This Giving Tuesday, FEED and Goldbelly are joining forces to make an even greater impact. Rooted in our shared mission to nourish and strengthen community, the limited-edition Goldbelly x FEED Market XL Tote makes shopping local effortless and meaningful. Each charm celebrates beloved food makers and neighborhood shops that enrich our lives every single day.

In honor of Giving Tuesday, Goldbelly is donating 10 school meals for every order placed across their entire site. In keeping with FEED’s mission, they’ll also donate 10 meals for every limited-edition tote sold—helping provide meals to kids who need them, one order (and one tote) at a time.

To dive deeper into the heart behind this partnership, FEED’s founder, Lauren Bush Lauren, sat down with Goldbelly’s co-founder, Vanessa Ariel, to chat about all things Goldbelly and why this partnership matters this season.

1. What inspired you and Joe to start Goldbelly?

I was inspired by Joe’s vision. We were just dating at the time, and I had never met anyone who loved food the way he did. It wasn’t just about eating; he was fascinated by where dishes came from, the people behind them, and the cultural stories they carried. When we traveled, he always wanted to go where the locals go. He was the first person who showed me that food could be an experience, not just a meal.

So when he came to me with the idea of creating a marketplace that could connect passionate food lovers with the incredible food makers who brought him so much joy, something clicked. I immediately started imagining what that experience could look like. A place that captured the magic of “food exploring,” the pride he had in every discovery, and that instinct he had to share the things he loves with everyone around him.

At the time, food on the internet was basically text menus or recipe sites. As a product designer obsessed with ecommerce, I saw an opportunity to build something entirely different. A platform that presented regional foods as meaningful, story-driven products that could not only feed you, but transport you, connect you, and bring a little bit of Joe’s joyful curiosity to the world.

That’s what inspired me to build Goldbelly with him.

2. What has been the biggest challenge in being a Founder? And what has been the greatest joy?

I actually didn’t think of myself as a founder in the beginning — and honestly, that helped. It removed a lot of the fear and pressure. I approached designing Goldbelly as a joyful creative project that I genuinely loved. I was helping someone I was falling in love with bring his dream to life, and that became my natural motivation. Joe had already been an entrepreneur, and his clarity of vision made the whole thing feel less like a risk and more like a passion we were building together.

The biggest challenge came later, once I realized, oh — we’re actually running a real company now. Suddenly, I had to grow into the identity of a founder: making decisions with long-term impact, leading teams, balancing the emotional highs and lows, and learning things fast enough to stay ahead. There’s no handbook, and there’s definitely no autopilot. That constant growth curve can be both exhilarating and daunting.

But the greatest joy? Starting a company with someone you love is its own kind of magic. You get to be obsessed with the same idea, to build something from nothing, and to pour your shared creativity into something bigger than yourselves. Watching Goldbelly come to life, and knowing we built it side by side, has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.

 

3. Supporting mom & pop shops seems to be at the core of the Goldbelly mission- which 3 restaurants are you personally favorites?

OMG, this is almost impossible to choose. Food is emotional, and I love different makers for different moments in my life.

If I’m feeling nostalgic, I always go back to the flavors I grew up with in Venezuela. An arepa, a tequeño, or a cachapa from Doggi’s Arepa Bar in Miami… I swear I tear up every time that box arrives.

If I want something sweet and chic to gift someone I love or want to impress, Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa goodies are my go-to. From cookie dough to her iconic coconut cake, everything feels heartwarming and instantly puts a smile on someone’s face.

And if I’m entertaining family and friends, nothing beats a pizza party lineup from some of my favorite shops across the country — Pizzeria Bianco in Arizona,  Pizzeria Delfina in San Francisco, and Zuppardi’s Apizza in Connecticut are always in rotation.

So yes… choosing just three is basically impossible. But I tried!

4. The holidays are a time for gathering with loved ones around the table sharing food and quality time together, what is your favorite holiday meal? Favorite holiday tradition?

The holidays are all about gathering, sharing food, and spending real quality time together — which is why they’re actually our busiest season at Goldbelly. We think of it as our mission to help people create those moments, whether through nostalgic bites, exciting new discoveries, or that once-a-year holiday splurge everyone looks forward to.

Because of that, our own holiday traditions are pretty untraditional — we have no rules. We each get to order whatever we’re most excited about that season. Last year, one of my absolute favorite things to gift was the Lemon & Dark Chocolate Panettone from Una Pizza Napoletana. It’s only available once a year, and it feels almost magical when it arrives. And the meal we loved the most at home was the L’Artusi pasta kit — simple, cozy, and perfect.

For the Jewish holidays, we went with Zahav’s incredible Lamb Shoulder and their salatim from Philly, which turned the whole meal into a really elevated experience. Our guests and family were obsessed with it.

Honestly, that’s the beauty of what we do: there are always new makers, new dinners, and new kits arriving on the platform. So our “tradition” has become discovering something new together each year. That keeps it exciting, delicious, and very us.