Meet the Founder of LittleOak

At WholeLife, we believe in celebrating the incredible stories behind the brands we trust and love. In this blog, we have the pleasure of introducing you to the inspiring founder of LittleOak, a brand dedicated to providing the best nutrition for children. Discover the journey of a passionate mum who transformed her personal mission into a pioneering infant nutrition company, bringing healthier options to families around the world.

Can you please share a bit about yourself?

I’m a mum of three children – Olive in 2011, Freddie in 2013, and our newest addition, Hugh, who was born in January this year. I grew up in a small town called Edithburgh in regional South Australia, before moving to Perth when I was older.  And then onto Ireland for ten years or more.

While my background is in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, as a child I was an aspiring paediatrician. I just love kids – the world stops for me when it comes to children. In fact, when I was eight years old, a community nurse visited my small country town school to shine a light on the plight of famine in Africa. She recounted stories upon stories of hungry, starving children and it was a moment that struck me for life. I may not have realised it then, but this was a moment that really shaped my life, my passion for families and my mission to do what I could to help children and mothers in need.

Can you tell us the story of your brand? How did it come to be? Was it a seed of an idea for a long time, or did it all happen very quickly?

I’ve always been driven by the wonder of children. I’ve always wanted to see how I could create a better world for them to thrive and grow into wonderful, kind and healthy human beings – that’s certainly been a passion of mine since I was a child.

Before launching LittleOak, I had a strong desire to do something meaningful in the world – I was a single mum with two children at the time and found myself on a journey to find an answer to my young son’s health issues. This led me to look closely at the formula I was feeding him. As I turned over the can and looked at the long list of rubbish, my immediate response was nothing short of shock. Maltodextrin. Palm oil. Corn glucose syrup. And so, so many preservatives. It even had synthetic taurine, an ingredient used in energy drinks, can you believe. I soon discovered that all the formulas available on the market were just the same – full of preservatives and chemically extracted oils.

Our journey began because I wanted to solve my son’s health issues and provide families around the world with a formula they could wholeheartedly trust. I felt a responsibility to do better for my children, and for children all over the world. And so, LittleOak was born. We believe children deserve the very best nutrition to grow and thrive and it’s still our North Star to this day.

What inspires you every day?

I started this company for my children – Olive and Freddie – so they inspire me daily to work harder – with more motivation, drive and curiosity – than the day before. When it gets hard or exceptionally stressful, I look back at my original plan where the opening words “for Olive and Freddie” remind me of why I need to keep fighting to provide children all over the world with the best possible nutrition. With a new addition to the family – my 5-month-old, Hugh – my children remain my constant inspiration, driving me forward each and every day.

What challenges do you face?

The infant nutrition industry has seen little to no innovation for decades, with multinationals essentially churning out the same products in different formats. It’s certainly a category where change is slow, and we’re oftentimes bound by standards that existed 25 years ago. Ingredients like skim milk, palm oil and canola oil, for instance, have been standard for many years. Doing things differently can be tricky. Infant formula is the closest thing to a pharmaceutical product sold on supermarket shelves, so we’re always in this dance between changing the game and ensuring our mums and dads can access LittleOak when and where they need it. We’re the world’s first infant nutrition brand to be certified 100% palm oil free and the first to replace canola oil with flaxseed oil. We were also the first to use fresh, whole goat milk over highly processed milk powder. These weren’t easy projects, but we’ll never cut corners or costs when it comes to children. Innovation is at the core of what we do, and while there are challenges that come with it, it also means we’re offering parents the most natural product available anywhere in the world.

What does the future look like for your brand?

As we grow our little company, we’ll remain focused on expanding access to our products around the world, innovating where we see demand and supporting more and more families on their feeding journeys. We have an exciting NPD pipeline, currently focusing on our reflux product. Beyond that, I continue to innovate based on the needs of my children as they grow up. We’re looking at beautiful yoghurts as well as Stage 4 supplement boost products for tweens. From the very beginning, we’ve always strived to be more than just an infant nutrition brand, but a true champion for families and their little ones.

LittleOak resonates with so many mums and dads around the world, and it’s been incredible to see the positive impact we are having for so many families. Our guiding star is to make the world a better place for families and ensure no child goes to bed hungry. Every step we take in the future will be in pursuit of that mission.

What drew you to work with WholeLife?

When I started LittleOak eight years ago, I dreamt about having our innovative products stocked by amazing brands that parents know, love and trust. WholeLife really combines that traditional pharmacy expertise with natural products and, in my mind, it’s a perfect match for LittleOak. Trust is central to our category, and I feel incredibly honoured to have our beautiful product represented by an iconic Australian brand trusted by so many parents. WholeLife shares our commitment to making the world a better place for families and it’s been fantastic working with the team.