A Downingtown native’s middle-school hobby has turned into a West Chester-based business that aims to distribute healthy snacks across the country, writes Lisa Dukart for Philadelphia Business Journal. 

In 2013, Brendan Cawley, who became interested in making jerky when he was 10 years old, founded Righteous Felon, which ships beef jerky products nationwide.

Among them include limited collaborations with companies like Victory Brewing, with its Victorious B.I.G. Beef Jerky made with Victory’s Storm King Stout.

Righteous Felon’s success prompted Cawley to launch the brand Artisan Snacks under his parent company, RTZN Brand Strategy. Artisan Snacks uses Righteous Felon’s strong distribution network to bring healthy snacks from small businesses to larger markets across the U.S. 

RTZN generates about $12 million in annual revenue, with 80 percent stemming from Righteous Felon. RTZN aims to continue expanding and providing customers with healthy snack alternatives and to become a better-for-you Costco for the pantries of America. 

Read more about Brendan Cawley in the Philadelphia Business Journal. 

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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in August 2022.