(originally posted May 8, 2013)
We met in 2013…
One day while at a local cafe, a conversation at the table next to me caught my ear. Lisa Curtis was discussing superfood Kuli Kuli Bars with a food product development gal. The bars, using the moringa leaf, and the story intrigued, and Lisa agreed to a spontaneous video interview (also as part of my Cafe a Day video and Instagram project, talking to strangers).
Hear about Lisa’s inspiration to create Kuli Kuli Bar. which she first tested at local Oakland farmers markets and tweaked. They then formed a company with a triple bottomline mission that:
- helps aspiring healthy eaters,
- helps women in Africa make an incredibly lucrative livelihood ($300 per month — huge there!) and
- taps into a potential new trend (moringa) much as did Runa with their South American guayusa energy drinks — another awesome story and social enterprise.
My big takeaway is how following a hunch can lead to that legacy project and your calling…and how important it is to tap into your network of connections and talk to strangers. What’s yours?
Indiegogo fundraising campaign – When you believe in what you’re doing, ask for support.
Fast forward to 2020 (7 years later)… Moringa is on the map.
Moringa is featured on Whole Food’s Top 2020 Food Trends, which specifically calls out Kuli Kuli Organic Pure Moringa Vegetable Powder.
The company reports that it “has seen over 200% growth within its line of moringa products and is leveraging the power of the US market to fundamentally change the lives of women farmers. Kuli Kuli will be featuring our brand new functional wellness shots.”
All from one young woman’s inspiration to help locals while serving in the Peace Corp.
