On the Record: Belfast entrepreneur cooks up growth plans for recipe-sharing app
Photo / Jim Neuger
Kachina Miller, founder and CEO of a recipe-sharing app called Watermelon Pie, makes the dessert that inspired the name in her Belfast kitchen.
Kachina Miller is the Belfast-based founder and CEO of Watermelon Pie, a recipe-sharing platform that started as a class project in graduate school. She founded the business in November 2023 and leads a team of five people, with big plans for scaling up.
Mainebiz: What sparked your path from health care IT to entrepreneurship?
Kachina Miller: I recently went back to school to earn a master’s of science in management of tech and innovation, fully thinking that I would stay the course in enterprise and health care technology. While I was studying, I took an entrepreneurship class, and it really changed my perspective on what it means to be an entrepreneur. I needed to bring an idea to class to work on and I thought, “Well, I do have this idea” … I pitched the concept for Watermelon Pie to my class and ended up working on it all semester with a group of other students.
MB: How is your app different from other recipe-sharing platforms?
KM: In a word – community. There are tons of recipes online but still there isn’t anywhere to see your friends’ favorite recipes, what they are putting in their kids’ lunch boxes or to share your recent weeknight quick meals. We’re building for connection, helping each other cook, get new ideas and have a little more fun in the kitchen.
MB: Who and where are your users?
KM: Most of our users are women in their 30s to 50s who cook a lot, often for their families. They want something that feels more real and helpful, not just about perfect photos or fancy recipes. Most live in the U.S., especially in the Northeast where we’re based, but we’re seeing more people around the country join as word spreads.
MB: What’s the story behind the recipe that inspired the name?
KM: My first summer during graduate school, I needed a good project. My kids love watermelon, and I loved the idea of turning it into a dessert. I started experimenting with different chilled pie fillings. I’d bring versions to picnics and barbecues and ask for feedback and iterate, until I created the perfect summer treat. People loved the final version and asked for the recipe. The only problem was I had no way to easily share the recipe that I had worked so hard on. And yes, the recipe is on Watermelon Pie.
MB: What’s the arrangement with the 20 food businesses you are working with?
KM: Currently, we have 20 businesses and organizations who have started their recipe collections on Watermelon Pie. You can find smoothie recipes from Wyman’s, fresh produce recipes from Bahner Farm and favorites from the Blue Hill Co-op recipe library. In the future, we hope every local food business or organization will have a profile, so it’s easy to find ideas, support small businesses and get inspired by what’s around you.
MB: How have you funded the business to date and what are your fundraising plans?
KM: So far, we’ve funded the business with grants and our own money. We got support from MTI [Maine Technology Institute] and a COVID relief grant. We also just started raising money from friends and family, and now we’re getting ready to raise a larger round of $750,000. This will help us grow, test how we make money and keep building the platform.
MB: What have you gained from all the Maine accelerator programs you’ve been through?
KM: Maine has a great startup community, and the support we’ve received has made a big difference.
MB: What’s next for your business?
KM: Right now, we’re focused on growing our new premium membership, which lets users import recipes from other sites and save recipes and meal ideas privately. We’re also testing new ways to connect people around shared food and cooking goals, like eating more local, in-season veggies, reducing food waste or cooking on a budget. Next, we’ll keep growing our user base and making the app even more helpful, while building a strong business that can keep growing over time.
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