A few years ago, a major retailer had requested that Kuli Kuli put a pregnancy disclaimer on our packaging based on two studies in the 1980s that showed how moringa leaves might act as a contraceptive in rats. However, a more recent study in mice showed the exact opposite – that moringa leaves actually improved the reproductive performance in mice.

What’s a girl to believe? I decided to dig in further on the research and reach out to multiple doctors. As always, Kuli Kuli recommends checking with your doctor for any further questions.

Is Moringa Safe to Consume While Trying to Get Pregnant?

I know so many new mothers swear by the benefits of moringa on their breastmilk supply, and that there are documented ways that moringa benefits women. But was moringa safe to consume while trying to get pregnant or during the early stages of pregnancy?

CEO and Founder, Lisa Curtis.

According to WebMD, the main concern around moringa is not the leaves, but the roots, bark, or flowers of moringa. Moringa root contains a toxin used historically in traditional medicine, that causes the uterus to contract. But moringa leaves are a different story, as they are packed with vitamins, iron, and more.

I decided to ask my doctor about her thoughts on consuming moringa before, during and after pregnancy. My doctor was actually quite familiar with moringa, as her Filipino family eats moringa on a regular basis. She had also researched moringa from a scientific perspective. She gave me a resounding “yes” on consuming moringa while trying to get pregnant and throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding.

I quickly discovered that there were unexpectedly positive side effects to taking organic moringa powder – it actually helped with many of my pregnancy symptoms, including fatigue and constipation.

Here are the top three benefits I’ve experienced while consuming moringa throughout my pregnancy.

1) Moringa is a Caffeine-Free Alternative to Coffee

Many of us need coffee to get the energy we need to go about our days. However, caffeine during pregnancy is generally limited to small doses, and some doctors recommend eliminating it entirely. Coffee is a stimulant and diuretic, meaning that it can increase blood pressure as well as heart rate.

The concern around coffee is that babies in the womb do not have the ability to metabolize caffeine the way adults do. Although studies are inconclusive, many experts say that strictly limiting coffee—or cutting it out completely—might be best for the health of the baby.

Moringa can offer a healthy option that is energizing, without the afternoon crash that coffee offers. After increasing my daily dose of moringa – adding the Pure Organic Moringa Powder to my morning oatmeal with a scoop of almond butter and drinking a Green Tea Wellness Shot every afternoon, I felt a difference. I found that particularly in the first and third trimesters, this extra energy boost has been critical to my ability to continue to run Kuli Kuli effectively. I experimented a few times with taking days off from consuming moringa and definitely found a noticeable difference in my energy levels.

2) Moringa Can Help With Overall Energy and Fight Fatigue 

Women in the later stages of pregnancy need to prioritize three nutrients: calcium, iron, and folic acid. Prenatal vitamins can help with this, but are not readily available in some parts of the world. One tablespoon of Pure Moringa Vegetable Powder can provide about 50% RDV iron, 15% RDV of calcium, and 5 mg folic acid.

Lisa with daily her moringa smoothie

As CEO and Founder, I have a lot on my plate that needs to get done each day; moringa is part of my daily health routine that makes it all possible. I’m a big believer in treating my body right, and that if I’ve well-nourished and well-rested, anything is possible.

The fascinating aspect of being pregnant during COVID-19 is that very few people knew that I was pregnant since I’ve been doing all my meetings virtually. Everyone was shocked when I told them a few weeks ago, which to me was an interesting confirmation that pregnancy hadn’t slowed me down at all.

I wrote an article about this experience called 5 Reasons Quarantine is the Best Time to Be Pregnant.

3) Moringa Helps Keep the Body Regular 

A lot of pregnant women struggle with staying regular and constipation can be unpleasant, if not painful. With an expanding uterus, it is common for bowel movements during pregnancy to become irregular. Stool softeners are also a concern for many to-be mothers. Drinking water, staying as active as possible, and adding fiber to one’s diet are common tips for staying regular.

Moringa is packed with fiber, and has been an easy part of my daily health routine. Though it may sound strange to put it in print – moringa really does help me poop!

