Michelle Addison
Allergood – MICRO Fall 2023
Published November 9, 2023
As part of our ‘Meet Our Founders’ series today, we introduce Michelle Addison, Founder and CEO of Allergood based in Chapel Hill, NC. Allergood creates digital menus that filter for allergens and dietary preferences, using data to drive revenue and customer loyalty, while reducing liability and food waste.
Q: What problem are you trying to solve and what influenced you to start your company?
A: Today, 60% of Americans are avoiding at least one ingredient in their diets and 32 million Americans are avoiding a top-9 allergen. ER visits for anaphylactic food allergy reactions have increased 377% over the last 10 years and allergies are expected to double every decade. It is estimated that restaurants alone are leaving $202B on the table each year by not better meeting the needs of customers with food allergies.
I have three kids with food allergies and I developed both an anaphylactic allergy and celiac disease as an adult. I have built Allergood to solve a problem me and my family face every day — finding safe food options while dining outside of the home. I was shocked that in the 13 years since my daughter had been born with dairy and soy allergies, nothing about our experience dining out had changed. Whether we were at a hotel, a restaurant, or a cruise ship, every interaction with food involved a long-winded conversation regarding allergens between us, the server, and the kitchen. With technology touching every other aspect of our lives, I knew technology could be implemented here to make a difference. So, I decided to create Allergood to fill that need and I’m thrilled to see our growing success thus far.
Q: How will your NC IDEA grant funds advance your company?
A: The NC IDEA grant funds will help us advance Allergood by giving us the means to fund additional software development. We are growing our technology to better serve clients that have shown an interest in our solution and we are thrilled to be able to build in features that will continue to drive revenue and customer loyalty for them while making allergen and ingredient identification and maintenance stress-free and easy.
Q: What have you enjoyed most about starting your own company?
A: What I enjoy most about starting my own company is the early building stage where you’re forced to wear many hats and always be thinking strategically. As an attorney turned serial entrepreneur, I’ve had the opportunity to hone many skills throughout my career, which allows me to be a versatile founder and CEO for Allergood.
While visiting Durham, Michelle recommends:
Support Allergood and Michelle by:
- We’re looking to make connections with big players in the restaurant, lodging, and tourism (airlines, cruise lines, amusement parks) industries. If you have connections, we’d love an introduction. We’re also looking for investors that share our vision and are eager to make an impact alongside us.
