When Is $200M In Sales Just The Beginning? When The Brand Is Yerba Madre.

0:10Hello friends, I'm Ray Latif and you're tuned into Taste Radio, the leading podcast for entrepreneurs and innovators in the food and beverage industry. In this episode, we sit down with Ben Mann, the CEO of Yerba Madre, the leading brand of Yerba Mate beverages, formerly known as Guayaquil. Our conversation explores how the company is expanding its national footprint while staying true to its regenerative roots and mission-driven values. Yerba Madre is a brand nearly synonymous with its namesake ingredient. But in a country where most consumers have never even heard of Yerba Mate, how do you build a household name around it?

0:55Guiding that vision is Ben Mann, who was named CEO of Yerba Madre in March of 2024. Formerly known as Guayaquil, the company has been pioneering Yerba Mate-based beverages since 1996, offering both loose-leaf and ready-to-drink formats. Today, the brand generates nearly$200 million in annual sales and is stocked in natural and conventional retailers nationwide. In this episode, Ben shares how Yerba Madre is evolving beyond its West Coast roots with a bold mission to introduce Yerba Mate to the 96 % of Americans who still don't know what it is. But this is about more than a beverage. Ben sees it as an opportunity to reshape how people think about clean, plant-based energy.

1:45He discusses the balance between visionary leadership and operational discipline, reigniting innovation, thinking like a founder, and scaling responsibly, all while remaining rooted in the company's deeper mission, advancing regenerative agriculture in South America, and building a brand that stands for purpose, authenticity, and cultural respect. One note, this episode was recorded during the breakdown of our BevNet Live Summer 2025 event, and you may hear some background clatter. Our apologies for the occasional bang or boom.

2:24Hey folks, it's Ray with Taste Radio. Right now, I am honored to be sitting down with Ben Mann, who is the CEO of Yerba Madre. Ben, it's great to see you. Hey, Ray, it's great to see you too. Yeah, we've run into each other many times over the years. The first being at the Winter Fancy Food Show in 2019. I checked. I wasn't sure if it was 2018 or 2019. But it was 2019. That's when it was in San Francisco. And at the time, you had just become the CEO of Harmless Harvest. Yeah, I remember that. Yeah, yeah. It was a great conversation. And I'm glad that you brought that company back from the brink.

2:58It was a little touch and go. And I mean, what a brilliant brand that is. And I'm so happy that you're with another company that used to be called Guayaquil and is now your remodere and embarking on a whole new different kind of adventure. So very exciting times. It is really exciting. I love it. I've had my eye on this company, this brand, its purpose for quite a while. So when the opportunity availed itself, I literally jumped on it. Literally. late. You know, I am always amazed when I mention the Guayaquil, which is now again, Yerba Madre, and people aren't familiar with the brand. And we'll get into that because I think that's part of the story of the rebrand.

3:42But just for context for our audience, just give us a bit of information about where this company came from, why it's been so relevant for so many years. It started actually 29 years ago, which is pretty amazing. I think, you know, oftentimes, you know, in this ecosystem where we're talking about entrepreneurs and these new products and innovation and concepts, you know, they're just a couple years old, but this is something that's been around for a while. And it's, it's a really exciting business. You know, it started 29 years ago in Cal Poly. The two founders, David and Alex, had met. And Alex was from Argentina and was drinking yerba mate and really shared the benefits of yerba mate.

4:23So for folks that don't know what yerba mate is, it is a tree or plant that grows in South America. The leaves are caffeinated. So much like tea, the leaves are caffeinated. But it is not a tea. Actually, it's part of the holly family. But it's like a tea in the sense that the leaves are caffeinated. We harvest, we then dry them, mill them, and we brew them into beverages. That's how we consume it most often in the United States. But for centuries, indigenous communities and folks in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and then really across South America, but especially those four, have been consuming yerba mate, traditionally consumed in a gourd, the bombilla, which is that metal straw, and enjoying it.

5:09And it's, you know, the benefit of it is really nice in the sense that it's a natural source of caffeine, but it has a nice, even caffeine flow. So it's not that spike that you often experience with coffee, but it has, you know, also the vitamins, minerals, polyphenols that you would associate sometimes with a green tea. It has theobromine in it, which is, you know, in chocolate, gives you a little bit of that enjoyment, that kind of a little bit of that euphoria sense. theophylline, other micronutrients that just help with focus and things like that. So just a really nice experience, whether you're drinking it hot, as I often do in the morning, or if you enjoy it in a can or a bottle that we sell common days today on shelf.