Summary: Moringa Has Helped This CEO Get It Done 

Women have enough on their plate to add a complicated health routine to their daily life. Luckily, moringa has been huge in helping me stay healthy during my pregnancy. It also has helped me stay energized and comfortable throughout the busy work day.

We also have a great article summarizing 3 Ways Moringa Helps New Mothers, as well as it’s complimentary article, Breastfeeding? Moringa Can Help. We hope these cover the range of questions around moringa’s benefits for women.

At Kuli Kuli, we believe that moringa is one piece of the larger health puzzle. Has moringa helped you during pregnancy? Let us know in the comments!

Lisa Curtis with her partner showing off her “bump”

Follow us @kulikulifoods or leave us a comment below. We’d love to know your favorite ways to enjoy the benefits of this miracle tree. 

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I’ve always secretly dreaded being pregnant. I didn’t worry about pregnancy symptoms – weight gain, nausea, exhaustion, dizziness, etc – those I can handle. My dread always came from the fear of being perceived as being less capable.

5 Reasons Why Quarantine Is The Best Time To Be Pregnant

As a thirty-two year old female Founder and CEO, I’ve fought my entire life to prove that I am capable. Capable of leading a team, capable of fundraising millions of dollars, and capable of building a successful business selling moringa, a superfood most Americans still haven’t heard of. As the main face of my company Kuli Kuli, a big part of my business success depends on the outside world believing in my credibility as a CEO.

I knew that a growing bump in my stomach would tell the world a different story about my abilities. I was worried about five challenges that pregnant women in business frequently face,

1) People Question Your Brainpower

Despite ample medical evidence to the contrary, the concept of “pregnancy brain” is widespread. The idea can be funny – I’ve certainly used it to convince my husband to take on chores that I have “forgotten.” But the prospect became terrifying if suddenly I was perceived as being less capable of making key business decisions.

When no one knows you’re pregnant, no one jokes about your cognitive abilities being impaired.

2) You Receive Unsolicited Advice in Business Conversations 

A pregnant friend of mine went into an important sales meeting with a carefully prepared deck and agenda. She only had thirty minutes to close the deal. Instead, the buyer insisted on talking about his grandchildren for the entire meeting, offering her unsolicited advice and not even bothering to flip through the deck until the last five minutes.

Unsurprisingly, the buyer didn’t end up bringing her products into his store.

3) Your Childcare Plans Become Fodder for Public Debate 

Recently, before telling my investors and board members that I was pregnant, I sought advice from fellow female founders. Their number one piece of advice was as unanimous as it was shocking. Every single woman I spoke with told me “you have to clearly explain your childcare plans and emphasize that you’ll be coming back to work after your maternity leave.”  

The assumption that female founders would suddenly give up the companies that they’ve poured years of their lives into made me furious.

4) People Put Your Pregnancy On Stage Instead of You

In my pre-quarantine life, I averaged 29 speaking engagements a year. Many of these speaking opportunities have since turned into webinars. A few days ago, during a prep call for a webinar, I told the moderator I was pregnant when he asked if I had kids. He congratulated me, and asked if I wanted to talk about it during the webinar. I declined, and he promised not to put me on the spot.

In the last two minutes of the webinar he broke his promise entirely, asking an awkward question that forced me to announce my pregnancy and diverted attention entirely from the professional conversation we’d been having.

5) You Get Touched Without Your Consent

Though it shocked me to hear it, multiple friends have told me that they’ve had their pregnant bellies awkwardly touched at the grocery store, on the sidewalk, and even at work. Though I hate being six feet apart from everyone I love, I appreciate that no one touches me without my consent. From tummy touches to critical interruptions in business conversations and assumptions of cognitive impairments, it’s clear to me that it can be challenging to be a pregnant woman in business.

This article is the first time I’ve publicly announced my pregnancy. Most pregnant women don’t have the luxury of deciding when to announce their pregnancies – nature announces it for them.

Quarantine life has given me unexpected insight into how much easier work would be if pregnant women were treated as capable and professional as any other women. Getting ready to have a baby is such an exciting time but it has its share of challenges. We could make work easier for all women by letting them decide how and if they want to bring their personal lives to work.

At Kuli Kuli, we believe that empowering women happens at multiple levels. Lisa founded Kuli Kuli to help women use more moringa locally and earn a sustainable livelihood by selling a portion of each harvest to the US. 

