NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Nothing drives impact like dollars. It’s a simple idea, but, for Runa, it represents the seed of an entirely new business-focused outlook.

The Brooklyn-based company, founded in 2009 by college roommates Tyler Gage and Dan MacCombie, produces ready-to-drink iced teas and energy drinks made with guayusa, a plant traditionally used as a natural source of caffeine by indigenous groups in South America. Through its vertically aligned supply chain— in which it sources organic crops from Fair Trade Certified partner farms in Ecuador— Runa has made ethical business practices and sustainable farming a key part of its identity.

But in the first months after joining as CEO last April, Alex Galindez was charged with a different task. After spearheading a brand revamp and push into new beverage categories, including energy drinks, at Hain Celestial-owned brand BluePrint, she was drafted to help Runa balance the goal of driving positive social impact with the practical needs of a growing consumer packaged goods company. With both sides of the business so closely linked, the answer was simple: to better serve the social mission, Runa needed to focus on selling more product— specifically its growing line of 12 oz. canned “clean” energy drinks.