Meet Ilya Altshteyn

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ilya Altshteyn. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ilya, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I discovered my purpose when we adopted our dog, Lluvia, and witnessed first-hand how a home-cooked diet transformed her health (her skin cleared up, her digestion improved, her joy for life grew).
At that moment, I realized that what we were doing for one dog could become a mission for many: to give dogs the kind of food they deserve: nutritious, human-grade, responsibly sourced. From my background working in sustainability and supply chain transparency, I saw that the pet food industry had gaps.
So my purpose became: to help dogs eat as equals, to raise the standard for pet nutrition, and to build a business that models integrity, health and sustainability.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m Ilya Altshteyn, co-founder of California Dog Kitchen, a small family-owned company based in Southern California dedicated to providing fresh, human-grade, gently-cooked meals for dogs. What we do is simple but uncommon: we saw firsthand how our rescue dog Lluvia’s health improved when she transitioned to home-cooked food, and we decided to bring that level of quality, care, and transparency to the dog-food world.

What excites me most is that we combine three things many dog-food brands mention but few truly deliver: human-grade ingredients, responsible sourcing, and truly sustainable packaging. Our mission guides every decision: from selecting suppliers, cooking in our own facility, to choosing packaging that breaks down in industrial composting rather than ends up as long-lasting plastic waste. For example, our recipes include wild-harvested protein, organic vegetables, and we package our food in compostable tubs and bags.

Recently, we’ve been focused on expanding our retail presence, partnering with more independent pet stores, and continuing to innovate around packaging and ingredient sourcing. We’re also steadily expanding our production with new recipes (including wild boar) as we keep raising the standard in fresh dog food.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, the three qualities that made the biggest impact on my journey were systems thinking, resourcefulness, and a commitment to transparency. My background in sustainability helped me understand how sourcing, production, logistics, and customer trust all connect. Being resourceful kept us agile as we built California Dog Kitchen from the ground up and allowed us to grow without sacrificing quality. And throughout that growth, transparency — in ingredients, sourcing, and packaging — became the foundation of our brand.

My advice: Learn your industry from the inside out. The more you understand every part of the system, the better your decisions and the stronger your business will become.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

The person who has been most helpful in this journey is my brother, Sasha Altshteyn, he’s our COO and has always been willing to take on the things I’m not naturally inclined to do in order to keep the business moving forward. Our styles and interests complement each other perfectly. I truly wouldn’t have a business without him, and having a partner whose strengths balance mine has been one of the biggest advantages in our journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.californiadogkitchen.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/californiadogkitchen.official/