For more, please follow us @kulikulifoods or leave us a comment below!

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Small businesses close due to SF Bay Area shelter-in-place laws

We’re entering an era where hope, toilet paper, and clean sweatpants seem to be in short supply. A walk down my previously bustling neighborhood in Oakland, California, shows little activity. Most small businesses have some sort of “closed temporarily” or “take-out only” signs.

Many of the signs were scrawled hastily when the San Francisco Bay Area instituted a shelter-in-place mandate on March 16th. A few of them crossed out the “until April 7th,” the date, when shelter-in-place was supposed to end, and replaced it with lines like “until all this is over.”

But recently I came across a bakery on the corner with a line of over 20 people, loosely standing 6 feet apart. They waited to pick-up their locally baked bread and pastries. A question formed in my mind: are certain small businesses actually seeing increased activity in the era of COVID-19 quarantine?

Small Business Success Amid Quarantine

I knew that toilet paper companies, hand sanitizer businesses, and grocery stores were turning profits. But what about small neighborhood stores? And what about businesses outside of the outbreak hotspots of Washington, California, and New York?

Yelp recently published a Coronavirus Economic Impact report measuring which businesses are facing the largest decreases in activity, and the few that are thriving.

The small businesses published as “doing well” in the Yelp report might surprise you. I offer a review below, as well as an additional surprise: “distanced connection” is also what inspired me to launch this company in 2014. 

Surprise #1 – Toilet Paper with Your Takeout and Bellhops with Your Bacon

The Yelp report shows an increase in takeout orders—this may sound obvious to anyone living in a jurisdiction, where restaurants have been forced to switch to takeout models. But restaurants outside those areas have seen a huge increase in delivery orders too, with a national increase 139x the norm.

Takeaway food and drinks at home

Long-time takeout staples like Thai restaurants, pizzerias, and fast food restaurants are doing particularly well, with food court and buffet options down significantly. A few restaurants are getting creative and delivering their customers toilet paper rolls with their takeout. Not only does this engender repeat orders and positive Yelp reviews, but also it’s a great way for restaurants to disperse a surplus of toilet paper. After all, they no longer have customers using their bathrooms.

Many online grocery options, such as Good Eggs, Instacart, Peapod, and retailer-specific delivery options are overwhelmed and frantically hiring more staff. In another interesting twist of corporate creativity, Albertsons is partnering with Hilton to hire many of the hotel workers, recently laid off, as grocery store staff.

Surprise #2 – Fortune Tellers Over Roof Fixers 

With a record-breaking 3.28 million people filing for unemployment in a single week, it’s clear that there is a cloud of fear and uncertainty. Long-term planning, like home improvement projects, are low on the priority list. Consequently, businesses supporting home projects are down. For example, roofing and deck services are down 85% and 66% respectively. On the other hand, all this anxiety about the future has been a boon to fortune tellers: supernatural readings are up 136%. 

Eating local is another behavioral shift I’ve noticed. Perhaps people want more control of their food and its source? The line at my local bakery may indicate more than “good bread.” With increased fear of infection risks from grocery stores, many Americans have sought to purchase food closer to its source.

This switch to buying local has lifted community-supported agriculture by over 400%, farms by 149%, and fruit and vegetable stores by 123%. Clearly, eating local is no longer just for environmentalists in the new coronavirus economy. 

Surprise #3 – Beauty Goes to the ‘Gram

As SNL so beautifully illustrated with the parody of an Instagram influencer using Crayola markers to do her makeup, beauty norms have changed in the coronavirus era. Day spas, tanning, waxing, and eyelash services are down between 16-23%. Beauty services often get up close and personal. Risking proximity with beauty service providers feels less necessary in the quarantine era. Can anyone really see my overgrown eyebrows on video chat anyway?!?

On the other hand, SNL may have been onto something as Instagram influencers have seen their audiences skyrocket. Many influencers are increasing the amounts they charge brands to showcase their products.

