings to include infused olive oils, naturally fermented vinegars, consciously crafted honeys and sought-after brand collaborations (i.e. Oishii, Burlap & Barrel, Atelier Saucier, Food52 and more) that are a testament to the brand’s mission where trust and traceability remain a top priority.
Previously, Aishwarya spent over a decade in public affairs and corporate communications at various technology companies in both New York City and LA. She started her career at L’Oreal in the luxury products division at Lancome, and is a graduate of NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Aishwarya was born in India, grew up in Texas, and now lives in LA with her husband and dogs, Crosby and Madison.
While living in New York, Aishwarya and her partner began cooking more meals at home as a means to live a healthier lifestyle, during which the two realized almost every night they both would be met with an uncomfortable stomach ache not knowing what was to blame. Eliminating item after item, they eventually identified the culprit – olive oil. Aishwarya immediately began researching all things olive oil only to discover just how corrupt the industry was. To her surprise, there was an extreme lack of transparency from harvesting to bottling, to selling.
After moving to California, Aishwarya began taking classes at the UC Davis Olive Center and started visiting coastal farms on the weekends solely as a passion project. Learning everything from different olive varietals to identifying tasting notes, Aishwarya began to fall even more deeply in love with the art of olive oil and began truly considering what it could look like for her to get involved. In 2018, Aishwarya decided to turn her passion project into something bigger, setting out to build Brightland from the ground up with a goal to champion quality California olive oil that was also elevated.
Since the brand’s bootstrapped inception nearly 5 years ago which started with just two hero olive oils (AWAKE and ALIVE), the company has expanded their offerings to include infused olive oils, naturally fermented vinegars, consciously crafted honeys and sought-after brand collaborations (i.e. Oishii, Burlap & Barrel, Atelier Saucier, Food52 and more) that are a testament to the brand’s mission where trust and traceability remain a top priority.
Previously, Aishwarya spent over a decade in public affairs and corporate communications at various technology companies in both New York City and LA. She started her career at L’Oreal in the luxury products division at Lancome, and is a graduate of NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Aishwarya was born in India, grew up in Texas, and now lives in LA with her husband and dogs, Crosby and Madison.
Speaking At