5:54One of the things that's always been something that I respected about the company is that it never felt like it was exploiting Yerba Mate. It felt like all of its success, all of its commercial success came hand in hand with social and environmental responsibility. I think sometimes that's counterintuitive in this crazy capitalistic world of ours. How do they stay true or how does the company stay true to that mission, to that focus of being a brand that can share Yerba Mate with so many more consumers, but also doing it in a way that is socially responsible? Yeah, you know, it's a great question, a great point.

6:34I mean, it is a founding principle. So, you know, when David and Alex came together, it was not only just about the benefits of yerba mate, they wanted to do business differently. And when you think about this, 29 years ago, that is true pioneer thinking back at that time. And the idea was what we call a regenerative business model, right? So starting all the way from seed into the farms, working with indigenous communities all the way to shelf? How do we positively impact everybody? How do we make sure with each of these partners and these participants along the way that we have a positive impact, whether it be environment or people and communities or employees, how do we have a positive impact?

7:13So that's always been the DNA of our business. And you're right. It hasn't been about exploiting capitalism or anything like that. This is one of those very true grassroots businesses where it was, you know, David and Alex, you know, they had a VW van and they, you know, went from community to community and a farmer's market or you name it. And they were brewing yerba mate, passing them out, sampling it, uh, and selling loose leaf. So that was, that was the business in the beginning. It wasn't even any RTD can or bottle or anything like that. It started all with brewing yerba mate, talking about the benefits of Yerba Mate, experiencing the benefits of Yerba Mate.

7:54And when you're creating a new category, like Yerba Mate was not and still is not that well known in the United States or North America here. So really, it takes a lot of education and people experiencing it early days to create a category. What's household penetration awareness for Yerba Mate in the United States? It's pretty low, I would say probably in the 4 % range. So we're in the infant stages. So so to speak, of people understanding. And, you know, that's for just Yerba Mate in general. We are clearly the leaders in Yerba Mate. In fact, we pretty much define the category. For us, they recognize us.

8:35So, you know, when you think about awareness, if you go to awareness and stuff, the actual name, you know, prior to changing. So, you know, Yerba Madre is really nascent now because we just changed our name. But even as Guayaquil, people did not know that. But you show them the yellow can and they recognize and know that. So, you know, it's amazing the power of the branding, but maybe not as strong and resonant of a name. Yeah, well, before the rebrand, I started seeing cans of Guayaquil that had made the brand name almost something that you couldn't see on the can. I know it was still on the can, but it was very much yerba mate with primary focus right in the middle of the can.

9:15And I said, what's going on here? Like, you know, why is Guayaquil doing that? And clearly it was a stage to get to Yeru Madre. But why did you feel like, and this has all happened on your watch. And this is, has this been something that's been in the, in the works for some time? Or is this something that you felt like needed to happen for the brand to make that next step? Well, the team had started thinking about it before I got there. Actually, just as I was getting there, we made the decision to, to make the transition. It is important when you're creating a category, having what it is prominent on your package does make a lot of sense.

9:52And because the name was not so easy to pronounce and most people cannot pronounce it, most people just refer to us as Yerb or Yerba or the yellow can or whatever it may be. So that was just a very important insight. And, you know, what really struck me is as I went to South America and visited with indigenous communities and farms and farmers across, you know, Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, one of the things that I really recognize is, you know, Guayake is part of like the original indigenous community that we worked with, but did not reflect and include the wide array of indigenous communities that we work with across all three countries, as well as individual farmers that we work with.

10:38And when farmers would ask or other communities would ask, you know, but we're not Guayaquil, it really struck me at, you know, maybe how it wasn't as inclusive as we really could be. It is a great name. It's a beautiful name, Yuba Madre. I mean, it just feels the motherly part of it goes a long way. But I think what a lot of people would ask, and I think this is a fair question, why now? 29 years in, I think there is a bit of confusion as to, well, what's going on here? Like, why now? Why was the timing right for this change? You know, sometimes at various times, you know, in a business, you take a pause and you step back and you reflect on, like, what's working or not working.

