Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Mcgregor

Hi Stephanie , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?

When I was in college (many years ago!), I didn’t feel passionate about the major I had chosen and decided to take a few years off. While my parents didn’t agree with the choice – I knew the time would provide me the opportunity to find whatever path was right for me. During this time, I was living in Breckenridge, CO and picked up experiential gigs at the resorts in the area. One week might be working with an agency that was representing ‘the first satellite radio company’ (xm radio at the time), a revolutionary way to listen to programming. The next week it might be handing out Clif bars at the base of the mountain. I became intrigued and excited about the opportunity to do what I loved (snowboarding), while making money, but also helping to educate and introduce these new products to consumers. After working with a company called Red Bull, who was looking to introduce a ‘new’ category of products called ‘energy drinks’ to the market – I knew that I had found something ‘in work’ that allowed me to live the life I wanted to. I decided to go back to school and focus on marketing. I continued working with brands on the field marketing side, and was eventually hired with a company called glaceau – makers of vitaminwater. It provided me a chance to work with many brands over the next 17 years, ultimately leading me to another path in the road. In April 2022, I was helping to wind down a brand / business that I had been helping to build for the last 5 years due to the challenges of Covid, an equipment failure, and the capital needs of a CPG business. I suddenly found myself for the first time in a very long time, wondering if the path I had chosen was providing me with the joy and passion I had once found. Again, I decided to take some time off – and be open to what was next. It was during this break that I was introduced to Moringa Oleifera, one of the most nutrient-dense and climate friendly plants on the planet. After researching the powerful personal and planetary benefits of this incredible plant, and seeing how it could be a solution for some of the challenges we are facing today in our food system – I took the founder’s leap myself and launched RINGA, a line of consciously crafted, plant powered products that are inspired by this ‘miracle tree’ – Moringa.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

Absolutely not! Even with exposure to the industry and going in with ‘my eyes wide open’, every day is a challenge. There are so many moving parts to any business, but consumer products especially are challenging. The creation, storage, and movement of physical goods is not a linear process. There are many disparate parts, entities, and variables that are uncontrollable (and costly). E-commerce is a bit more directional, but there are still challenges with fulfillment & awareness. There is also a lot of noise – from consumers, retailers, service providers, distributors (you name it) – and it’s hard to prioritize and focus on what truly moves the needle and what doesn’t.
As one of my mentors describes it, every day is a Rubik’s Cube – and you just keep moving the pieces until they finally fit. But we absolutely believe that we are solving consumer pain points and putting quality products into the marketplace. It’s a lesson in patience, and a get-to-know-yourself exercise that’s at the both time exhilarating and terrifying.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

Our products are inspired by Moringa Oleifera, one of the most nutrient dense and climate friendly plants on the planet. Moringa has been used for centuries around the globe, is 100% viable, fast growing, drought tolerant, and gram for gram – contains some of the most vitamins, nutrients, and bioactive compounds. It’s a complete plant protein (meaning in contains all 9 essential amino acids), is a source of caffeine-free energy, and has been shown to help regulate blood sugar – earning it the nickname of the miracle tree and tree of life. Our goal is to harness Moringa to create a platform of consumer products to make them better for both people and the planet. We launched our first line of products in June 2023. Lightly effervescent beverages that combine organic moringa leaves with organic apple cider vinegar and organic prebiotic fiber for a take on everyday hydration that contains ZERO grams of added sugar, no sugar alternatives, substitutes, or alcohols (like stevia or erythritol) and no natural flavors. Our products exist because sugar is one of the leading causes of chronic health conditions, which often lead to chronic health disease – the #1 killer in this country. We are also chronically under-hydrated, and nutrient deficient. With the rise and focus on GLP-1 levels, plants like moringa are going to be put in the spotlight due to the natural compounds like quercetin and chlorogenic acid it contains that have been shown to help regulate blood sugar. In the future, we look forward to tackling other categories that are traditionally unhealthy (salty snacks, confection, ready-to-eat) so that these products too can be ‘better’ to consume and fit into the demands of a busy, active lifestyle.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?

The greatest asset to have is the ability to be flexible and adapt. I think the Covid crisis also highlighted that our societal norms are behaviors and routines that develop over time but they are not set in stone. Inherently, people do not like change but sometimes it forces a new way of behavior that might ultimately be better. It was obviously a terrible and devastating time for the world – but to have a global event that connects us all is something very unique and it will be interesting to see how that plays out over time. I also think it highlighted the fragility and dependence we have on certain industries, and perhaps provided a bit more focus on being locally or regionally resilient to insulate communities from that type of impact in the future. One good thing I’m seeing is that the interest in growing one’s own food and the knowledge of where food comes from has seemed to skyrocket.

Pricing:

• $3.99 per 12oz can

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.drinkringa.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkringa
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drinkringa

Image Credits

Paul Kooiman