Surprise #4 – We Want to Get Outside

Two weeks of quarantine might have accomplished what decades of public health campaigns never managed to instill. More Americans are exercising outdoors than ever before. Why? Fear of gyms and a quarantine-induced claustrophobia propels us into wild spaces. With heightened stress and anxiety too, people may be drawn to open spaces more than ever. We need spaces to calm our restless, worried minds.

Meadow and Open Space 

Consequently, there has been a boom for businesses that sell hunting, fishing, and hiking supplies. Some of these activities have doubled. For people where the warmth of spring hasn’t quite made it, “at-home” fitness equipment has been a lifesaver, with many of those businesses up 400%+. 

If you’re trying to avoid the economic impact of the coronavirus, now might be the time to move to the Dakotas. North and South Dakota are the two least impacted states in the country with few cases of COVID-19. Consumer behavior closely resembles business as usual there.

Washington, California and New York hold the dubious honor of being the states most impacted by the pandemic. Unfortunately, recent reports show that the virus is spreading to more rural communities, with heartbreaking tales of communities such as Albany, Georgia left reeling from the impact. 

Surprise #5 – Distanced Connection Helped Launch Kuli Kuli

I was heartbroken to leave my Peace Corps position in Niger. It was 2011 and the notice was short: I had to evacuate from the village, and leave immediately. It felt like my entire heart—and my life plan—was breaking. On March 16th of 2020, all Peace Corps volunteers had to evacuate. That hit close to home for me.

I can only imagine the stress and heartbreak that people around the world are feeling in response to this global pandemic. It is not easy. This is a trying time.

I want to offer a bit of hope here, because my unexpected departure from Niger, and the distanced connection that followed, prompted me to begin the line of questioning that led to Kuli Kuli’s launch. When I was back in the US, I had so many questions.

How do I continue this important work around food security and social justice? What would it look like to deepen the connections to the people I met, despite the separation?

Lisa Curtis of Kuli Kuli

When I came home from Niger, I was devastated. But eventually, I began to think about how to continue my passion for women’s empowerment, food security, and sustainable agriculture. I knew from my Peace Corps experience how powerful moringa was as a superfood, but it lacked a market.

Together with a few friends, I launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. I wanted to raise enough money to manufacture moringa superfood bars and support small women moringa farmers like the ones I had met in Niger. The crowdfunding campaign was the most popular food campaign Indiegogo had ever had. It enabled Kuli Kuli to launch onto the market in 2014.

I share this because, in this trying and dark times, it is vital to hold onto hope. All we can do right is focus on “actionable items.” It is important to get creative and support each other, especially among small businesses. 

Workforce Survival & Small Business Strategy

No one knows whether this economic disaster will resemble a storm or a long winter. As I’ve written about before, it is imperative that small business owners use creativity, care, and thoughtful planning to weather this disaster. Small businesses employ nearly half of the private sector workforce and their ability to survive will determine the length and breadth of this recession.

Our country is truly treading in uncharted waters. As Carl Bialik, Yelp’s Data Science Editor, explained, “We’ve never seen a consumer shift like this before…Businesses are more versatile now, they have more technology to draw upon and the pieces were in place for consumers to shift quickly.”  

Who knows what the long-term behavioral impacts will be, and what strategies small business will need to adopt in order to survive. Will Americans continue eating local produce, ordering takeout and hiking regularly even when the pandemic subsides? Can restaurants unaccustomed to takeout create new takeout-friendly menus and lure new customers with unexpected toiletries? Can hotel workers find new jobs delivering online groceries?  

Only time will tell what economic and consumer shifts the future will hold. For now, I’m just thrilled to know that at least a few businesses, like my local bakery and many fortune tellers, are thriving.

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In many ways, this pandemic feels like a never ending hurricane. And I live in Miami, so I would know.

Hurricane Logic

The difference between this current global stress and a hurricane is this: we can’t track it on radar, we won’t hear the wind howling, and we can’t go back outside after a few weeks. In this way, our much-needed and current shelter-in-place is like… seven or eight back-to-back-to-back hurricanes. 

So where is the good news? Well, many of us will have consistent electricity. We’ll be able to stay in touch, binge Netflix and keep the freezer cold. What else can we do? Follow the shelter guidelines. Control what we can. And try to manage our stress.

