College Hot Sauce Experiment Becomes Small Business
By Sherilyn Henderson
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| Mike Konefal’s company, RisingHy, develops natural, gluten-free hot sauces and condiments. |
How many people can turn a college hot sauce kit into a sustainable small business? It takes a rare type of person, but we know them as entrepreneurs. Luckily for all hot sauce lovers, RisingHy owner Mike Konefal never gave up on his dream, starting with a hot sauce kit and ending with the delicious result of all natural, gluten-free hot sauces and condiments now available at Sprouts Farmers Market.
While attending Northern Arizona University, Mike was given a hot sauce kit as a gift and began experimenting. Roommates and neighbors were put through many trial batches and Habanero experiments in order to help Mike perfect his recipe and the tantalizingly spicy Habanero Hot sauce was born.
“I saved my earnings after college and invested it into RisingHy, which has been 100 percent self-funded,” said Konefal. “It’s much more rewarding knowing we did it ourselves, and we are growing one step at a time to get to where we want to be.” Despite being a rewarding endeavor, Konefal has also found being a hot sauce entrepreneur to be very demanding. “From raising capital to keeping the company growing, owning a business can be very challenging,” he said.
Since its inception in 2005, RisingHy has continued to grow. The company’s hot sauce flavors also include Honey Mustard, Habanero Olive Oil, GreenGo Sauce, and Citrus Habanero Salt. Along with creating the five delicious sauces, Konefal has developed seasonal sauces, bought a tortilla business in Flagstaff, and works a food truck.
RisingHy products are designed to carry flavor and heat, but do not contain vinegar, so there is no acidotic burn, which is a known side effect of other hot sauces. “We want to teach people about living a healthy lifestyle and using healthy ingredients,” Konefal said. “Everything we make is designed be used before, during, and after the cooking process. Our products are great for people who do or don’t really know how to cook, and with our sauces you can make healthy recipes easily and deliciously.”
Konefal now sells his products at Sprouts Farmers Markets, restaurants, hotels, gift shops, and larger farmers markets in Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Ahwatukee. For more information on the RisingHy products or to purchase them, visit www.risinghy.com/products/. HBM
