91制片厂

didn鈥檛 grow up with the dream of becoming an entrepreneur. Through coaching CU Boulder cycling, USA Cycling, and multiple Pro Cycling Tour teams, he was surrounded by athletes throughout his life. One thing that was always a concern, the sugary sports drinks they consumed. These drinks 鈥渉urt their guts鈥�, but there seemed to be no other option for high-performance athletes. Skratch Labs was born out of this need for healthier options and has further expanded its product line to include to help athletes better their nutrition. Through Allen鈥檚 love for cycling and sport, he was able to 鈥渇ollow one鈥檚 personal 鈥榖liss鈥欌�� while creating a healthy food empire.听

91制片厂 Allen Lim

鈥淢ade in the Philippines with parts from China and programmed in America鈥� is how Allen describes his life.

While Allen鈥檚 family is from China, he was born in the Philippines and spent some of his childhood there before his family moved to Los Angeles, California, United States. Experiencing a variety of different cultures throughout his childhood helped pave the way for expanding his education. After high school, Allen studied exercise science at the , and received his Bachelor of Science in Physical Education in 1994. During his undergraduate degree, he fell in love with cycling and continued to pursue it as a passion and career before relocating to Boulder, Colorado to work with Dr. William C. Byrnes and earn his Ph.D. in Integrative Physiology at the Applied Exercise Science Laboratory in the Department of Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder. He never saw himself becoming an entrepreneur, but notes that he learned the importance of having 鈥渁utonomy in one鈥檚 research鈥�. and the believed in the work he was doing and granted him this opportunity by supporting his research. Allen mentions that听

鈥淢y experience with Celestial and Saris did plant a seed of possibility 鈥� that one day I might be able to be part of a team that could benefit others like those companies benefited me.鈥澨�

Cycling Towards Opportunity

Cycling has always been a driving force in Allen鈥檚 life. In order for Allen to succeed in his coaching career, he had to be a problem solver. One of the problems he had to solve with his athletes was about the food they were eating.听

鈥淎thletes complained about dry energy bars and syrupy sports drinks. So, I began making many of the food and drinks the athletes used from scratch, avoiding the pre-packaged products that made them sick.鈥�

Allen Lim鈥檚 main goal is to help others be better, and through Skratch Labs, he was able to commercialize these good-for-you foods. He hired professional chefs to help these athletes change their diet from sick-making food to healthier options and mobilized this mission by building food trucks to take out to the races. One thing he knew for sure was that his athletes were now performing better with the food fuel he supplied them. With support from CEO and Co-Founder Aaron Foster, Skratch Labs is able to thrive, and accomplish milestones such as twice being named as one of the top

鈥淭ogether, we all play a role in taking care of the business. And each person on the team is vastly more talented at what they do than I could ever be. It鈥檚 humbling and I continue to be proud and inspired by the work they do and the care they give to our customers, community, and one another.鈥�

Turning Challenges Into Advantages

Some of Skratch Labs鈥� hardest challenges have turned into their most unique opportunities. For example, Skratch Labs bootstrapped their way to success, relying on little capital and resources they could afford while utilizing their creativity to compete in the market. To overcome this challenge, the team at Skratch Labs took a food trailer to field marketing events, which created outstanding positive attention for the company. The team also made a lot of mistakes at the beginning on the business side and vowed to keep a lifetime commitment to education to keep the company growing. Whenever there is a challenge, they vow to听

鈥渓ean into our mission, values, process, team, and history of creativity to figure it out one day at a time.鈥�

Advice

Part of Allen鈥檚 life mission is to help people, inspire passion, and care for the community. He provides the following advice for students, aspiring entrepreneurs, and everyone in between:

鈥淢ake sure that you love what you鈥檙e doing. It鈥檚 the only way that you鈥檒l persist through the challenges and difficulties that inevitably come from any business. Because, it鈥檚 not the success that brings us happiness. It鈥檚 the happiness 鈥� the joy and the engagement we bring to the table that creates the necessary environment and mindset for success.鈥澨�

Looking Ahead- Skratch Labs Caf茅

To further their creative endeavors, Skratch Labs opened in December 2022. This is a 鈥渂rick and mortar manifestation鈥� of the food trailer they used to serve athletes. Not only does Allen bring joy and engagement to the table, but delicious food from scratch.听

At Skratch Labs Caf茅, they hope to provide nourishment, connection, and hospitality. They are located in the heart of Boulder, at 1600 Pearl Street operating from 7 am to 3 pm every day.听

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