For chemist, researcher, entrepreneur, and mother of three Zane Grigale-Soročina, chamomile, calendula, nettle, and red clover are far more than familiar plants from childhood meadows. They are sources of valuable active compounds, subjects of scientific research, and the foundation of the family business “Rasa Botanicals”. In an interview with TVNET, Zane shares the story of building the company together with her parents, writing her doctoral dissertation at five in the morning, overcoming setbacks that made her want to give up, and participating in the business incubation programme of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), which became a runway for the company’s growth.
“We don’t need goji berries – we have our own cranberries,” says Zane, summing up her belief in the potential of local plants. In her view, lady’s mantle, nettle, and many other seemingly ordinary Latvian plants are powerful resources that are still far from being used to their full potential.
It was from this conviction that the family company “Rasa Botanicals” emerged. At the family home “Līvas” in Sutri Parish, Līvāni Municipality, Zane’s parents, Māris and Elita Grigaļi, produce plant extracts and natural cosmetics. Zane, meanwhile, contributes her expertise as a chemist, her research background, and more than 15 years of experience in cosmetics product development.
The company’s story, however, did not begin with a carefully prepared business plan. It started when Zane was on parental leave, her parents were looking for a new direction in life, and a visit to a cosmetics production facility inspired the family to see Latvia’s meadows from an entirely new perspective.
A Phrase That Stayed with Her
The idea of starting a family business had been there for a long time.
Zane’s parents had spent their entire professional careers in education. Elita is a biology and chemistry teacher, while Māris worked as a sports teacher for more than 30 years and served as head of Sutri Primary School. When the school was closed, the family was ready to explore new opportunities.
Around ten years ago, while on parental leave with her second child, Zane visited the production facility of “MÁDARA Cosmetics”.
There, she heard an idea that stayed with her: Latvian plants are exceptionally rich in active compounds, yet there are very few companies in Latvia transforming this natural resource into high-quality plant extracts.
“That was the moment when the idea really took shape that perhaps we could do something in this field ourselves,” Zane recalls in the TVNET interview.
She already had the professional background to assess the idea not only emotionally, but also from a technological perspective. Zane is a cosmetics chemist with a doctoral degree in chemical engineering. For 15 years, she has worked at “Kinetics Nail Systems”, where she is involved in the development of new cosmetics products, scientific research, cooperation with universities, and attracting funding for European projects.
In her day-to-day work, she was already used to being on the customer side – meeting manufacturers of active ingredients, extracts, and oils, analysing their offers in detail, and selecting the most suitable ingredients for new product formulations.
“I already knew how that world worked. I knew what questions to ask a manufacturer and what a cosmetics developer expects from an active ingredient,” she explains.
The family began researching scientific literature, extraction technologies, and the experience of other manufacturers. Zane also visited a production facility in Germany to gain practical insight into the manufacturing process. When the Preiļi District Partnership announced a call for LEADER projects, Zane’s father was the one who insisted that the family should apply.
They prepared the project application, secured funding, and purchased ultrasonic extraction equipment.
“The LEADER funding was the green light. That was the moment when we said: we are investing our own money as well, buying the equipment, and getting started,” says Zane.
The Lifeblood of Plants
The company name was inspired by Latvian nature, meadows, and morning dew. But the word also carries a deeper meaning. According to the family, in Sanskrit “rasa” is associated with the lifeblood or essence of a plant.
That is exactly what they aim to capture – a concentrated combination of the plant’s valuable compounds that can be used in cosmetics and other products.
“Rasa Botanicals” uses ultrasonic technology for plant extraction. Put simply, ultrasound helps break down plant cell structures and enables valuable compounds to be released more efficiently into the selected solvent.
The company produces two types of extracts. Some are water- and glycerine-based, while others are oil-based and use grape seed oil. These extracts are intended for use in creams, serums, haircare products, oils, and other cosmetics.
The family grows or gathers some of the plants themselves. During the summer, Māris begins with harvesting and drying plants, followed by extract preparation and cosmetics production. Plants that are not available on the family farm are sourced from Latvian tea and medicinal plant growers.
