Three years ago, Santa Barbara software engineer Ivan Pelly set out to create his own nutrition bar. He had three priorities: make it tasty, filling, and healthy.
“The catalyst for me was I had bought a box of tiny little snack bars from Trader Joe’s,” said Pelly, explaining that the box came with five bars. “I felt terrible that I ate them all in one sitting. I was still hungry, and I had wasted all of this packaging. Then I thought, ‘Screw it, I’m gonna do my own thing.’”
After researching ingredients until he found a solid recipe, Pelly’s personal endeavor soon turned commercial when he realized others really liked his bars too. The ivan.bar was born, and it’s become a true family effort with help from his wife, Polly Pelly, and two sons, Oliver and Ashton. Oliver, a 19-year-old business student at Loyola Marymount University, helps with the website and online marketing. Ashton, a 16-year-old Bishop Garcia Diego High School student, helps with cooking and deliveries.