Runa

Underrepresented Entrepreneur

Maker Story

The Ritual of Tea, Changing the World

Guayusa is pronounced “gwhy-you-suh,” and it’s a thousands-of-years-old leaf cultivated specifically for its unique balance of caffeine, antioxidants, vitamins and amino acids. Imparting more caffeine than black tea, but only 80% of the caffeine found in coffee, guayusa comes from the rich, shady soil in the Amazon. The crop is then hand picked and traditionally enjoyed by the Kichwa people as part of their early morning tea ceremonies.

Runa got its start when American students Tyler Gage and Dan MacCombie teamed up with communities of indigenous Ecuadorian farmers to bring guayusa into other cultures and to provide the Kichwa people a sustainable, environmentally responsible way to market their culture's unique tea blends. In this way, Runa shares indigenous traditions on an international scale, and in turn fosters environmental conservation in the Amazon and positive social change for its people. You get delicious, organic, Fair Trade tea; they get economic and social progress infused with cultural tradition.

All varieties produce amber colored, smooth and silky tea. Mix and match from among Traditional Guayusa, Peppermint Guayusa, Ginger Citrus Guayusa, and Guayusa Spice. Balanced energy and rainforest preservation – does your current tea provide that?

Products

Discovered 1/6/2011

Unfortunately, products from this maker are no longer available on our site.