Carissa ‘Riss’ is an entrepreneur and outdoor enthusiast dedicated to connecting people to nature through food and experiences. Her first company, The Stand Juice Company launched in 2005 as a home based business providing fresh, organic juice cleanses and private cheffing services. It soon grew to brick & mortar locations and kiosks throughout Connecticut's Gold Coast. Though sourcing as locally and organically as possible, Riss was pained by the waste the businesses produced. In 2013 she purchased 15-acres on the banks of the Connecticut River to realize a closed-loop food ecosystem. At Hideaway Farm the pulp, fiber and food waste from The Stand Juice Co would feed a diverse herd of rescued farm animals. Aging the nutrient-rich manure and returning into the fields to grow vegetables for the food businesses.  Riss sold the business in 2019 after moving to Boston to be with her husband, Chris.

In 2020 Riss joined the Boston-based education startup SolBe Learning as an Operating Partner.  Her work there varied but most notably–she brought the seed-to-table nutrition philosophy to life. Creating and programming edible gardens on-site to serve as enrichment beyond the classroom and activating the state-of-the-art kitchen to (pre)serve the bounty for children and educators alike. A legacy she is most proud of. 

Riss has served as chef and facilitator on women's wellness retreats and ran Creative Camps for children from her business and farm for over a decade. 

Since having her son, Bowen, in 2021 Riss & fam have retreated to the mountains of Western Maine—home base for Whisked Away Experiences. 

She’s a certified holistic health coach, non-violent communication practitioner, licensed backcountry outfitter, a classically trained painter and one helluva camp cook. When Riss isn’t in the kitchen, she’s hitting the trail with her sidekick Rocky-roo.