Community Highlights: Meet Dara Ree of Designed by Nature

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dara Ree.

Hi Dara, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Our Story: Designed by Nature
Designed by Nature began with a mother’s instinct — and a scare no parent should ever face. When my daughter was just five weeks old, she became severely ill and was hospitalized after reacting to commercial baby formula. Watching her tiny body struggle was my breaking point. I realized that the products I trusted — labeled “organic” and “safe” — were full of corn syrup, GMOs, and synthetic vitamins and minerals.
Out of desperation and love, I began making her formula by hand, using only real, whole-food ingredients I could pronounce and trust. I studied traditional nutrition, ancestral food wisdom, and modern science — blending what nature provided, not what laboratories engineered. What started as a mother’s mission to heal her child evolved into a company with a purpose: to give every parent access to a truly clean, transparent, and nourishing option.
Today, Designed by Nature is redefining our children’s nutrition. Our goat-milk-based Life Stages formulas are made entirely from organic, non-GMO, whole-food ingredients — without synthetic fortification or industrial seed oils. Each batch is third-party tested for over 300 contaminants, because parents deserve more than marketing claims — they deserve truth and safety.
This journey hasn’t been easy, but it’s been driven by conviction. Designed by Nature stands for every parent who’s had to question what’s really in their child’s food. What began in my kitchen has grown into a movement — built on love, transparency, and the belief that nature truly knows best.
— Dara Ree, CEO & Founder of Designed by Nature

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it has not been a smooth road — not even close. There have been countless moments when I felt like giving up. The challenges of building Designed by Nature have tested every ounce of my strength and faith. Yet every time I reached that breaking point, something remarkable would happen — I’d get a call, an email, or a message from a parent telling me how our formula helped heal their little one. Those stories kept me going. They reminded me why I started this journey in the first place.
Designed by Nature is a small, independent company — we’re not backed by million- or billion-dollar pharmaceutical corporations. We’ve had to fight for every step forward. One of our biggest hurdles has been navigating FDA restrictions. Because of the immense cost — often millions of dollars — it’s nearly impossible for a small business like ours to obtain FDA approval to label our blends as “infant formulas,” even though our ingredients are of the highest quality and purity.
For now, we rely on what started this whole journey: parents’ intuition. We empower families to make informed choices based on transparency, integrity, and trust — values that big corporations can’t manufacture.

We’ve been impressed with Designed by Nature , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Designed by Nature is a women-owned company dedicated to bringing real, whole-food nutrition back to our children. We specialize in organic, non-GMO, goat-milk-based Life Stages formulas made entirely from food — not synthetic vitamins, lab isolates, or cheap fillers. Every ingredient we use serves a nutritional purpose, from grass-fed goat milk and coconut oil powder to acerola for natural vitamin C. We take pride in what’s not in our products just as much as what is.
What sets us apart is our uncompromising integrity. In a market dominated by massive corporations, we’ve chosen a different path — no shortcuts, no hidden ingredients, and no misleading “organic” labels filled with seed oils and additives. Each batch of our formula is third-party tested for over 300 contaminants, including pesticides, heavy metals, and industrial toxins, because parents deserve transparency and truth.
We’re known for being the formula company that actually tells the truth. We don’t hide behind marketing language — we educate, we empower, and we advocate for cleaner, more honest infant and toddler nutrition.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud that Designed by Nature has become more than a product line; it’s a community. Parents trust us because they can feel the difference — in their babies’ health, in our transparency, and in our mission. We’re here to restore what nature intended and give parents something rare in today’s world: a formula they can believe in.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory is simply being carefree. Growing up in the 1980s felt different — food was still real, neighbors actually knew each other, and there was no social media pulling us away from the moment. We spent our days outside, riding bikes, laughing with friends, and playing until the streetlights came on. Life was simple, genuine, and full of freedom — something I think we’ve lost a bit of today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.designedbynature.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designedbynaturekids/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designedbynature
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/4738225/admin/page-posts/published/
• Twitter: https://x.com/DBNformulas
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@designedbynature2890