11:20And, you know, that often happens with leadership, right? You know, when you have new leaders come in or a new board is formed or whatever it may be, that those are usually moments of reflection on what's working and not working. And so, you know, it was one of the things that we looked at. And I think there was a growing sense of like, you know, there was an opportunity, but it's a fair amount of work. And it takes a lot of planning and a savvier organization to be able to pull that off. And so, you know, it was one of the things that we took a look at. We felt that there was an opportunity. You know, as we looked at names, you're right.

11:50We agree Yerba Madre was the perfect fit. And what we were looking for was we wanted a name that had Yerba or Yerba in it. And what's interesting is Yerba Mate is considered the mother herb in these communities. And so mother being part of that just felt so natural for it to be Yerba Madre. And we are, you know, part of our central core mission is positively impact Mother Earth and regenerate the forest and regenerate the farms. So it felt only natural and it felt far more inclusive and it reflected us. And we felt, you know, for us, we embrace our first 29 years of Guayaquil. And for us, it's just another chapter in the ongoing story and legacy that we're trying to build and building this category and this brand in this category.

12:46It doesn't happen very often where a brand decides just to completely change its name. And, you know, again, it's not that much of a stretch because, you know, again, most people refer to it as the Yerba Mate brand or Yerba or what have you. But when you do make that decision or when you're considering a big decision like that, how do you test? How do you make sure that you're asking the right questions, that you're talking to the right people? Clearly, you did your homework, but I mean, what did that homework entail? Creating new brand names, whether it be the company name in this case or renaming a product line or something.

13:22You're right. It doesn't happen very often. But naming is one of those things that you can't fully test. There are things you do, and I'll talk about the testing in just a moment, but it is something that when you look at it, you're looking for, is this a vessel? This name, you know, right now, when you take a name, it doesn't have much meaning or has existing meaning in society. But all the marketing and everything you do is then going to start applying meaning to your brand and how it really starts coming to life. So there are plenty of brands out in the marketplace that are kind of crazy and didn't seem bizarre at the time, but are now just common vernacular.

14:00So back when Internet was coming around and there were search engines and it was InfoSeek and stuff like that, and then you have Yahoo and Google come along. Those are totally off the beaten path and not unexpected. So over time, you certainly start building meaning behind those brands and what they do. But with that, you know, we have a given our grassroots nature and such a strong loyal base. And the beauty is we have this, you know, platform of ambassadors. So these ambassadors for us, they are so key to the brand. So first, it starts with the founders. Like as we did this process, very clearly, they were in the middle at the heart of of the work and the decision making.

14:40but you know as we identified the brand name Yerba Madre they fell in love and we spent time with our ambassadors now we didn't count it as we're naming the renaming the company right but we talked about it as an initiative we talked about it as a product or we talked in many different ways and just looked at different concepts and names and stuff like that in small groups and more quantitative senses to just get feedback and across the board in each sense we always got the most positive kind of liking and heart for Yerba Madre, which was great to see because it's, you know, we felt it intrinsically in the work that we're doing.

15:19And we felt that it reflected everything we've been about for the last 29 years. And we feel it stands for what we want to build as we look to the future for the next several decades. And so it was really nice that both of those aligned. In an era where functionality seems to be so important to any new CPG brand or existing one, how does the change help you sell the functional benefit? Does it? Yeah, well, one thing is that really helps us focus on Yerba and Yerba as part of our brand name, and that is how people refer to it. On a very practical basis, most of our new consumers, you know, if you look at brands and how they're getting new consumers and how they look at where they're losing to and whatnot, you know, the way they get people in the funnel is, you know, they spend marketing dollars, they do whatever.

16:10And our biggest way has been through kind of referral word of mouth and people sharing with the next person. And so having, it's hard to refer and recommend a brand when you don't know how to say it. So that's why people have just shortened it to Yerba and Yerba, which was just, you know, they laid the groundwork for us and we just followed, you know, kind of like the crumbs that they laid in front of us and said, you know what, We need to embrace this idea of just calling ourselves something along the lines that leverages Yerba or Yerba. So, you know, from a referral standpoint, pass along, that's really important.

