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Governments take all kinds of measures to boost business—from creating subsidies and setting standards to loans and fiscal stimulus—so it’s not unusual that the government of Ecuador is investing taxpayer money like a venture capitalist to get a new industry off the ground. It is unusual, however, that socialist Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa is using public funds to buy ownership shares in a Brooklyn startup.
Runa, the newest company in Correa’s investment portfolio, is a beverage firm with a social slant. The company makes guayusa, a twist on tea made from leaves that grow in the Ecuadorian jungle, with as much caffeine as coffee and more antioxidants.
What makes Runa particularly unique is how the company focuses its efforts on protecting the Amazonian rainforest through the cultivation of guayusa, working closely with the farmers throughout the process. To learn more, we checked in with one of Runa’s co-founder’s, Tyler Gage, via our 6 questions with…series.
Organic Ain’t Better..
