Suvechha Sarkar
Reinventing nostalgic dishes with a touch of modernity has become a popular niche in today’s food industry, where customers crave both freshness and authenticity. While many companies have chosen to opt for viral trends, very few have managed to stand out and highlight their heritage, just like Jaju Pierogi. The product is rooted in a treasured family recipe and brings traditional Polish dumplings to the refrigerated aisles of grocery stores nationwide. Their debut on ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ season 16 episode 18 gave the founders a chance to share their mission of revolutionizing frozen food without losing the essence of homemade cooking.
Jaju Pierogi: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
Jaju Pierogi was founded by two sisters, Vanessa and Casey White. Through direct enrollment at Université Bordeaux Montaigne and Università degli Studi di Ferrara, the former obtained a degree in History and Literature in 2008. A year later, Vanessa earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations, Italian studies, and French language from Tufts University. She began her career in September 2005 as a Programs Abroad Office Assistant at Tufts University. For 11 months, she was a Marketing Intern at Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp and left both positions in May 2009. From June 2009 to March 2011, she was a Marketing Production Specialist at Sophos. Vanessa assumed the role of Marketing Manager at EF Educational Tours as well as Hungry Fish Media between 2011 and late 2012.
In June 2015, she left the post of Program Manager at Octo Telematics Spa after working there for nearly 3 years. In the same month, she bagged the role of the Director of Client Operations at Bynder and was later promoted to the Director of Operations, which she performed until August 2016. While working at this organization, Vanessa and Casey came across an idea. Their grandfather, AKA Jaju, had his own deli, where he sold several Polish dishes. The sisters helped out in the deli’s kitchen throughout their childhood and became accustomed to frozen Pierogi. During their college days in Boston, the sisters realized that the store food was never a match to homemade dishes. It motivated them to use their grandfather’s Pierogi recipe to create Jaju Pierogi in December 2015.
Vanessa became the co-CEO and CMO alongside Casey, who is also the co-CEO and Partner of Jaju Pierogi. Vanessa founded Small Plates Creative in March 2023 and became an Advisor for Lottie’s Meats in July 2024. Just like Vanessa, Casey has also made huge strides in her career. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Bentley University in 2014. She began her professional life in January 2014 as a Sales Support Specialist Intern at The MathWorks and served there till May. The following month, Casey became the Inside Sales Representative for Lionbridge. In December 2014, she moved on to her role of Marketing and Operations Analyst at Collaborative Consulting and served until December 2016. While working in this position, she also worked as a Ghost Travel Writer & Blogger on Upwork from June 2015 to January 2019. In July 2015, Casey became a Freelance Travel Writer.
In 2024, Casey joined the Forbes Business Council and the Female Founder Collective as a member. She has also been an Advisor for Montana Pure Protein since August 2024 and a Les Dames d’Escoffier Boston Chapter board member since September of the same year. Vanessa and Casey created Jaju Pierogi, which brought old-world Polish flavors into the modern kitchen. It uses the best ingredients to ensure incredible quality and is made entirely from scratch. The product is then boiled to perfection with hand-kneaded dough and tasty fillings. Customers can cook it in a pan with either oil or butter. After warming both sides, the Pierogi can be flipped periodically to make it crisp brown. After 10 minutes, one can serve it with their favorite toppings. Additionally, the product can be re-boiled, grilled, air-fried, or sheet pan-baked.
Jaju Pierogi: Where Are They Now?
After its launch, Vanessa and Casey White wasted no time bringing Jaju Pierogi before the public. They received an initial boost of $18,700, which was raised through a Product Crowdfunding campaign. Their first match was completely sold out when they first brought their product to a local farmers’ market. The sisters were immensely encouraged by the response, and they started fulfilling personal deliveries and several pre-orders around their town. Gradually, they began promoting the brand across the neighboring communities, and by 2017, Jaju Pierogi had made its way into local grocery store shelves. This marked the beginning of the product’s retail distribution, and the brand expanded steadily. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the online orders of the product significantly increased.
Finally, in December 2023, Jaju Pierogi secured a $200K Venture round funding that helped them expand the distribution network. The brand eventually started going into food service partnerships, and by May 2024, the product was introduced to several parts of the nation. It soon became a significant milestone as the Pierogi became available nationwide throughout the Whole Foods store. As of writing, customers can find the product in the refrigerated section of over 1000 stores across the nation and can also purchase it from their website. There are eight distinct flavors of Jaju Pierogi, including Jalapeño Cheddar, Sweet Potato & Caramelised Onion, Loaded Baked Potato, and Potato & Cheese Pierogi. They also have flavors like Butternut Squash, Apple & Sage, Kielbasa & Red Pepper, Spinach & Feta, and Cabbage & Mushroom.
These flavors are all available on their official website and are priced at $14 per pack. Customers can also opt for bundle deals at just $56. Furthermore, Jaju Pierogi has released two ‘Shark Tank’ special bundle packs for the dish: Top Flavors and Vegetarian Flavors. The company also offers consumers authentic Smoked Kielbasa sausages at $11. They also have several merchandise items, like socks, T-shirt dresses, leggings, etc., with the cost ranging from $20 to $68. Above all, the company has stayed true to its mission for culture and community. Since March 2025, it has become a proud partner of the Polish American Heritage and Community Foundation of Boston. The fully women-owned business has successfully launched a scholarship fund along with the foundation.
The scholarship is dedicated to supporting women of Polish-American origin in New England who are aspiring to pursue higher education. Individuals can provide donations to the scholarship fund directly through their website. Alongside this, Jaju Pierogi partnered with Mei Mei Dumplings for Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger, which took place on May 4, 2025. The brand also offers detailed recipes and serving suggestions on its website, making it easy for customers to enjoy their products as part of a comforting home-cooked meal experience.
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