Ryan Fortwendel's guest appearances

Ryan Fortwendel

Brand Builder

AnthroDish

Elevate Your Brand

read receipt

Harrison Fugman

David Chang

Oprah Winfrey

Darin Olien

Tom Bilyeu

Ryan Caldbeck

Carina Chaz

Farrell Monaco

Liz Alpern

Paul Shapiro

Kyle Cooke

Greg McKeown

Joe Hollier

Emily Contois

Caroline Goldfarb

OwlTail

on this episode of the show, we go live with ryan fortwendel of minna sparking tea, the beverage that's better for you.a longtime force in the fashion industry, ryan used to handle e-com efforts for marc jacobs before branching out to brand building. on the search for something new and inventive, he created minna as a 'tea that pops.'with a clean, trustworthy list of ingredients, minna has attracted a cult-following among those in the know, and delivers an honest, refreshing product.but today, minna is more than just a trendy beverage brand -- it's a tool to give back. ryan sets aside some sales revenue to donate to nonprofits advocating for inclusion, and is a passioned advocate for equality himself. he swings by the show to talk about how minna gives back, brand building from the blueprints, and what it takes to build a stylish beverage that stands out.

on this episode of the show, we go live with ryan fortwendel of minna sparking tea, the beverage that's better for you. a longtime force in the fashion industry, ryan used to handle e-com efforts for marc jacobs before branching out to brand building. on the search for something new and inventive, he created minna as a 'tea that pops.' with a clean, trustworthy list of ingredients, minna has attracted a cult-following among those in the know, and delivers an honest, refreshing product. but today, minna is more than just a trendy beverage brand -- it's a tool to give back. ryan sets aside some sales revenue to donate to nonprofits advocating for inclusion, and is a passioned advocate for equality himself. he swings by the show to talk about how minna gives back, brand building from the blueprints, and what it takes to build a stylish beverage that stands out.

ryan fortwendel & minna

With the pandemic, we’re seeing much more clearly how food and beverage companies and restaurants treat their employees… and unfortunately in some cases, we’re seeing that many operate under traditional bottom line approaches, without building inclusivity and care into the foundations of their work. My guest this week, Ryan Fortwendel, is someone who’s striving to do change what a successful beverage business looks like. Ryan is the CEO and founder of Minna sparkling tea beverages, and he’s on today to share the story of how his company is striving to create a better sparkling beverage, inside and out. As the former executive of e-commerce for Marc Jacobs, Ryan spent over a decade working in the fashion industry. After taking some time away from Marc Jacobs to start fresh in 2016, he noticed a shift in the beverage space in New York City – everyone wanted LaCroix and sparkling beverages were becoming more and more popular. Being a health-conscious consumer, he understood the demand and saw a space to create a better-for-you sparkling beverage – using all organic and non-GMO ingredients, with no sweeteners or added sugars. He created the recipe for a delicious, lightly brewed sparkling tea with a clean and transparent label. Minna is an accessory to everyday life that looks good and tastes great, served in a beautiful art deco inspired can and available in three refreshing flavours: Tropical Green Tea, Citrus Black Tea, and Lime Hibiscus Tea. As a gay founder, Ryan’s philanthropy inspired the name and the message behind the brand. Minna means “everyone’ in Japanese, and focuses on community engagement and inclusivity. Since launching in 2019, 1% of all sales from Minna beverages goes to non-profits that advocate for inclusion, such as Help Refugees and Choose Love, which are both non-profits that provide emergency aid and long-term solutions for people seeking refuge. Most recently, 20% of their online sales are going to non-profits that support COVID-19 relief efforts. As they grow, Minna is planning to diversify their use of funds to non-profits focused on helping those communities still fighting for equality. It’s always exciting for me to see entrepreneurs working at changing how and why we do business – and how setting inclusive practices into the foundations of a company sets the path for building a brighter and community-driven future. I’m really excited for you to hear more about Ryan’s story! Learn More About Ryan and Minna  Website: https://www.drinkminna.com/ Instagram: @drinkminna Instagram: @ryanfortwendel Facebook: @drinkminna 

