Guayakí (company) facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Beverage, organic products |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Founders | Alex Pryor, David Karr |
| Headquarters | Sebastopol, California |
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Area served
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United States, Canada |
| Products | Yerba mate, beverages, energy shots, energy drinks |
Guayakí Sustainable Rainforest Products, Inc. is a company known for its yerba mate drinks and products. It is often called Guayakí and recently started using the name Yerba Madre. Based in Sebastopol, California, Guayakí focuses on organic beverages. Besides loose-leaf yerba mate, they also sell canned and fizzy yerba mate drinks, plus energy shots. You can find Guayakí products in about 10,000 stores across the United States, especially in organic and health food stores like Whole Foods Market. They also sell their products online.
Contents
About Guayakí
Guayakí was started in 1996 by Alex Pryor and David Karr. It began as a project when they were students at CalPoly San Luis Obispo.
Helping Rainforests and People
Guayakí has a special mission to help the environment and people. In 2018, part of their goal was to protect and bring back 200,000 acres of rainforest. They also aimed to create over 1,000 good jobs by 2020 in the Atlantic Forest. They call this their "Market Driven Restoration" model. This idea means that instead of businesses harming less-developed countries, the market itself can be used to help.
The name Guayakí comes from the Aché people, who are Indigenous people from Paraguay. They have been drinking mate for a very long time. Guayakí works with the Aché people to protect the rainforest where they live and where mate is harvested. The company pays the Aché community for using their name.
Certifications and Leadership
Guayakí was the first company in California to become a B Corporation. This means they meet high standards for social and environmental performance. Their products are also certified organic by USDA Organic. Additionally, Guayakí is certified fair trade by IMO and is a member of the Fair Trade Federation. They were also the first yerba mate company to get biodynamic certification, which is a very strict type of organic farming.
Over the years, Guayakí has had different leaders. Stefan Kozak became the CEO in April 2021. He had previously been the CEO of Red Bull North America. In November 2023, Stefan Kozak stepped down. Robyn Lawrie Rutledge, who had been on the company's board since 2020, became the interim CEO. On March 21, 2024, Ben Mand was announced as the new CEO. Robyn Rutledge then took on the role of Board Executive Chair. Ben Mand was previously the CEO of Harmless Harvest.
External Links
- Bloomberg Business company profile
See also
In Spanish: Guayakí (compañía) para niños
