5 Summer 2025 | West Angela Santiago The motto “I can, and I will” captures Angela Santiago’s remarkable journey to success. As the CEO and Co-Founder of The Little Potato Company, Angela has transformed her and her father’s vision into a successful organization. She invented a food category in North America. Her father, Jacob van der Schaaf, a Dutch immigrant, inspired her to embrace the world of potato farming, an unexpected path given her background in political science. This deep-seated passion and respect for her father’s innovative concept of cultivating little potatoes have driven her to remarkable heights. In 1996, they started small, with a one-acre plot near Edmonton, Alberta, where every potato was grown and washed by hand, and sold at local markets. Today, their dedication has grown into an impressive operation, with 20,000 stores across Canada, the United States, and Mexico who carry their potatoes. The company now sells 200-240 million pounds of these unique potatoes each year, a testament to Angela’s vision and her unwavering belief in her mission. At the Advancing Women Conference West 2025, Angela shared her inspiring journey of success, explaining the challenges she has overcome along the way. She shared tips and tools for navigating challenges. In addition to hard work, Angela shared that to effectively manage risks it is important to actively listen to feedback, and that resilience and adaptability are key. Angela’s observations serve as a light of hope and motivation for those aspiring to meet their own difficulties head on. Angela believes that there are numerous advantages to running a family business. She is proud of the fact that her family business prioritizes product quality, ensuring that every item meets exacting standards of excellence. The family commitment to caring for their employees ensures a supportive and successful environment. Furthermore, they maintain a high level of transparency in every strategy and plan they implement, building trust and open communication within the team. What role does innovation play in driving the business to success? “Innovation is always necessary for success, often when you are innovating you will make mistakes. What is important is how you accept and deal with mistakes,” says Angela. She emphasized that mistakes should not be viewed as failures, but rather as valuable stepping stones that light our path forward, guiding us toward innovative solutions and a deeper understanding of our journey. Her message to students and young ladies: “Believe in yourself, you have the skill set to overcome the challenges. Find a good support system that believes in you and can help you grow into a successful person.” She encouraged women to think less about going up the ladder, but rather, to focus on making the ladder move. “Often when you are innovating you will make mistakes. What is important is how you accept and deal with mistakes.” ROOTED IN VALUES: GROWING THE LITTLE POTATO COMPANY
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