Mike Fata

WHAT GOT YOU STARTED?

by Burke Campbell 

Published in the Financial Post

 Feb 9, 2009

Mike Fata is president of Manitoba Harvest ( www.manitobaharvest.com ). Headquartered in Winnipeg , the company makes foods produced from industrially-grown hemp. Mike Fata tells the Financial Post what motivated him to become an entrepreneur.

Misfit: “As a teenager, I ate mainly fast foods, and my weight ballooned. Leaving school at 14, I worked in construction. At 18, a fat-free diet helped me lose 140 pounds, but sapped all my strength.”

Healthy fat: “Making healthier choices with foods, I found that flax oil boosted my energy. Around this time, I met my future business partners, Martin Moravcik and Alex Chwaiewsky, who were importing hemp products. Since antiquity, hemp and flax were used for food, medicines, and textiles.”

Everything clicks: “In 1998, the government approved the growing of certain varieties of hemp. Soy was already being converted into nutritious food products. So with hemp, rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, we launched Manitoba Harvest.”

Hemp skyrockets: “With hemp-based drinks and oil going mainstream, our sales have expanded rapidly, topping five million dollars last year. Now, Loblaws, A&P, and health food stores carry our products.”

Trailblazer: “I didn’t set out to be a pioneer. I was just passionate about the importance of diet and exercise. After all, health is the key to a happy life.”

~~