On Wednesday 23 February, three healthy drinks and welltech founders met over Instagram Live to discuss their stories, how they make their drinks, their approaches to sustainability, and plans for 2022.
The panel, hosted by Todelli co-founder Hara Mihailidou, gave the floor to Sohn of JIN JIN Drinks, Niharika of Melloh Wellness, and Dorota of On Root Beyond Healthy – all female founders on a mission to inspire healthier, happier, and more sustainable living.
So much united each of them: all three women decided to start their businesses only in the last two years as a response to the pandemic and the way it changed our lifestyles. Dorota felt compelled by a deep desire to help people both feel their best and continue to be productive during the difficult months of lockdown, during which many told her how exhausted they were, expected to be more productive than ever during a such a challenging time. She heard tales of people trapped at their desks on back-to-back Zoom calls, feeling unable to even take a bathroom break, and skipping meals – usually lunch.
Hence Dorota’s aim to make healthy drinks that contain as much nourishment as possible. Case in point: her Green Detox Mega Shot with spirulina and chlorella, the omega 3 rich algae super high in antioxidants, or the Ginger, Turmeric & Black Pepper, for immunity – they are carefully crafted packages of nutrition.
Dorota Cloke, founder of On Root Beyond Healthy
Sustainability was key to this discussion from the start, as all the founders made it a priority from day one – understanding that caring for your body and for the planet are one and the same. Niharika spoke of sustainability as a ‘chain reaction’: how one decision can positively or negatively impact another, emphasising how everything is connected whether in the supply chain or our planet as a whole. This caring and restorative approach is at the core of Melloh, which came out of Niharika’s experience of severe burnout: her Aryuvedic blends – Restore, Rejuvenate, Focus and Cleanse – are healthy drinks created only from clean and natural ingredients to support good mental, physical and internal health, and specifically to help with cell regeneration, digestive health and immunity after burnout.
Niharika Hariharan, founder of Melloh Wellness
Both Niharika and Sohn have also partnered with One Tree Planted to aid reforestation. Sohn’s fermented cordial contains 35 all natural ingredients designed to be as good for your gut as possible – all fruit, vegetables and good bacteria. Most of them are locally harvested in Taiwan, and then shipped to the UK by sea freight. Sohn found that this process is more environmentally friendly than importing each individual ingredient. All founders use recycled and recyclable packaging for their healthy drinks, with Dorota’s glass bottles often being brought back to her by customers after they’re finished with them.
Sohn Aursudkij, founder of Drink JIN JIN
They recognised that sustainability was something that will always need to be improved on, and all have hopes that as they grow, they will be able to go from strength to strength, minimising waste, energy usage and impact on the environment in new and inventive ways. In fact, making the world a better place, as Sohn put it, was flagged as a key part of their mission for the future. All have big plans for 2022, so watch this space…
Thank you again to Sohn, Niharika and Dorota, and to everyone who attended. We hope you learned a lot and are inspired to lend a sense of curiosity and adventure to your daily habits this year and beyond!