The production facility was established in a former farm building that Māris and Elita renovated and adapted to cosmetics manufacturing requirements in compliance with Good Manufacturing Practice.
Over time, the production area, warehouse, and office have already become too small, although the business still retains the character of a small family-run production facility.
On its website, “Rasa Botanicals” presents its activities in three main areas: plant extract production, natural cosmetics, and consulting for other cosmetics brands. The company also emphasises research, ultrasonic extraction technology, and zero-waste production principles.
A Small Company Can Do What a Large One Will Not
“Rasa Botanicals” does not try to compete with large extract manufacturers by producing huge batches of standardised products.
The family company’s strength is flexibility. A large manufacturer is unlikely to produce a 200-millilitre or one-litre batch of extract using a preservative selected specifically for one customer. “Rasa Botanicals” can.
“We are small, so we can be very flexible and accommodating,” explains Zane.
At customer request, the company has produced not only familiar chamomile, calendula, and nettle extracts, but also propolis, horseradish, burdock root, and caraway seed extracts.
If a customer requires a specific raw material, a different preservative, or a particular concentration, the team can develop a new technological solution and carry out internal testing.
“We can create exactly what the customer needs. That is what makes us unique – we are open to collaboration,” she says.
This approach is particularly suitable for small Latvian cosmetics brands that are only beginning their journey. A new company does not need hundreds of kilograms of a single active ingredient. It needs a small batch, manageable initial costs, and a partner willing to explain how the raw material should be used.
But the work of “Rasa Botanicals” does not end with selling extracts.
From One Idea to a Finished Product in 30 Steps
Another important area of the company’s activity is consulting and supporting the development of new cosmetics products.
Throughout her professional career, Zane has participated in the development of more than 60 different cosmetics products. These include various skincare and haircare products and other formulations requiring not only a good idea, but also knowledge of chemistry, manufacturing, packaging, labelling, and regulatory requirements.
Many new brands begin with just a simple idea: I want my own face cream, eye cream, or body care product.
But between that idea and a beautifully packaged product on a store shelf lie dozens of technological and practical steps.
Zane has developed her own product development algorithm. Depending on the project, it may include around 30 steps – from defining the product’s function and selecting raw materials to formulation, stability testing, packaging compatibility, safety documentation, labelling, and production.
Recently, after a consultation, a new entrepreneur told Zane that she had spent two years speaking with different people in Latvia and elsewhere in Europe, yet only after a one-hour conversation with Zane did she finally understand what was needed to turn her idea into a finished cosmetics product.
“I don’t keep anything secret. If I have knowledge and experience that can help someone avoid mistakes, I am happy to share it,” says Zane.
The family sees consulting and product development as one of the company’s future growth opportunities. There are not many specialists in Latvia who combine scientific education, hands-on experience in cosmetics manufacturing, and the willingness to guide a new brand step by step all the way to a finished product.
The Working Day Began at Five in the Morning
From the outside, a family business in the Latgale countryside may look romantic – meadows, plants, fragrant creams, and creative workshops.
Zane does not hide the fact that behind it all lies an enormous amount of work. When the company was being established, she had two small children, a full-time job, a doctoral dissertation in progress, and everyday family responsibilities. She stresses that she could never have done it alone.
“One person cannot do everything. You need an environment and people around you who believe in you and support you,” she says.
From the beginning, it was clear that “Rasa Botanicals” would be a family business involving Zane, her husband, and both of her parents.
The idea of managing your own time sounds appealing. In a new business, however, “managing your own time” often means working at five in the morning, late at night, and on weekends.
“I often joke that for an entrepreneur, managing your own time means using every possible free moment for work,” says Zane.
Her doctoral dissertation taught her extraordinary discipline. She describes completing it as a 12-year journey of challenges and one of the greatest learning experiences of her life.
For five consecutive years, she got up at five in the morning. From five until seven, she worked on her dissertation, after which the family and working day began.
“It required enormous discipline, time management, determination, and perseverance. You cannot imagine how many times I wanted to give up completely – with tears and frustration,” she recalls.
