Colleen Kavanagh is passionate advocate for food safety and nutritional improvement, particularly for vulnerable populations. Diagnosed with celiac disease as a teenager, she witnessed firsthand the transformative power of proper nutrition. This personal journey spurred a desire to help others, especially children, leading her down a political path. In her early career, she worked for a member of Congress and nonprofit organizations to enhance nutrition in public programs like school meals and WIC​. She started the nonprofit A Better Course to continue that work in California.

Kavanagh’s political background includes working on legislation to improve nutritional standards in schools. Disillusioned by the minimal changes resulting from policy efforts, she realized the importance of empowering consumers to demand healthier food choices from the industry, which led her to found ZEGO.

Through ZEGO, Kavanagh strives to set a new industry standard, asserting that customers have the right to know about potential toxic residues in their food. She emphasizes the role of consumers in driving change within the food industry, believing that public policies tend to follow rather than set trends. Her advocacy efforts include educating consumers on how to demand purity verification from food brands​.

Kavanagh is a co-founder of CIVC (Collaborative Integrated Value Chain). CIVC is an integrated food system and processing facility for value-added gluten free grains and legumes grown in the greater Montana region designed to help farmers commercialize rotational crops and help values-aligned brands sell those crops through their products successfully and for the long term.