I was born in earthquake country (Mexico City), raised in earthquake country (Los Angeles) and have spent the last 15 years in hurricane country (Miami). Collectively, I’ve endured 4 major earthquakes and 7+ major hurricanes. We too, will get through this… together. And yes, it is overwhelming. 

3 Tips For Food Planning and “Storms”

Take it from me: there is no need for hoarding, but there is a need for mindful food planning. In my home, we keep it simple. We make a food plan for the week, and use the following system:

1. First, finish what’s in the fridge. 
2. Next, move to the freezer food and eat accordingly.
3. Lastly, it’s time for the canned goods—your “shelf-stable” supply.   
   

   Moringa smoothie routine

We are not anticipating any shortages of food in grocery stores, but we may need more patience as the supply chain works extra hard to replace the items. It can be hard not to binge eat and stress eat too. My kryptonite is tortilla chips…. 

In these last couple weeks, I’m glad that I continue my routine—one that includes exercise three times a week, followed by a power smoothie afterwards. My dream smoothie is always full of fruit (fresh or frozen), water, and almond milk. For my boost, I add flax seed, moringa powder and chocolate protein powder.

For me, as a long-term fan and consumer of moringa, I noticed moringa has helped to decrease the inflammation in my knees, lower my cholesterol, and provide me with long-lasting energy. Also, it’s shelf-stable, so I know I can have access to greens that won’t go bad. To me, this is a comfort during uncertain times. 

Last Tip: Keep Those Connections  

Now that things have slowed down somewhat, I have some other ways I stay calm in this storm. I’m reaching out to friends more, across time zones, and calling them. Just  hearing their voices, catching up, remembering about the old days, and being silly helps me find some sense of normalcy—even if it’s just for a few moments in time.

I hope these ideas help clear the clutter or stress of “food shopping” and preparation. Remember, we will get through this. It’s like a… long-lasting hurricane. We must stay strong, stay safe, and add normalcy to our lives—wherever it fits. 

Staying Calm in the Storm

How do you stay calm in the storm, be it a hurricane or longer-term global stress? Feel free to leave your comments below. We’d love to hear from you.

Follow us @kulikulifoods to learn more about bringing balance and energy into your life. 

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This past September, Kuli Kuli, a mission-driven startup pioneering the super green moringa, announced that they would be launching into 2,500 Walmart locations nationwide. To celebrate this exciting launch, Kuli Kuli embarked on an initiative to use their new platform to help fight hunger this Holiday season. This initiative continued to tackle the issue of malnutrition in Africa, by expanding the growth and demand of nutrient-dense moringa, as well as fight hunger here in the United States, by donating one product for every Kuli Kuli product sold at Walmart until Thanksgiving.

Kuli Kuli’s Feeding America Donations

From September 19th- November 28th, Kuli Kuli has donated a total of 42,572 units of product through Feeding America to local food banks in the Bay Area. Feeding America is the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, working to connect communities through food and end local hunger. Kuli Kuli stands by their mission statement: Nourishing You, Nourishing the World. While the world may sometimes seem overwhelmingly sizable, missions suchas these can connect communities through common goals, at times it is needed most. This Thanksgiving, Kuli Kuli is reflecting on and strengthen their meaning of community internationally and locally, one small step at a time.

Thank You, from the Kuli Kuli Team to the Kuli Kuli Family

Kuli Kuli’s Founder and CEO, Lisa Curtis, would like to express her gratitude for the Kuli Kuli Community who supported us during this initiative:

Dear Kuli Kuli Family, 

As many of you know, I began this journey with Kuli Kuli as a bright-eyed Peace Corps Volunteer almost exactly six years ago. It was in my small Nigerien village that I learned my first and most important entrepreneurial lesson. 

My village in Niger was tiny, home to just 2,000 people. Geographically, it should have taken no more than ten minutes to cross it, and yet it always took forty. Every couple of feet, I would stop to speak with a neighbor or friend, asking about their health, family and farms. While this might sound like a terrible waste of time, it built incredibly strong relationships and within just a few weeks, I had dozens of steadfast friends.

