Cornell grads focused on fueling women launching new plant-based protein

Alvarez said that unlike many other protein powder producers, Levelle doesn’t shy away from carbohydrates or use sugar alcohols, which can cause bloating and upset stomach. 

“It’s about taking the right carbs,” Alvarez said. “We’re giving you real food nutrition that your body knows how to use.”

Levelle began as a class project during Alvarez and Schrauth’s Cornell Executive MBA Metro NY program, during which they discovered the alarming discrepancy between the percentage of women participating in organized sports (40%) to the amount of sports nutrition products targeting women (2.5%) and decided they wanted to do something about it. 

Development for the protein powders began in the spring of 2024 and are expected to hit the market later this year. They’ll eventually be joined by a third variety of protein designed for women with perimenopause and menopause. Alvarez said she’s working with an ingredient company that produces water-soluble versions of traditionally fat-soluble nutrients like vitamin D and omega fatty acids that are important for menopausal women. 

Alvarez said sales of the protein powders will start direct-to-consumer through Levelle’s website, but the company has begun the onboarding process to be listed on Amazon and Walmart Marketplace. Levelle is also participating in a trade show with the supermarket giant Kroger this May. 

All the while, sales of the energy gels that launched Levelle have rapidly grown. First developed and produced in the Seneca Foods Foundation Pilot Plant at Cornell AgriTech, the gels are now produced at Craft Cannery, near Rochester, a fellow Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture (CoE) member and former Grow-NY winner. 

Levelle was a 2024 recipient of the Non-GMO Project’s Equity Transfer Program, a grant that covered the cost of Non-GMO Project verification for Levelle’s three varieties of energy gels. Levelle also joined the Non-GMO Project’s Food Integrity Collective, an initiative focused on developing a new approach to establishing trust, transparency and integrity in the food system.

Gel sales increased 70% from 2023 to 2024, Alvarez said, with further significant growth expected in 2025. 

The company’s goal for 2025 is to demonstrate the traction and scalability of its products to catch the attention – and business – of retail buyers. Despite being busy with scaling up energy gel production and launching the line of protein powders, Alvarez said Levelle is always thinking about new products, including beverages and snacks, all with the goal of providing the fuel and nutrition that women need. 

Jacob Pucci is the marketing and communications coordinator for the New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell AgriTech.