Meet Kirati Amin | Engineer Turned Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kirati Amin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kirati, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My thought process? Simple—I was tired of the afternoon snack guilt trip! You know when you’re craving something crunchy, but your only options are deep-fried, artificial-color-laden junk food that makes you feel like you need to apologize to your body afterward? Yeah, I wasn’t having it anymore. As someone who moved from India to the US in 2015, I missed those guilt-free munchies from home, especially water lily seeds, which are basically nature’s answer to the perfect snack. Despite climbing the corporate ladder as an engineer, I found myself burning out without any real fulfillment. Don’t get me wrong—that corporate salary funded Let Me Snack’s startup costs, so I’m not complaining! But I’m genuinely happy that chapter is on pause while I navigate this entrepreneurial adventure. During the pandemic, my career took an unexpected detour, and I thought, “Why not introduce Americans to these magical little pops?” I did my due diligence first—researching the market, understanding the snack industry, and calculating whether this could actually work as a business. I leveraged local resources like the SURE program at University of Houston and SCORE mentors to build a solid foundation before jumping in.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Let Me Snack introduces Americans to popped water lily seeds—a nutritional powerhouse that’s been enjoyed in India for centuries but remains relatively unknown in the US market. What truly sets us apart is our unwavering commitment to clean ingredients. While many “healthy” snacks still hide behind vague “natural flavors,” we roast our water lily seeds using only premium ingredients like avocado oil, creating snacks that are naturally vegan, gluten-free, and genuinely good for you. I’m most proud of creating something that solves a real problem. As someone who loves to snack but hates the guilt that follows, I’ve built a brand that lets people enjoy their afternoon crunch without compromising their health goals. Seeing customers at farmers markets light up when they taste our unique flavors like Mint Masala or Himalayan Sunrise never gets old!
The journey from electrical engineer to snack entrepreneur wasn’t exactly a straight line! After moving to the US from India in 2015, I found myself climbing the corporate ladder but feeling increasingly unfulfilled. When the pandemic hit, I took a chance on solving my own snacking dilemma. I started small, testing products at Houston farmers markets while leveraging local resources like the SURE program at University of Houston and SCORE mentors to build a solid foundation.
Easy? Absolutely not! As a solopreneur with no background in the food industry, I faced a steep learning curve—it was like trying to learn a new language while simultaneously building a house with the instructions written in that language. The farmers markets became my real-time focus groups, and that rapid feedback loop proved invaluable for refining our products.
This question of when to keep going is the entrepreneur’s equivalent of “What’s the meaning of life?”—complex, deeply personal, and changes depending on the day! For me, it comes down to metrics, momentum, and morning feelings. Metrics don’t lie—when I see our growth and returning customers, that’s solid evidence to keep going. It’s incredibly important to stay lean, especially with recession concerns looming. There are definitely days when sales are disappointing and I question everything, but then I look at how far we’ve come since those first farmers market days, and perspective returns.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that authenticity beats perfection every time. When you genuinely believe in your product and can articulate why it matters, people respond to that passion. What I want the world to know about Let Me Snack is that we’re redefining what “healthy snacking” means—it shouldn’t be about compromise or bland alternatives, but about discovering exciting new flavors that happen to be good for you. We’re creating a movement toward cleaner, more transparent food choices that still feel like a treat.
RIght now, I just want the world to try our snacks and know that we are just getting started so please follow us on social media and tag along for the ride it truly is the crunchiest adventure in healthy snacking!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Explore the Arboretum for some peaceful nature walks, grab coffee at Common Bonds, visit the Space Center Houston to see NASA history, and take a stroll through Buffalo Bayou Park when it’s cooler.

Check out the Museum District (MFAH, Menil Collection, and Natural Science Museum), relax at Eleanor Tinsley Park for skyline views, shop at vintage stores in the Heights, hit up Saint Arnold and 8th Wonder breweries for local craft beers.

Maybe hang out at Axelrad Beer Garden with their hammocks and pizza, eat our way through Houston’s diverse food scene – Hugo’s for Mexican – I also LOVE the vegan chocolate cake. Get some Tex-Mex, Indian food in Hillcroft. Go to Kemah boardwalk and hit the beach.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Sure. My food business consultant – Sari Kimbell. University of Houston SURE program and HCC Business plan competition(which I am currently in) were all very helpful

Website: https://letmesnack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/let.me.snack/