With the pandemic, we’re seeing much more clearly how food and beverage companies and restaurants treat their employees… and unfortunately in some cases, we’re seeing that many operate under traditional bottom line approaches, without building inclusivity and care into the foundations of their work. My guest this week, Ryan Fortwendel, is someone who’s striving to do change what a successful beverage business looks like. Ryan is the CEO and founder of Minna sparkling tea beverages, and he’s on today to share the story of how his company is striving to create a better sparkling beverage, inside and out. As the former executive of e-commerce for Marc Jacobs, Ryan spent over a decade working in the fashion industry. After taking some time away from Marc Jacobs to start fresh in 2016, he noticed a shift in the beverage space in New York City – everyone wanted LaCroix and sparkling beverages were becoming more and more popular. Being a health-conscious consumer, he understood the demand and saw a space to create a better-for-you sparkling beverage – using all organic and non-GMO ingredients, with no sweeteners or added sugars. He created the recipe for a delicious, lightly brewed sparkling tea with a clean and transparent label. Minna is an accessory to everyday life that looks good and tastes great, served in a beautiful art deco inspired can and available in three refreshing flavours: Tropical Green Tea, Citrus Black Tea, and Lime Hibiscus Tea. As a gay founder, Ryan’s philanthropy inspired the name and the message behind the brand. Minna means “everyone’ in Japanese, and focuses on community engagement and inclusivity. Since launching in 2019, 1% of all sales from Minna beverages goes to non-profits that advocate for inclusion, such as Help Refugees and Choose Love, which are both non-profits that provide emergency aid and long-term solutions for people seeking refuge. Most recently, 20% of their online sales are going to non-profits that support COVID-19 relief efforts. As they grow, Minna is planning to diversify their use of funds to non-profits focused on helping those communities still fighting for equality. It’s always exciting for me to see entrepreneurs working at changing how and why we do business – and how setting inclusive practices into the foundations of a company sets the path for building a brighter and community-driven future. I’m really excited for you to hear more about Ryan’s story! Learn More About Ryan and Minna <ul> <li>Website: <a href="https://www.drinkminna.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.drinkminna.com/</a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/drinkminna/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@drinkminna</a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ryanfortwendel/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@ryanfortwendel</a></li> <li>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/drinkminna/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@drinkminna</a></li> </ul>

73: All Tea, No Shade - How Minna Sparkling Tea is Building Inclusivity into the Business with Ryan Fortwendel

From day one, Ryan Fortwendel wanted Minna sparkling tea to stand for something more.  It’s evident in the name itself. The word Minna means “everyone,” and Ryan has spent the last few years creating a brand experience that lives up to this idea.  It’s why he focuses so much on inclusivity and sustainability initiatives, and why he made philanthropic partnerships core to the brand's DNA.  As we learn in this week's interview, Ryan spent years working for the legendary fashion house Marc Jacobs, which had a profound impact on how he conceives the idea of brand. We also go into the parallels between fashion and CPG, Ryan’s distribution strategy for 2020 and beyond, and why Ryan is so committed to doing things right from the beginning. Links  Minna Defy Ventures NYTAG  Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

From day one, Ryan Fortwendel wanted Minna sparkling tea to stand for something more.  It’s evident in the name itself. The word Minna means “everyone,” and Ryan has spent the last few years creating a brand experience that lives up to this idea.  It’s why he focuses so much on inclusivity and sustainability initiatives, and why he made philanthropic partnerships core to the brand's DNA.  As we learn in this week's interview, Ryan spent years working for the legendary fashion house Marc Jacobs, which had a profound impact on how he conceives the idea of brand. We also go into the parallels between fashion and CPG, Ryan’s distribution strategy for 2020 and beyond, and why Ryan is so committed to doing things right from the beginning. Links <ul> <li><a href="https://www.drinkminna.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Minna</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.defyventures.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Defy Ventures</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nytag.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NYTAG</a></li> </ul> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/896959280515235/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Join our Exclusive Facebook Group!</a> What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/896959280515235/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook group</a> just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/896959280515235/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Join now!</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod</a> Brand Builder is a co-production of <a href="https://www.snacknation.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SnackNation</a> and <a href="https://www.forcebrands.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ForceBrands.</a>

How to Build a Brand That Stands for Something More, with Minna Founder Ryan Fortwendel