Adina World Beat Beverages

Adina World Beat Beverages

Company type	Private
Industry	Beverage manufacturing
Founded	2004
Founder	Magatte Wade, Greg Steltenpohl, Dominique Leveuf
Defunct	2012
Headquarters	San Francisco , United States
Area served	Western United States, including San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Austin
Key people	Magatte Wade, Greg Steltenpohl, Dominique Leveuf
Products	Coffee, tea, juice products (Adina Organic Blends, Adina Miracle Fruits Fortified Juice Drinks, Adina Organic Juice Coolers, Natural Highs)
Number of employees	25

Adina World Beat Beverages was a beverage manufacturer located in San Francisco, specializing in coffee, tea, and juice products. Established in 2004 by Magatte Wade, Greg Steltenpohl (who co-founded Odwalla Inc.), and Dominique Leveuf, the enterprise was spearheaded by industry veterans with experience at Odwalla, SoBe, and Peet's Coffee. Their mission focused on safeguarding traditional drink recipes from diverse international origins in the face of competition from global cola corporations.

The company procured fair trade, sustainable ingredients sourced from smallholder farmers across nations such as India, Guatemala, Indonesia, and Ethiopia, thereby aiding economically disadvantaged agricultural communities. With a team of about 25 employees, Adina generated roughly US$3.2 million in annual revenue, mainly catering to consumers in the Western United States.

Although Adina World Beat Beverages emphasized ethical sourcing and offered unique products, it ultimately discontinued operations in 2012.

Origin

The concept for the beverage company originated with Magatte Wade during a trip to her homeland, Senegal, where she observed that traditional hibiscus beverages were being replaced by cola drinks. Motivated to protect this cultural legacy, Wade partnered with Greg Steltenpohl, former CEO of Odwalla Inc., and his spouse Dominique Leveuf to establish the business. The company’s headquarters were located at 660 York Street, San Francisco, California. The founders made substantial investments and successfully raised $5 million in initial capital.

Adina marketed a selection of internationally inspired drinks packaged in 14 fluid ounce bottles, focusing primarily on the San Francisco Bay Area. The brand also extended its marketing reach to prominent U.S. metropolitan areas such as New York City and Austin, Texas.

Partnerships

Adina engaged in collaborations with entities including Agribusiness in Sustainable Natural African Plant Products (ASNAPP), which works to alleviate poverty across Africa; Association Education Santé (AES), which supports hibiscus cultivators worldwide; and the ECO-AGRI Research Foundation, an Indian non-governmental organization dedicated to enhancing rural farmers’ welfare. Additional partnerships involved cooperatives and financial institutions operating within developing regions.

Products

The company’s offerings comprised four distinct product lines: Adina Organic Blends—introduced in 2007 featuring organic Fair Trade gourmet coffees and teas; Adina Miracle Fruits Fortified Juice Drinks launched in 2006; Adina Organic Juice Coolers debuted in 2005; and Natural Highs, a fair-trade certified natural cold-brew coffee energy beverage released in October 2008. These products were sold through retailers such as Whole Foods Market and included flavors like mocha, hazelnut, and double espresso.

References

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