Ilona Kossoff is the Founder and CEO of 18 Chestnuts, a woman-owned plant-based soup brand based in Asheville, NC. She holds a Doctor of Law degree from the University at Buffalo School of Law and previously served as CFO of a commercial real estate company before pivoting to food entrepreneurship after completing the Cornell University Healthy Living Nutrition certification program and a 200-hour yoga teaching certification. Driven by her own journey overcoming digestive illness through plant-based nutrition, she created 18 Chestnuts to make gourmet, gut-friendly vegan soups accessible to health-conscious consumers nationwide.
