About Summer with Skandy

This blog is part of the Summer with Skandy series, highlighting the experiences of participants in the Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s summer programs at Washington University in St. Louis.

Throughout the summer, Launchpad founders, Launchpad interns, and Skandalaris Internship Program (SkIP) participants work alongside startups, innovators, and entrepreneurs across the St. Louis region while engaging in professional development, networking, and entrepreneurial programming through the Skandalaris Center.

The Summer with Skandy series offers a firsthand look at the ventures, organizations and experiences shaping the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurial leaders.

How My Internship at ChiChi Is Shaping My Entrepreneurial Journey

Author: Jillian Wu

ChiChi is a chickpea protein oatmeal business founded by two female WashU alumni—Izzy and Chiara. At first, the pair saw a lack of protein-packed, healthy, yet delicious hot cereal options on the shelves. While oats are healthy, eating oatmeal for breakfast can cause mid-day blood sugar crashes since the grain is full of carbs and no protein.

So, they set out to make an alternative that actually keeps you full, satisfied, and energized.

What started in a college dorm, mixing chickpeas into an oatmeal-like concoction, became ChiChi—oatmeal made out of chickpeas. Research links chickpeas to better blood sugar, improved heart health, and a happier, healthier gut. Chickpeas’ perfect combination of fiber and plant protein keeps energy levels balanced all morning.

ChiChi’s main ingredient is a powerhouse bean, but in hot cereal form. There’s nothing like it on the market.

ChiChi is sold as microwavable cups in three flavors:

• Apple Cinnamon
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
• Maple Brown Sugar (my personal favorite)

Preparation is simple: open a microwavable cup, add your milk of choice, microwave, add toppings, and enjoy.

Today, ChiChi is on the shelves of more than 300 grocery stores, including Target, Straub’s, and Andronico’s. By the end of the year, the company will expand to more than 1,000 grocery stores, including Whole Foods.

My Role

As ChiChi’s Sales and Marketing Intern, I support a wide variety of projects that change almost every day. I primarily work with Chiara, who is based in St. Louis, while Izzy works from Hawaii.

One of my biggest responsibilities has been helping lead marketing efforts for ChiChi’s launch in Whole Foods. I assist with executing a user-generated content campaign by reaching out to more than 300 content creators across targeted regions, outlining video guidelines, and coordinating quality content delivery from more than 50 creators with a combined audience of over 500,000 users.

I also create short-form videos for ChiChi’s Instagram, TikTok, and Meta advertising campaigns.

One of ChiChi’s greatest strengths is its story. Two WashU students identified a problem, worked tirelessly to solve it, and built a company without compromising their integrity or authenticity. My role is to help tell that story by turning both challenges and successes into meaningful content that resonates with customers.

Launching in Whole Foods this summer represents a major milestone for the company after years of persistence and rejection. I help communicate that excitement while highlighting the determination and resilience that made it possible.

In addition, I design Meta ad graphics and videos supporting new retail launches, create and schedule email campaigns for more than 10,000 subscribers, and develop newsletters featuring company updates, new product launches, and creative recipes using ChiChi.

Beyond marketing, I also reach out to potential partners—including suppliers, grocery stores, manufacturers, and pop-up locations—host product demos at grocery stores and Pilates studios, and assist with any additional projects the founders need support with.

What I’m Learning

Although I have only been with ChiChi for a month, this internship has already taught me invaluable lessons about both entrepreneurship and myself.

Learning from Chiara has been a gift in itself. Her passion for ChiChi is contagious and demonstrates the energy, commitment, and persistence required to build a successful startup. Watching her work has inspired me to pursue my own dream of becoming a startup founder.

Every day requires a different skill set. Through this internship, I have gained experience in:

• Social media marketing
• Email marketing
• Supply chain operations
• In-person sales
• Content creation

Perhaps more importantly, I have learned the importance of confidence and resilience.

Whether filming content in public, introducing ChiChi to shoppers who may not initially be interested, or creating content that doesn’t always perform well, I’ve realized that building a startup requires emotional resilience just as much as technical skills.

Starting a company demands confidence—not only in your product, but in yourself.

I’ve seen that confidence firsthand in both Chiara and Izzy, and I believe it is one of the qualities that will continue to set ChiChi apart.

Why It Matters

ChiChi is a product that solves a real problem.

It tastes great, it’s nutritious, and it addresses a challenge many oatmeal lovers experience: traditional oatmeal often leaves people hungry shortly after eating it.

While many protein oatmeal brands rely on added protein powders, ChiChi solves that problem naturally using only five ingredients and the nutritional benefits of chickpeas.

Looking Ahead

As my internship comes to an end next month, I’m preparing to launch my own business—a photo booth company serving college campuses throughout the Midwest.

One of the biggest lessons I’ll carry forward is the example set by Chiara. She approaches every challenge with authenticity, humility, and passion. She never tries to be someone she’s not, and she genuinely believes in the product she’s building.

I hope to bring that same authenticity, confidence, and perseverance into my own entrepreneurial journey.

“When Izzy and I first pitched ChiChi to SVC, we honestly had no idea what we were doing. We failed a lot. It’s not as flashy as it seems and we spent hours a day solving problems. But we’ve grown a lot and we learn something new every day. You have to be adaptable as a founder and that’s what we do.”

— Chiara, Co-Founder, ChiChi

About the Skandalaris Center

The Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Washington University in St. Louis empowers students, faculty, researchers and alumni to explore innovation, launch ventures and create meaningful impact. Through experiential learning, startup programs, mentorship, funding opportunities and a vibrant network of entrepreneurs and industry leaders, the Skandalaris Center helps transform ideas into action and prepares the next generation of innovators to solve complex challenges and build thriving ventures.