Start-up Society #21: Indigenous Peoples’ Day!
A weekly blog promoting nationwide entrepreneurship
Welcome to the 21st edition of Start-up Society! This blog highlights some of the most exciting start-ups in the country striving to keep the American Dream alive.
Make sure you check out the previous issue, if you have not already, here.
This week we are publishing a special edition of Start-up Society in order to honor and celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day! It is important to recognize and promote entrepreneurship as it emerges from every place and from every person. The indigenous population in the United States has been neglected and forced into the sidelines for hundreds of years. Today, we are going to shed some light on a unique company founded by an indigenous person as well as highlight some resources and facts.
Change Labs is a Native-led and Native-controlled 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based on the Navajo and Hopi Nation, which fosters the creation of successful Native American small businesses that provide a social benefit to tribal communities. They provide workspaces, tools, resources, and know-how to Native entrepreneurs. Initiatives such as Change Labs are critical to supporting and enriching the Indigenous community in America. The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact across different ethnic and cultural groups.
The Indigenous community has seen an unemployment rate of over 25% at its peak. Thankfully, there has been a strong recovery, although there is a lot of work to be done in order to bring equity and parity to the community.
Kansas
Morning Light Kombucha
HQ: Hoyt
Founded: 2016
Total Raised: N/A
Company Highlights
- Morning Light Kombucha was founded by Native American entrepreneur Melinda Williamson
- Why the name Morning Light? “In my tribe, morning is a time for prayer,” Melinda said. “The light of a new day marks a time for a fresh start.”
- According to Nielsen, Kombucha has grown into a $475 million industry in the U.S., close to quadrupling its figures four years ago
- Within the 100-something varieties of kombucha that Williamson produces each year, 90 percent of the ingredients are sourced from around the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation reservation in Hoyt, Kansas, and many are foraged by Williamson herself
- Morning Light isn’t just another kombucha brewer. Currently, the company has the distinction of being the only Native American-owned kombucha producer in the country — Williamson is a member of the 5,000-strong Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, and actually works for the tribe
- From the company’s use of compostable cups, lids, straws, and sample cups, composting and recycling almost 100% of our brewing waste, to selling kombucha on tap in refillable bottles, the company is proud to operate in a way that aligns with its commitment to reducing our footprint on our planet
About the Team
Melinda Williamson, Founder & Owner
- Melinda was born and raised in Topeka, Kansas. She is of Native American descent, specifically from the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
- She was first introduced to Kombucha in 2009 while working for Oklahoma State University
- In 2010, Melinda was diagnosed with an autoimmune illness. To improve her diet and health, she started drinking kombucha and green smoothies
- She started making kombucha of her own and went to workshops put on by the Small Business Development Center to help develop plans for a kombucha business
- She moved back to Kansas in 2012 and officially launched Morning Light Kombucha four years later
- The entrepreneur was previously worked in academia for years. She ran a grassland ecology lab at OSU for 5 years, where a large focus of her research was on soil microbial communities
- She earned her B.S. in Natural History Biology from Kansas State University and her M.S. in Rangeland Ecology and Management from Oklahoma State University
Start-up Society Assessment
- Product innovation and differentiation are imperative for success in the beverage industry, and Morning Light Kombucha provides both. Such a strong value proposition will be key for the company’s marketing efforts as it looks to expand its social media presence. Honing in on its unique ingredients sourced from indigenous reservations, environmentally sustainable practices, and groundbreaking health benefits can take the company’s notoriety to the next level
- As Morning Light Kombucha continues to grow and expand, it will be interesting to see how the company shifts to a more e-commerce strategy. With a blend of one-time and subscription-based purchases revenue model, the company must equip itself with technologically adequate logistics and operations management to fulfill the increasing demand for its products
Go Deeper
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Authored by Arteen Zahiri, Rumeer Keshwani, and Elham Chowdhury
