Karrie and Todd Gibson met by chance in 2000. But what started as a meet cute at a bar in Chicago blossomed into what has become a 23-year relationship—and more recently, a rapidly growing business.
“My background is in computer science, and back in Chicago I founded a technology recycling company—initially in our basement—just months after Todd and I married in 2005,” says Karrie. “As I grew it and we raised our family, Todd worked with leading beverage brands ranging from Monster to Coca-Cola.”
By 2015, Karrie’s company had grown to more than 300 employees and she had partnered with a Finnish recycling firm, while Todd continued his leadership position and began researching the next big thing in the beverage category.
“I ended up selling my business to my Finish partners in 2015, and less than a year later, we moved to Arizona to join family members who had relocated here,” says Karrie. “Of course, we also made the move to escape the harsh Midwest winters.”
Once settled in Scottsdale, the couple began diving deeper into new beverage concepts, seeking an alternative to the artificially made, overly sweet energy drinks on the market as much to improve their own diets as to innovate a new product.
Todd’s deep dive into alternative natural ingredients paid off when he learned of yerba-maté, a plant species native to South America.
“Not only is it rich in antioxidants and nutrients, but it can boost energy via natural caffeine and improve mental focus without elevating blood sugar levels,” says Karrie. “By 2017, we developed a flavored sparkling water using yerba-maté, and Yerbaé was born.”
The brand found immediate success—but the couple had decisions to make once COVID-19 hit.
“Every spring, large retailers unveil new products in the marketplace, so in March 2020, we were ready for a big push until the pandemic made brands skittish,” Karrie explains. “We pivoted and turned to crowdfunding to grow, becoming the first nonalcoholic beverage to raise $1 million through the platform.”
The record-breaking support for Yerbaé caught a lot of investment firms’ attention, and ultimately the Gibsons worked with one to take the business public on Canada’s stock exchange.
As a result, today zero-calorie, zero-sugar, non-GMO, vegan, kosher, and gluten-free Yerbaé drinks are available at more than 10,000 retail locations nationwide, including Costo, Sprouts, Circle K, Safeway, and Albertson's.
“We have both energy drinks and energy seltzers in a variety of flavors from which to choose, including strawberry-kiwi, acai-blueberry, watermelon-lime, and pineapple-coconut,” says Karrie.