Our Story

One night, Elissa found herself in a situation so many people do, wondering what to make for dinner! She texted Callie, told her that she only had pasta to make for her family. Since Callie was a fitness model, she would often give Elissa protein powder. Callie jokingly said, "just throw some protein powder on it!"

The next morning, Callie realized just how great of an idea that was. As a sports and fitness influencer & model, she understood the importance of eating well, but she hated cooking and was always short on time. One of the staple meals she always made was pasta sauce, ground beef and quinoa pasta. So, Callie thought what if the protein was already in the pasta sauce and then all you had to add was the pasta and boom dinner is served?! 

She told Elissa the idea and they both agreed this is something the whole world needed. Strong Sauce was born! 

They crossed paths with Chef Stephen, who upon hearing the idea was just as enthusiastic as they were about helping everyone eat better, faster! He started batching out recipes of the vision that Callie & Elissa had for the sauce being high-protein, plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-sugar etc. Basically, creating a jar that almost everyone not only could eat but SHOULD eat! Very few people actually eat enough protein every day & Strong Sauce could help fix that! 

We knew we had the “right” recipe when kids were asking for seconds. They didn’t care about how healthy and strong our sauce was, they only cared about how it tasted! That very recipe is the one you taste in our Strong Sauce jars today.  We're so excited to be able to share it with you and your families because we believe that one jar at a time, we can all become STRONGER TOGETHER! 

Eat Strong - 

Callie, Elissa, Stephen 

It was the perfect trifecta of talent, and we can’t wait to share this with you and your family! 

A Little Bit About Our Team

Callie is a sports and fitness influencer & model, with a degree in business marketing. She is a lifelong athlete playing softball, basketball and soccer and NCAA Division 1 softball in college. She is most known for her viral football throwing videos appearing on SportsCenter, The Go Big Show on TBS, the celebrity Superhole event for the ACL on ESPN and more! Her background in sports, fitness & marketing are what lead to her idea for a high-protein pasta sauce!

Chef Stephen Roth is a classically trained French chef with over 33 years of industry experience. His grandmother, Lillian, gave him his love of cooking. He cut his chops as a teenager working in a local seafood shop where a strong worth ethic was instilled in him. Stephen has opened restaurants in Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas and Telluride. In New York he was part of a culinary rock star team that reopened a landmark NYC spot that was shuttered after 9/11. Then in Vegas he opened a sister property to the famed Koi of LA, to coincide with the grand opening of the new Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino. He then headed up the revamping of Telluride Ski Resort’s Mountain dining program. Over the course of five years, he and his team rebranded the restaurants already in operation while adding six new venues, including the iconic Alpino Vino. North Americas highest fine dining restaurant. He brings his years of culinary innovation to Strong Sauce because of his love of people and a passion for giving them something good to eat.

Elissa is a digital marketing specialist with more than 15 years of experience in online and offline media. She has worked for some of the world’s largest advertising agencies. Most recently, Elissa was the Director of Client Partnerships for a technology company that specializes in AI, audience measurement and programmatic media. Elissa has an 11-year-old daughter and 2 year old golden doodle, Peppa. When she’s not in the sauce, she’s coaching her daughter on the softball field or having some mama time at the beach.

Penne is our mascot and brings awareness to the market and educates those looking for healthy alternatives to the meals we love! Penne is a budding new celebrity, open to book deals, private and sporting events as well as TV appearances.