Harvard MBA Student Turns Dorm Room Hummus Into a Startup

Brian Youngblood, a 28-year-old Harvard Business School student, is transforming a common kitchen frustration into a thriving business. His shelf-stable, powdered hummus brand, Prest, launched in November 2024 and is currently on track to generate $500,000 in sales during its first year of operation.

The venture began when Youngblood grew tired of discarding half-eaten tubs of store-bought hummus. Drawing on his background in food waste reduction, he sought to create a shelf-stable alternative that customers could prepare on demand. After initial experiments in his dorm room—which he quickly abandoned after the heat from a pressure cooker made the space unlivable—he secured a local donut shop kitchen in Cambridge for after-hours production. He spent several thousand dollars of his own savings to refine the product, eventually launching in March 2025 with three core flavors: Lemon Dill, Roasted Garlic, and Spicy Harissa Red Pepper.

Growth has been driven by organic social media interest and direct engagement. Despite the rigorous demands of his MBA program, Youngblood dedicates roughly 25 hours per week to the business, managing everything from manufacturing logistics to content creation. His early challenges included a manufacturing mishap where 5,000 pouches had to be manually opened to meet a trade show deadline, an experience he cites as a testament to the realities of building a brand. Looking ahead, he plans to expand into farmers markets and curated subscription boxes, utilizing the product's shelf-stable nature to reach new distribution channels.