Level Up Your Granola

When life throws you carrots, sometimes you make granola. Megan Militello, founder and owner of Elevated Oats, recently celebrated her one-year anniversary of manufacturing delicious, colorful granola flavors, like Coconut Carrot Creamsicle, which forefronts carrots as a main ingredient. Elevated Oats also makes the chewy favorite Not Banana Bread, Dark and Salty (for the chocolate lovers of course), and Velvet Beet, a bright pink crunch of natural sweetness, out of a commercial kitchen in Anchorage. Militello encourages people to embrace foods with “no artificial flavors, fillers, or feelings.”  

Militello was visiting family in Alaska, grieving the end of a marriage, when she decided to stay. She's a military veteran and was in the midst of a solid aeronautics career, but life changes pushed her to finally follow her dream of becoming an entrepreneur. She got a job offer in Virginia. “I said ‘No thanks,’” she said. “And that was it.”

It’s been a wild year since Militello summoned her inner entrepreneur, got a business license, and threw herself headlong into creating Elevated Oats. “This was me being awesome for myself instead of me being awesome for other people,” she said. She had previously worked to become a personal trainer, and quickly noticed that exercise is nothing without good nutrition. She landed on oats after realizing how versatile they are, and granola in particular, because she knew it could be delicious and healthy, in stark contrast to so many cereals on the market that are basically junk food.

Once she had a standout granola—notable for its delicious, healthy, and simple ingredient list—she called on the Alaska Small Business Development Center for help. “They see it, they understand [how tough it can be], and they do have those resources to help guide and direct you.”

Militello quickly found her niche and built enough momentum to hold steady and keep growing even as COVID cancelled numerous events and trade shows. Militello has assembled a fantastic team, including her friend Lacey Ernandes, “a battle buddy from the military,” she says, who “created our logo and has since joined my side to make this dream come true.” Elevated Oats loves to partner with fellow local businesses to source ingredients like Alaska grown beets and carrots. She’s developing recipes that will even use local parsnips and pumpkins. Her network of distributors, peers, friends, and fans is growing—she relishes Alaska’s supportive, big-small-town nature. “I’ve built some of the best relationships of my entire life here in the last year,” she said.

Look for Elevated Oats in coffee shops, kombucha bars, stores, and farm-to-table boxes across Alaska. Elevated Oats is here to show that you can eat colorful, versatile, and simple granola that isn’t only good for you—it can elevate you! https://www.elevatedoats.com/

This web story is sponsored by our partners at the Alaska Small Business Development Center.