16:46And we think that really helps, A, build the brand and get people more experienced in it. But just getting people into trying it and starting to understand the benefits of Yerba Mate. I mean, I got to tell you, I was drinking some Yerba Madre yesterday. and I had some today as well. And I felt like my focus was so much more sharpened than it had been otherwise. Sometimes I will just crush cups of coffee here at BevNet Live and it doesn't really do a lot for me. And luckily there was a Yerba Madre booth right at the entrance and I had a couple of cups of the hot Yerba Mate and I was like, what's going on here?

17:27Because I've obviously had your products before, But I think that experience is something that, yes, it helps when it's word of mouth. But I guess how do you how are you sharing that story and how are you able to share it in a way that doesn't necessarily require someone to experience it at first? Yeah. No, it's a really great point. And that this is like what you're sharing right here is what I hear over and over and over from consumers, from buyers, from my family that drinks it and whatnot is, you know, when you drink a cup of coffee, you tend to get that caffeine spike and then crash. And what's beautiful about Yerba Mate and our product is that it's a more sustained and even release of caffeine.

18:15And so you don't have that same kind of experience where you spike up and spike down. You know, we often talk about it, you know, you're getting into, you know, when you're writing, when you're in your sport, let's say you're running or whatever, you get into your flow. It really kind of works in that flow, right? It's a very even release. There's that enjoyment. And there's a lot of science out there if you look at the science materials about focus, right? That it allows you to kind of get in the zone, get in that moment. And it's amazing when we talk to people who use the product, it can be anything from athletes who like, you know, this is like part of their regimen to make sure they get in the zone to riders.

18:54How many riders we have talking about? Just like they get into that flow state to runners, right? running a marathon or whatever, like, you know, having the year of mate and like really kind of getting into their zone, into their flow. So, um, it's something that I personally experienced. I, that's, you know, what I really enjoy about it, but it's, it's what, you know, consumers play back to us as well. So you have a varied or you have various groups that you can draw upon to share the story, athletes, writers, runners. I mean, I guess the athletes and runners, they're part of the same cohort in some ways.

19:27But when you want to, I guess, focus your marketing on a particular group, do you? You know, it's definitely more of a psychographic target. It's somebody who is looking for a natural source of energy. So, you know, our consumers tend to think more consciously about what they're putting in their body, right? They're not looking for something that's, you know, built and constructed in a lab. They want something closer to earth, closer to nature. And so I think that's just a key vein. You know, often they are, you know, they start and, you know, we have a cohort, a core set of our consumers who are younger, right?

20:06And they don't really have a hot routine, meaning like coffee or tea or something like that. And they look to beverages and they look to Yerba Madre as that source of energy for them. And so, you know, we, you know, do really well with, I would say, you know, young college students. So if you're talking about like an age group or something like that, you know, they tend to, you know, they've got finals and study. They have, you know, a lot going on. And they live, you know, I would say, you know, our consumers, they like to live life to the fullest, right? They're very engaged, whether it be academically to surfing on the mountains, they're outdoors, they're into music.

20:45They're just really full of life. And whether they're that 21-year-old or that 35-year-old, they're all kind of young at heart and have this kind of zest to live and to live life at its fullest. And so that is kind of the DNA of our consumer. So that's when we think about marketing, we think about who our consumer is, this enthusiast. That's who we think about. Do you feel like you have more of an opportunity now than in the past to take market share from some of those energy brands that I think you refer to, the ones that have synthetic ingredients or artificial ingredients? Do you feel like that's part of your mission now as CEO to broaden the awareness of Yerba Mate and go after some of the brands like, you know, I'll just say them, a Red Bull, a Monster, what have you?

21:38Yeah, you know, I think the way we look at it is like it is a functional need. People are looking for a way to kind of power through the day, right? How do I like, you know, what is my morning routine kind of midday or whatever it may be? Or, you know, for some people, it's going out at night, right? And they want to pick me up before they go out and have fun with their friends or whatever it may be. You know, the way we look at it is like we think it's important to be as close to earth and as natural as possible and have a positive impact. And overall, we're seeing a leaky, if you look across the store, it doesn't matter if it's in beverages and energy or where it is, there's a leaky bucket of households and people who are willing to just keep consuming these products that maybe aren't the best for them.

