Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Stephanie McGregor. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Stephanie, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

After spending over 20 years as an operator in the start-up food and beverage industry, I found myself at a personal and professional crossroads in 2022. The company that I had been helping to build for the last 5+ years was being forced to wind down. It was emotionally devastating and as literally the ‘last person standing’, this event helped close a chapter in my life I didn’t know needed ending, and ushered in a new journey I had no intention of starting. What I did know, though, was that I needed a break. I needed time to contemplate if what I was doing was meant for me, or had I just been going through the motions all these years. I committed to taking some time to rest, relax, and recharge – and took a trip.
It was in the desert of Baja Mexico that I was introduced to a plant called Moringa Oleifera. Even after spending 20 years in the natural food and beverage space, I had never heard of Moringa before, and certainly had not heard of its wealth of personal and planetary benefits. Such as: gram for gram, it is one of the most nutrient dense plants on the planet, a complete plant protein, fast growing and drought tolerant and 100% viable. The more I learned, the more inspired I became. After returning home to the US in the fall of 2022, and having done more research on this ‘miracle tree’ – a nickname it has earned due to its versatility – I decided to devote myself to creating a brand that would focus on bringing moringa to the masses. And just like that, RINGA® was born.
We created RINGA® with the intention of addressing some of the most pressing challenges in our food system. Chronic health conditions and disease are on the rise, and many of these ailments are directly related to our ultra-processed diet and nutrient-poor options available in grocery stores, mass markets, and convenience stores. By utilizing nutrient dense moringa, we can create healthier options that provide less calories and more nutrients than their conventional equivalents. Sugar is also often linked to a host of negative health consequences, and RINGA® uses NO added refined sugar to sweeten our beverages. We use only real, organic fruit juices and small-batch, custom blended organic botanicals. We don’t believe you need to rely on sweetness for flavor, and have chosen to use organic apple cider vinegar, which contains beneficial acetic acid and has been shown to aid in immunity and microbiome support as the base for our products. Lastly, we utilize organic agave inulin, a soluble prebiotic source of fiber which can help to feed the microflora (aka probiotics) in our gut and aid in digestion. It is reported that more than 90% of adults in the USA do not consume nearly the amount of fiber they should daily. Each 12oz can of RINGA® contains 3g fiber per can, which is 11% of the recommended daily fiber and is a ‘good source of fiber’, a claim regulated by the FDA.
Our true mission though, is to create nutritious food and beverage products that inspire people to lead healthier and more mindful lives while remaining socially and consciously vigilant. Climate change threatens to impact the very resources we need to feed and nourish an ever-growing-global population – so it’s crucial that we invest in moringa and other solutions that are nutrient-dense, drought tolerant, can support virtuous agricultural practices and 100% viable.
RINGA® is also proud to be a 1% for the planet member, and is committed to creating products that are better for people and planet.
As we like to say – RINGA® is FOR LIFE.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hi. I’m Stephanie. I’ve been ‘building brands’ for over 20 years as an operator. I literally started ‘in the street’, handing our product samples and doing demos in stores. I’ve worked on some great brands and products, and with great teams of people. I’m a big believer in ‘if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life’.

My journey in the industry started because I was taking some time off school, working on my snowboarding skills in the mountains of Colorado. I answered an ad on Craigslist for a what sounded like a dream job for a 20-something-year-old-ski-bum. Drive around to all the ski resorts in the Colorado and educate consumers on a new type of beverage called Red Bull. I got the job. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Working in a start-up forces you to wear many hats. No two days are alike, chaos is the only consistency, and every day is make-it-or-break-it. You learn a thing or two about yourself, others, and become jack or jill of all trades – master of none. I think it’s the best job in the world, but it can be tough to navigate alone. As someone that has ‘been through it’ with others and now going through it myself – I’m happy to be a tide that raises all boats (any way that I can).

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

I was lucky enough to have exposure to the world of manufacturing from my experience in the industry. I had a good idea of where to look, what questions to ask, and what I needed. But by no means was (or am I), an expert. My biggest learning and feedback are really no different than the golden rule we should all know by now.

Manufacturing partners (or any other partner) are as good as the relationship you build with them. They are business owners themselves, needing to put food on the table and pay for their overhead. If you treat them with respect, they will treat you with respect. It’s hard (and expensive) to find partners in the early days that will take the risk with young, emerging businesses. When you find those partners that are willing to work with you in the early days – I would encourage you to do what you can to make those partnerships last. Your co-man should become an extension of your team, and the quality and cost of your product hinges on it being produced correctly.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

In my industry, it’s quality and taste every time. I’m in the CPG (consumer packaged goods industry), and consumers may buy something once due to the price, or the claims on your package, or even because an influencer told them to. But if it doesn’t deliver on what you promise – you will NOT earn repeat business. One of our mottos is ‘cans in hands’ – and it means that we would rather put a free can in someone’s hand and have them try it than spend that same money on an ad or other form of marketing. Once you capture a consumer’s loyalty, they will become the best advocates that even money can’t buy.

Contact Info:

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

Image Credits

Paul Kooiman