From Gap Year fellow to grocery stores

Panacheeza is a plant-based alternative to Parmesan cheese with an international backstory and a product launch readied during a Gap Year Entrepreneurial Fellowship.

Initially, founder Janessa Steenberg ’23 (individualized program) created the original recipe for herself to bridge a culinary gap between her vegan diet and the Italian-Maltese cuisine from her Toronto childhood and her grandmother’s kitchen.

Making vegan food is Steenberg’s hobby. She perfected the “cheese” blend of spices, cashews, and nutritional yeast and made batches at the request of friends and family.

“Whenever I would run out, I’d make it again, and every time I did that, I learned something new about the ingredients,” Steenberg said. “Over time, I learned how to keep it drier when blending it, how to keep it whiter, how to boost the flavors. Back then, I just called it ‘my cheese.’ It had no name.”

When Steenberg relocated to the Rochester area to be closer to her future husband, Ryan Steenberg ’17 MFA (medical illustration), she brought her nondairy cheese with her. He encouraged her to enroll at RIT and start a business.

Steenberg transferred her college credits to RIT and enrolled in the School of Individualized Study (SOIS). A minor in entrepreneurship gave her space to develop her business idea. A mentor in SOIS suggested Steenberg apply for a Gap Year Fellowship.

Because she had a finished product to launch, Steenberg spent her fellowship in 2023 at RIT’s Venture Creations incubator. There, she had access to mentoring, resources, and office space. She settled on a name for her product, Panacheeza—borrowed from her youngest son—and officially launched her business on May 15, 2023, with a first run of 2,000 shakers.

Panacheeza graduated from Venture Creations in 2024 after Steenberg returned to the classroom for her final semester.

“Because of the Gap Year fellowship, I finished my last exam, closed my laptop, and I went straight to my office to work,” Steenberg said. “There was no time in between where I’m looking for a job or trying to figure it out. It was a dream.”

Today, Steenberg’s headquarters and fulfillment center are in a business park about 10 minutes from the RIT campus. On average, her company sells more than 3,600 units of Panacheeza per month.

Panacheeza (original, spicy, and truffle flavors) is available on Amazon, at Panacheeza.com, and in Whole Foods stores in the northeast.

This year, Steenberg anticipates introducing a non-allergen Panacheeza made with pumpkin seeds instead of cashews.

“RIT and the Gap Year Fellowship were instrumental in the business getting set up so quickly,” Steenberg said. “It’s been this whirlwind, beautiful experience.”