Dondre Anderson is an established entrepreneur and CEO of Symphony Chips.
His trek into financial independence began in 2004 when he used his experience to start a seasoning brand — All A’s Spices — with his father and former chef, Andre Anderson.
It was after a store taste test where they allowed customers to try the seasoning blend on potato chips, that they realized their unique flavoring on chips was an instant sensation.
From there, the all-natural, gluten-free, and MSG-free potato chip brand, Symphony Chips, was born. Today Anderson and his children Ampith, Amina and Amari run the company that prides itself on providing harmony in each bite.
Please describe your leadership style of CEO.
I believe it is important to keep the vision of the company at the forefront. I constantly remind [my team] of our goals and how they play a part in that vision. My goal as a leader is to motivate my team by always praising them on their strengths, pushing them to understand their limits and making sure they feel like they are a vital part of our company’s success.
What is your mission statement?
Our mission is to provide a better and healthier snack option while building a community of leaders and providing a means of economic empowerment to our community.
Describe the most difficult part of retailing your product.
Being unapologetically Black and not being afraid to tell my story. For some reason, American retailers talk about providing pathways for diversity but no matter how prepared a company is for growth, if you do not look like the people making the decisions then diversity doesn’t expand past age.
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