Zane stresses that being strong does not mean never falling. Strong people also fall, become tired, and doubt themselves. The difference lies in the ability to get back up after every setback and continue.
She also connects her work ethic with growing up in the Latgale countryside. Summers were spent weeding beet fields and flower beds, making hay, and helping her parents around the farm.
“I am used to working hard,” she says. “That definitely toughened me up and helped me combine everything without abandoning the dissertation I had started.”
A Year That Ends at Zero
Business stories often highlight success – new products, growth, and competition wins. Much less often do they talk about the years when, at the end of the year, an entrepreneur looks at the figures and sees zero.
In the seventh or eighth year of “Rasa Botanicals”, the family reviewed the year’s results and realised that financially they had earned virtually nothing.
And this calculation did not include the time they themselves had invested – writing project applications, developing new products, searching for customers, conducting research, and dealing with countless everyday tasks.
Zane asked herself: while I am working from morning until evening and others are walking, resting, and spending time on social media, do I really need this?
The answer was still yes – and not only because of money.
“The greatest added value is the experience and the people I have met. I definitely would not be the person I am today without these years in business,” she says.
For her, entrepreneurship means solving problems every single day. And often, those problems appear in areas where everything seemed to have already been thoroughly tested.
The Product Was Good, but the Pump Stopped Working
Together with a client, “Rasa Botanicals” developed a new cosmetics product. Packaging was selected from an experienced Polish manufacturer, compatibility between the product and the packaging was tested, and a batch of bottles worth several thousand euros was purchased.
The product entered the market. After around 30 uses, the pump mechanism stopped working. The entire batch had to be recalled. For a new brand that had just launched its first product, this was a major setback.
And the problems did not stop there. Labels started peeling off and bubbles appeared underneath them. When the bottles were printed at a printing house, the print began to flake off. Another printing supplier and a special surface treatment method had to be found.
“There was always some kind of problem that had to be solved,” says Zane.
But difficult situations are also when the quality of relationships becomes clear. Clients who do not look for someone to blame, but are willing to work together to find a solution, often become especially close and trusted partners. One obstacle is overcome, only for another to appear.
“Some people go to the gym to train their muscles. Entrepreneurs train their nervous system, experience, and professionalism,” says Zane.
Her experience in a larger cosmetics company helps her maintain perspective. A problem does not mean that everything is going wrong. It is simply the next task that requires a solution.
“It is the next puddle we fall into. Then we simply have to get up and climb out,” she says.
Without External Support, the Company Might Not Exist
Zane openly admits that external funding and various support programmes have played a decisive role in the development of “Rasa Botanicals”.
“If this support had not existed, I think ‘Rasa Botanicals’ might not exist either,” she says.
The first major step was LEADER funding for equipment. It enabled the family to move from an idea to actual production. The company then participated in the LIAA Business Incubation Programme for four years.
The Business Incubation Programme is designed to support the development of innovative, export-oriented, and creative industry companies by providing financial and non-financial support to strengthen competitiveness and foster growth. Participation gave “Rasa Botanicals” the opportunity to develop its business idea, improve its products and services, and prepare for sustainable growth in both domestic and export markets.
Financial support helped the company develop its website, purchase raw materials, and implement other growth activities. However, Zane believes the environment itself was even more valuable than the funding – being surrounded by other people who were also building businesses.
Zane is a chemist by profession. She knows how to create products, but at the beginning she knew almost nothing about finance, sales, or marketing.
“It was a complete blank spot for me,” she recalls.
The incubation programme required regular meetings, progress reporting, training, and continuous thinking about the next steps. Sales training was particularly memorable.
“I sat there with my mouth open, listening to every word, because it was a completely unfamiliar world to me,” says Zane.
Creating a product, in her view, is only the first step. The real challenge comes afterwards – the product needs to be labelled, marketed, sold, and matched with someone willing to pay for it.
When the incubation period ended, Zane told the team at LIAA’s Daugavpils representative office that the programme had been like an airport runway for the company – a place where it could build momentum, gain speed, and take off.
Two Attempts Failed, the Third Succeeded
Later, “Rasa Botanicals” also used an LIAA innovation, or technology, voucher.