22:19And they are looking for better alternatives. and yes, we benefit from that. So when you look in the world of like energy and I'm calling that like coffee, I'm talking about that energy drinks, I'm talking about there's all sorts of ways that people get energy. They are increasingly turning to us and we do benefit from that. I totally agree. When you're considering the market opportunities that you have, is it channel-based? Is it channel-specific? Is it a particular group of consumers? Are you looking, you know, regionally? How are you looking at the opportunities that are in front of you now?

22:58I'll start from a regional standpoint. We have historically been a strong West Coast brand. I mean, we were founded in California. California has been our home base, and we're very strong in California. Over the years, we really expanded and built kind of a whole, like, more of a West Coast. So I would say west of the Rockies is where we really played very strongly. And now over the last couple of years now, we're really focusing on expanding and bringing, you know, the power of your mate nationally. And so, you know, if you think of it from a geographic standpoint, expanding there. The other thing to think about is we think about first, A, enthusiasts, and then B, where's the moment or where do people kind of when they are looking for that pick-me-up, right?

23:43An energy drink or something to give them a good boost of energy. Where do they typically shop? And one common place is, you know, like a convenience store or, you know, kind of a little mom and pop kind of little grocery store on the corner or whatever it may be. That is, you know, where, you know, often you have that kind of immediate need of like, I need a, you know, kind of a pick me up or whatever it may be, or my daily dose. Right. And I'm going to stop and pick something up on my walk to work. That's where we need to be. So when you think about it from a channel standpoint, making sure that we're at that, you know, that when they go to look for us, that we're available in those places.

24:18Then there's always strategically for every business, you got to think about like where are those moments of discovery, right? So discovery can be in the natural channel, right? You know, whether it be a Whole Foods or a Sprouts or, you know, in a co-op. you know, those, those are products that are, you know, um, people that are shopping there know that those have gone through a lengthy process to make sure that they're good products and they're good for the environment and people and for them, for their health. So, you know, finding it there is, is certainly that is one of those moments of discovery, but discovery also occurs in a club store like a Costco discovery happens in non-traditional channels, whether it be at an airport or a university bookstore or places like that.

25:00So, you know, for any business, ourselves included, we're thinking like, where are those moments of discovery, especially for our enthusiasts, as we call them, where are their moments of discovery? And then where are their moments of shopping? Quick break. If this episode has you thinking about what's next in food and beverage, explore BevNet and Nosh Insider, our subscription platform with deeper insights from the BevNet team. Visit tasteradio.com slash insider to learn more. Do you see your role, Ben, as to maintain the success and the reputation that the company and the brand have as much as you do growing the business?

25:42That is a really important point. I actually look at it as, what my mission is, is how do we build the Yerba Mate, bring the power of Yerba Mate to everyone. And we as the leader and the category originator in this country of Yeramate, that is part of what we need to do. Now, when you're building a brand and building a movement, it is absolutely important and imperative that you remain tethered to the DNA of what you're trying to do. So I look at it as these things just go hand in hand. So we are doubling down our impact, our efforts on impact and how we drive that just as much as we are looking at ways like how do we start bringing this to more people, which means, yes, more sales.

26:30And the profit that you get for that allows you then to drive even more positive impact and to drive even more sales. You know, one of the things I'm excited about is, you know, already this year, we will contribute four times what we did last year in our efforts for regeneration in South America. So planting trees, working with indigenous communities. Just from the growth of the company, just in growth and sales? Also, I changed how we, how much and how we approach our impact. Next year, it'll be eight times. And the following year, I think maybe even 15 times. So just really changing the mechanisms, it's requiring me to really think with the team how we structure ourselves for success, right?

27:13Getting more dedicated resources to drive impact, more dedicated resources in the form of agronomists and others to work with farmers and work on planting trees and regeneration. You know, I'm thinking about like bigger scale greenhouses to start seedlings and stuff. And ironically, you know, years ago, my wife at that time, fiance and I took a leave of absence from our consulting careers. And we went down to Central America and we did volunteer work. And for a while, we worked on an organic coffee farm and we were shucking seeds and planting seedlings and doing all that type of stuff. And it's fun to, you know, come full circle a bit, you know, into Yerba Mate and be thinking about those kinds of activities and how we scale those types of activities to have the positive impacts we have.