International model-turned-Ventura entrepreneur Lizanne Falsetto has built her $30 million-a-year business on a simple proposition: Create a high-protein, sugar-free, gluten-free nutrition bar that actually tastes good.

The concept has paid off for the businesswoman, whose product is carried in national chains including Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Ralphs, as well as independent grocery stores around the country.

A Seattle native who began modeling internationally at the age of 16, Falsetto said that when she retired from her fashion career, she wanted to keep her lithe figure and have energy for cycling, one of her passions. Not satisfied with the protein and energy bars already on the market, she started to experiment in her kitchen with making her own.

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