With approximately EUR 5,000 in support, the company worked with biologists from the University of Latvia to study several new plant extracts. Researchers assessed their antioxidant activity, active compound content, and potential effects when used in cosmetics formulations.
However, the funding was not secured on the first attempt. Zane submitted the application three times. In her view, the problem was not the idea itself, but the different language used by technologists and project evaluators when describing the same processes.
“An engineer may understand terms such as ‘technological research’, ‘testing’, or ‘new product development’ differently from someone who does not work with these processes every day,” explains Zane.
The biggest challenge was to write the application in a way that made the technological concept understandable and clearly aligned with the programme requirements. After two unsuccessful attempts, the third application was approved.
“You cannot imagine how much I struggled with it,” she says.
But the result was worth it. Without research, the company could only tell a customer that chamomile is good for the skin. With research data, it can demonstrate antioxidant activity and other measurable results.
“That immediately becomes a completely different story,” says Zane.
The unsuccessful applications also became a learning experience: a good idea alone does not guarantee support. It must be explained precisely to the person evaluating it.
A Latvian Meadow Versus an Expensive Trend-Driven Ingredient
One of the company’s most significant research projects lasted around three years and was implemented with support from a Rural Support Service programme.
The project involved several partners, including Rīga Stradiņš University, Latvian researchers, a Finnish stem cell institute, and the “Kurmīši” farm in Krāslava Municipality. Two types of material were produced from seeds of the same origin.
“Kurmīši” cultivated the plants in Latvia, while some of the seeds were sent to Finland, where plant stem cells were grown under laboratory conditions. “Rasa Botanicals” then produced extracts both from the plants grown in Latvia and from the plant stem cells obtained in the laboratory.
Both types of extracts were submitted to researchers for comparison of their properties and effects. At Rīga Stradiņš University, researchers assessed their potential impact on human digestive processes using a laboratory model. Biologists at the University of Latvia analysed their active compound profiles.
The initial aim of the project was to develop plant extracts for functional beverages. The product has not yet reached the market, but the results significantly strengthened Zane’s conviction in the value of local plants. According to her, in the studies, traditional plant extracts demonstrated significantly higher effectiveness across all tests than the plant stem cell products used for comparison.
The price difference was also substantial. Plant stem cell active ingredients for cosmetics can cost around EUR 1,000 per kilogram, while a traditional plant extract may cost approximately EUR 30 per kilogram. For a new cosmetics producer, this represents a significant difference in initial investment.
Zane does not dispute that plant stem cell technologies have a role in the market, particularly when active compounds need to be obtained from protected or difficult-to-cultivate plants.
But in Latvia, where meadows, medicinal plants, and local growers are readily available, she sees no reason to always choose the more expensive and fashionable solution.
“I choose chamomile, calendula, red clover, and lady’s mantle. I know that what grows around me is also what I need,” says Zane.
From the Laboratory to a Workshop House in One of Latvia’s Most Beautiful Gardens
“Rasa Botanicals” is more than an extract production facility and a place for cosmetics development. In recent years, Zane’s parents have also begun developing workshops and experience-based events.
A dedicated workshop house has been created on the company’s premises. It is located next to the Grigaļi family’s ornamental garden, which has received recognition and won competitions for the most beautiful gardens in Latgale.
Zane describes the place as an oasis of peace on earth. Corporate teams, families, and groups of friends organising hen parties come to take part in workshops. Sometimes men participate as well and, to the family’s surprise, become fully absorbed in making cosmetics.
One workshop allows participants to create a facial care elixir using oil-based plant extracts. Another focuses on body scrubs – “plant mandalas in a jar” combining the colours, textures, and fragrances of various Latvian plants.
“These scrubs genuinely smell like summer,” says Zane.
The newest offer is natural perfume making. Participants use essential oils and grape seed oil to create their own fragrance for everyday use.
The workshops are not limited to Sutri. Māris and Elita are also ready to travel to schools, libraries, corporate events, and other venues, combining entertainment with knowledge about plants and cosmetics.
The project has been implemented within the framework of the project “Innovative Entrepreneurship Development for SMEs”, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the European Union.
