42 | MAY 27 • 2021 

NOSH
EATS | DRINKS | SWEETS

C

ould Snacklins become 
America’s next great 
salty snack? Former 
Detroiter Jeremy Sherman is set 
on making that happen.
As director 
of Growth & 
Strategic Initiatives 
at Snacklins, 
Sherman is a key 
member of the 
Washington, D.C.-
based company. 
So, what are 
Snacklins? 
Snacklins — a 100% vegan 
kosher snack food — was born 
in 2015 in the kitchen of a D.C. 
barbecue joint. Former radio 
personality and chef Samy 
Kobrosly “became obsessed 
with the idea of [developing] a 
meat-free pork rind” he could 
eat as a Muslim. He eventually 
settled on a recipe with yuca, 
mushrooms and onions, as well 
as other flavors, in a crunchy, 
airy crisp that resembles a pork 
rind or “cracklin.
”
Sherman said Snacklins — 
both gluten- and grain-free 
— are lower in fat and sodi-
um than other snack choices. 
Available in 0.9-oz snack-size 
pouches (90 calories each) or a 
3-oz bag, the four Snacklins fla-
vors are Barbecue, Chesapeake 
Bay, Nacho and Teriyaki. 
The company got a boost 
in October 2019, when entre-

preneur Mark Cuban of ABC’s 
Shark Tank made a signifi-
cant investment in Snacklins. 
Sherman was part of a hiring 
wave that followed. The team is 
committed to achieving busi-
ness success because “we’re all 
part owners,
” he said. 
“We’re constantly snacking 
on all kinds of chips, seeing 
what our competitors are doing, 
and even trying snacks from 
other countries to taste new 
flavors that haven’t arrived in 
the United States yet,
” Sherman 
said. “Limited edition” flavors 
are coming. 
Sherman’s passion for 
good food and cooking was 
influenced by his mother, 
Fanny, who was raised in the 
small Jewish community of 

Barranquilla, Colombia. Meals 
might include a Jewish staple, 
such as cholent, side by side 
with Colombian-style arroz con 
pollo. 
Home was West Bloomfield. 
Sherman went to Congregation 
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield 
with his parents, brother and 
sister. After high school, he took 
a gap-year position as interna-
tional president of B’nai B’rith 
Youth Organization, working 
with teens worldwide.
Sherman earned a busi-
ness degree at Washington 
University in St. Louis before 
moving to Washington. He lives 
with Michael Eisenstatt and 
their dog, Oreo. Still Jewishly 
involved, Sherman attends Sixth 
& I Synagogue and facilitates 
Shabbat dinners for young pro-
fessionals with the local JCC. 
Sherman is focused on 
expanding Snacklin’s nation-
al footprint. The products 
are stocked in grocery stores 
along the east and west coasts, 
but “we’ve started reaching 
new stores throughout the 
Midwest.” 
The company’s e-commerce 
business is also growing to 
accommodate online shoppers, 
and “we completed a rebrand 
a few months ago, where we 
launched a brand-new look 
and feel for our packaging and 
website.
” 

New lower-fat, vegan snacks are guilt-free.
A Kosher ‘Pork Rind’?

Jeremy 
Sherman

ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Finding 
Snacklins
This kosher snack
is available from 
Amazon.com or 
snacklins.com. 
Jewish News readers 
visiting snacklins.com can 
insert a special promo 
code, JEWISHNEWS, at 
checkout and get 
25% off their first order.

Pet Dogs’ Needs 
Are Opportunity for 
Business Startup 

Starting a new business during 
COVID seems like the worst pos-
sible time, but for Karen Stoller 
and Austin Weisman, it was per-
fect. As dog lovers and walkers, 
Karen and Austin put their favor-
ite things together and started 
Motown Dog Walking.
During the pandemic, more 
people than ever adopted pets 
and new puppies. Now, back to 
work and school, they need help 
walking their dogs, especially 
during the day. Karen and Austin 
are also finding new clients who 
are pets of guests staying in near-
by hotels. 
Based in Birmingham, 
Motown Dog Walking offers 
individualized services for new 
puppies and a “Play n’ Potty” 
option for elderly dogs who just 
need to go outside and enjoy 
some play time. 
The pet parents even receive 
report cards on how they did.
Karen and Austin are both 
certified by IAP and by the 
American Red Cross for cat and 
dog first aid. For more informa-
tion, visit motowndogwalking.
com. 

Austin Weisman 
with Winnie and 
Daisy Dembs

