Angie Bastian
Angie Bastian is the co-founder of Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, a natural kettle corn brand she started with her husband Dan in 2001. What began as a small operation to fund their children's education grew into one of America's fastest-growing natural snack brands, based in Mankato, Minnesota.
Angie Bastian's Bio
Angie Bastian is the co-founder of Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, a natural popcorn brand that grew from a family garage operation into a $250 million snack food leader acquired by Conagra Brands.
Bastian attended Emory University from 1989 to 1991, laying the groundwork for her entrepreneurial path. In 2001, she and her husband Dan faced a practical problem: they hadn't started a college fund for their children. Rather than open a traditional savings account, they bought a commercial-grade popcorn popper and began making kettle corn in their Mankato, Minnesota garage. The salty-sweet recipe was an immediate local hit, and what started as a college-funding side project quickly gained regional distribution.
Under Bastian's leadership, BOOMCHICKAPOP expanded from that single garage popper to national grocery shelves, becoming one of the fastest-growing natural snack brands in the United States. The company's bright pink packaging and distinctive flavors helped it stand out in the crowded popcorn aisle. In 2017, Conagra Brands acquired Angie's Artisan Treats, taking BOOMCHICKAPOP from a family-run operation to a nationally distributed product line.
Today, Angie Bastian is recognized for building a successful food brand and for sharing her entrepreneurial story as a speaker, offering lessons on scaling a business while maintaining authentic family values.
Career Timeline
1989 — Entered Emory University
Bastian attended Emory University, where she completed her undergraduate studies in 1991.
2001 — Founded Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP
Started popping kettle corn in a Mankato, Minnesota garage with husband Dan to fund their children's college education.
2005 — Expanded to Regional Distribution at Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP
Grew from local garage operation to regional grocery store presence across the Upper Midwest.
2010 — National Retail Launch at Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP
Secured national distribution with major retailers including Target and Walmart, scaling production dramatically.
2015 — Brand Recognition & $250M Valuation
BOOMCHICKAPOP became one of the fastest-growing natural snack brands, reaching approximately $250 million in valuation.
2017 — Acquired by Conagra Brands
Angie's Artisan Treats, parent of BOOMCHICKAPOP, was acquired by Conagra Brands, taking the popcorn brand national.
2020 — Featured on How I Built This
Appeared on NPR's How I Built This podcast to share the BOOMCHICKAPOP founding story and entrepreneurial journey.
2021 — Ongoing Brand Growth at Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP
Continued expansion of product lines and distribution under Conagra ownership.
