Our Story
Founded
Runa was founded by two Brown University students and friends, Tyler Gage and Dan MacCombie, after a soul-searching trip to the Amazon rainforest.
Fueled with positive energy and with new-found purpose, the two returned to Ecuador a year later and built the world’s first supply chain for Guayusa and created a new way for more people to experience this unique feeling.Powered by Guayusa™
Thanks to the unique balance of polyphenols and L-Theanine, the brewed guayusa leaf provides sustained energy, mental clarity, and focus without feeling a crash.
Guayusa (gwhy-you-sa) is a super leaf that is found almost exclusively in the Amazonian forests in Ecuador. The leaf is brewed much like a tea, but is not actually related to green or black tea, and has more caffeine than a cup of coffee.Forest Gardens
Runa sources exclusively from families that grow guayusa in sustainable, biodiverse forest gardens.
The unique “forest gardens” in which guayusa grows are tended to by Kichwa farmers, an indigenous people of the Amazon. So by drinking one simple beverage you are both helping to preserve the rainforest and supporting independent farmers. And that’s just the beginning of what makes the guayusa leaf so incredible.Fully Alive
The Kichwa people describe the effects of guayusa as making them feel “RUNA” which translates to “fully alive.”
To the indigenous Kichwa people guayusa leaves have immense cultural importance and they have been using them to brew tea for thousands of years. Traditionally Kichwa families wake up before dawn and gather around a communal fire to drink guayusa. During this early-morning ritual, community members share dreams, myths, and legends. Hunters also drink guayusa before nighttime hunting trips in order to heighten their senses of awareness and focus.
Our Certifications
We’re dedicated to bringing you clean energy in every way possible, from using only real ingredients to how we source and product our great-tasting energy drinks. That’s why our ingredients are certified both USDA Organic and Fair Trade™. Being Fair Trade Certified™ means that a fair price is paid to the farmers and a safe work environment is ensured for all workers.