Naman Shrestha
Melina, Riley, and Nick were three college students when they teamed up to create ready-to-eat chicken breasts — Im’peccable Chicken — providing more protein and fewer calories than the protein bars in the market. The trio presented the product to the Sharks in front of them in episode two of ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ season 17. The three founders talked about their journey and their future plans related to the chicken snack brand, hoping to get at least one of the Sharks on board and help them take their company to newer heights.
Im’peccable Chicken: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
Before joining forces for Im’peccable Chicken, Melina Chang, Riley Yen, and Nick Hsu were on different tracks in their respective lives. After graduating from Troy High School, he pursued a degree in Business Administration at the National University of Singapore. He also earned his Bachelor’s degree from the USC Marshall School of Business. His first internship was with AHMC HealthCare as a Biomedical Equipment Technician for a couple of months in the summer of 2019. He then interned as a Computational Chemistry Researcher at California State University, Fullerton. Riley also worked as a member of the Photo Staff in the Daily Trojan.
In the following years, he founded The Cue Media and a fashion e-commerce company, while interning at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and serving as a Consultant at KPMG US. Since 2023, he has also been working as a Content Creator on TikTok. After returning to LA from a trip to Taiwan, where he noticed fairly priced seasoned chicken snacks at almost every convenience store, he researched and learned that it was a billion-dollar industry with nothing like it in the US. Thus, he teamed up with Melina Chang, another student at the USC Marshall School of Business, who had been cooking and selling ready-to-eat, seasoned chicken breasts to students on campus. It turned out that she, too, noticed the vacuum-sealed chicken snacks in Taiwan during a trip and began making her own in 2023.
Soon, they brought in another co-founder, Nick Hsu, to assist with operations and strategy. The Taipei American School graduate, Nick, was also pursuing a degree in Business Administration from the USC Marshall School of Business at the time. However, he had plenty of experience in Consultancy and Management. For instance, he served as a Technology Consultant for Right Price, Senior Consultant for RISE Consulting, and Project Manager for USC Business Technology Group. Thus, the trio launched Im’peccable Chicken in 2024. Upon launch, they offered vacuum-sealed chicken breasts in three flavors — Original Pepper, Teriyaki, and Orange Habanero — each pouch containing 110 calories and 27 grams of protein.
In the initial phase of the business, they sold orders through Shopify, with several deliveries arranged manually. Focusing on consistency and awareness, the founders opted to keep operations lean and handled most of the packing by hand, despite being in talks with 7-Eleven, 99 Ranch Market, and H-Mart. Moreover, they continued to expand into more flavors and different meats for later use. Due to the lack of additives and seed oils, minimal processing, rich seasonings, and natural ingredients, Im’peccable Chicken is for anyone who needs some real food, including gym-goers, students, and busy professionals.
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Im’peccable Chicken: Where Are They Now?
Marketing itself as a nature’s protein bar, Im’peccable Chicken has made a significant impact on the market, having been featured in Snaxshot, Daily Trojan, and Taste. With a majority of the customers loving the ready-to-eat chicken breasts, the products are not only available on its official website but also on Amazon. The founders have also been planning to stock them in gyms to serve as post-workout bites for gym enthusiasts. Still sticking with the original three flavors of Original Pepper, Orange Habanero, and Teriyaki, they come in different sizes — a pack of 16 for $86, a pack of 24 for $119, a pack of 32 for $156, and a pack of 48 for $216.
In July 2025, Im’peccable Chicken conducted a taste test with a bunch of famous content creators. In early August, they also held their first pop-up in New York City, which was a huge success. The founders also seem to be working on launching a new product involving steak, using the same cooking techniques. Their main objective is to get the chicken snack into retail stores across the nation, but their biggest challenge is getting a large enough online presence to convince the retailers. In order to do so, they have been collaborating with content creators on Instagram, hoping to spread the word about their product.
