Emily Straus '13
For Emily Straus ’13, Millbrook was about more than just academics. She remembers the strong bond of her cross-country team, the fun of JV ice hockey under Coach Allen (who was also her dorm parent), and the lessons learned in anthropology and English classes that, in her words, “set me up really well for college.” Those experiences carried her to Tulane, where she majored in communications and international development, and later into a career that blended creativity, entrepreneurship, and health.
After starting out in advertising, Emily made a leap of faith, moving to Los Angeles “on a whim” to pursue work in health and wellness. She joined Dr. Squatch, a natural men’s personal care brand that recently sold to Unilever for $1.5 billion, as their eighth employee and first marketing hire. “Most of my big career growth and development happened at that job,” she says. It was also where she met her future co-founder.
Together, they started Man Cereal, a functional, high-protein, low-sugar cereal fortified with creatine (a functional ingredient with benefits for strength, recovery, and brain power). The cereal was designed to stand out in a market dominated by sugary, kid-focused brands and boring “healthy” brands targeted to women. According to Emily, “We just kept joking, ‘there’s no man cereal,’ and the name stuck.” Emily laughs,
Man Cereal’s plain packaging is deliberately disruptive. Emily says that, “We wanted it to go against everything that is cereal, no bright colors, no cartoon characters, no tricks. What you see is what you get.” Each serving contains 2.5 grams of creatine, enough to get all the benefits without sacrificing taste, and 15-16 grams of high-quality protein. Flavors include salted fudge, fruity, and the surprising fan-favorite maple bacon.
Now preparing to launch direct-to-consumer, Emily reflects that her Millbrook friendships, resilience, and critical thinking skills were foundational to her entrepreneurial path. You can learn more about Man Cereal and its upcoming launch at www.eatmancereal.com.
Article by Jack Stewart '27 originally published in the October 8, 2025, issue of The Silo.
After starting out in advertising, Emily made a leap of faith, moving to Los Angeles “on a whim” to pursue work in health and wellness. She joined Dr. Squatch, a natural men’s personal care brand that recently sold to Unilever for $1.5 billion, as their eighth employee and first marketing hire. “Most of my big career growth and development happened at that job,” she says. It was also where she met her future co-founder.
Together, they started Man Cereal, a functional, high-protein, low-sugar cereal fortified with creatine (a functional ingredient with benefits for strength, recovery, and brain power). The cereal was designed to stand out in a market dominated by sugary, kid-focused brands and boring “healthy” brands targeted to women. According to Emily, “We just kept joking, ‘there’s no man cereal,’ and the name stuck.” Emily laughs,
"It makes you laugh, and that’s what we wanted to go for. We’re serious about the product, serious about nutrition, and not serious about really anything else.”
Man Cereal’s plain packaging is deliberately disruptive. Emily says that, “We wanted it to go against everything that is cereal, no bright colors, no cartoon characters, no tricks. What you see is what you get.” Each serving contains 2.5 grams of creatine, enough to get all the benefits without sacrificing taste, and 15-16 grams of high-quality protein. Flavors include salted fudge, fruity, and the surprising fan-favorite maple bacon.
Now preparing to launch direct-to-consumer, Emily reflects that her Millbrook friendships, resilience, and critical thinking skills were foundational to her entrepreneurial path. You can learn more about Man Cereal and its upcoming launch at www.eatmancereal.com.
Article by Jack Stewart '27 originally published in the October 8, 2025, issue of The Silo.
