Shaker LaunchHouse Profile: Good Greens

The growth of Good Greens occurred about the same time the Shaker LaunchHouse opened its doors last summer.

Unlike most of the firms at the , Shaker Heights resident Keith Pabley's Good Greens already had customers when he met Dar Caldwell, Todd Goldstein and the other partners at LaunchHouse. Pabley was preparing to sell his line of vegan nutrition bars to retailers like Heinens at the time and needed office space.

Pabley's company found a home at 3558 Lee Road, though he admits to initial leeriness about the LaunchHouse concept.

"At first, I said I didn't know how they would make a difference for people," Pabley said. "I was just looking for cheap office space. What I didn't realize is how effective it is to have people in the same space and how much LaunchHouse could help businesses with exposure they would have never had access to."

Pabley quickly learned about the LauncHouse's potential for exposure when the group hosted an event with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. Good Greens offers four flavors of its gluten-free fruit, antioxidant-full bars — wild berry, chocolate coconut, chocolate raspberry and chocolate peanut butter. They are  available at Whole Foods and Acme and are best-sellers at Heinens and Marc's.

The company will release chocolate mint and chunk flavors in July and superfood Greek yogurt in August.

Here's more of what Pabley had to say about his company and Shaker LaunchHouse:

The benefits of Good Greens bars: Pabley said the bars have 12 grams of protein and enough fruits and vegetable content to last a day. They include 52 super foods, 42 antioxidants and probiotics.

"Our (Good Greens Superfood Powder, which is found in the bars and also sold separately), is like our secret sauce," he said. "It was formulated by a biochemist in New York, who did the formula for 5-hour Energy. It gives you absorption of vitamins and nutrients in your body … It doesn't spike your blood sugar."

On being one of the only LaunchHouse businesses with walk-in traffic: "It's like you get sucked into a black hole. Everyone comes to LaunchHouse and they interact with us on some level … All the interns and college kids that wanted to be LaunchHouse wanted to work for me. We took 'em in and wanted to start to get going."

What younger entrepreneurs can expect if they come to LaunchHouse: "Tiny Giant Studios made an animated video for us and did our site. All of this wouldn't have happened if I wasn't at LaunchHouse … LaunchHouse gives you the right structure to evaluate if your idea has any merit."