When I was feeling homesick, my friends acted out their favorite parts of American movies. When I struggled to learn the local language, they sat for hours with me going through flashcards. And when I was feeling weak from eating a nutrient-deficient vegetarian diet, my Nigerien friends brought me moringa leaves to re-energize me with the nutrients my body needed. It was in Niger that I first learned the power of community. 

A terrorist attack forced me to return back to America before my Peace Corps service was complete. Starting Kuli Kuli was a way for me to stay connected with incredible communities in West Africa while forming a new community here in the US of friends who believed that food should nourish the communities where it’s sourced and the communities where its sold. 

As Kuli Kuli has grown, so too has our community. We would not be here without the customers, farmers, advisors, investors, nutritionists and brand ambassadors who believed that this crazy Peace Corps dream could become a thriving, multi-million dollar social enterprise.

One of Kuli Kuli’s core values is gratitude. On this day of thanks, I’d like to express my utmost gratitude to you for being a part of the Kuli Kuli Family. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lisa

11/28/2019

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Kuli Kuli has taken its efforts one step further to fight hunger both in Africa and at home here in America. For every Kuli Kuli moringa product sold in Walmart from Sept 19-Nov 19th, Kuli Kuli will donate a moringa product to a Feeding America food bank.

Similar to turmeric, moringa leaves have been eaten for centuries and are well-known in ayurvedic medicine for their holistic wellness properties. Consumer awareness of moringa’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties has grown exponentially since Kuli Kuli launched onto the market five years ago. A Rutgers University study has found that moringa may contain more potent anti-inflammatory properties than turmeric.

Kuli Kuli is the first brand to pioneer moringa in the US, selling it as green powder, smoothie mixes, bars and green tea wellness shots in 7,000 stores nationwide. Over the past five years, Kuli Kuli has grown from an idea dreamed up in the Peace Corps by CEO Lisa Curtis, into a thriving social enterprise that supports thousands of moringa farmers around the world.

Moringa is now the fastest growing green supplement in the category, outselling matcha and catching up to spirulina and wheatgrass. Nielsen data shows that moringa has achieved a 3% penetration in US households with Kuli Kuli dominating more than half of the US retail moringa market. According to Datassential, moringa has grown 300% in the past four years.

Kuli Kuli was recently listed on Inc’s 5000 Fastest Growing Companies as the #15 of Top Food & Beverage Companies and in the top 10% of overall companies ranked. The company recently closed a $6.34M Series B, led by Griffith Foods and Kellogg’s eighteen94 capital to further their growth into retail and to begin expansion into the ingredient channel. Similar to the rise of matcha and turmeric, Kuli Kuli believes that moringa will soon be found in many products from beverages to sauces.

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The conference hosted incredible African speakers, entrepreneurs and business leaders from a variety of industries, yet there was no denying that moringa was a common theme. Between the two award winners and three moringa companies present, the room was buzzing with moringa- quite literally, attendees were fueling themselves off Kuli Kuli’s Moringa Energy Bars and Moringa Green Energy Shots!

Moringa, Represent!

For the past four years, the African Diaspora Network has hosted an Investment Symposium (ADIS2019) that gathers over 750 entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and leaders in Silicon Valley to share successes and find new ways to strengthen the African diaspora’s role in shaping the continent. At this year’s event, Kuli Kuli was particularly excited for the announcement of two of our moringa suppliers gaining recognition for their impressive work developing social enterprises that are creating economic opportunities and supporting sustainable agroforestry in Uganda and Ghana.

We were bursting at the seams with pride and excitement as the African Diaspora Network recognized what we’ve been seeing for awhile in Pamela and Kwami – their ability to change the world! Fittingly, they were awarded as the Builders of Africa’s Future.

The event’s unique cross-section of passionate Africans, Diasporans, and friends of Africa, created powerful connections and a flow of ideas. It was an incredible opportunity to showcase the East and West African champions for moringa that have made Kuli Kuli’s supply chain so impactful.

Pamela Anyoti Peronaci, Asante Mama

Pamela was born in rural Uganda but through plenty of hard work, managed to obtain higher degrees in Europe. Even with her travels, she never forgot her roots. Upon finishing her studies she returned to Uganda because she saw an opportunity to act as a link between farmers and consumers around the world. She was on a mission to lift up her community, which is exactly what she has done through her company, Asanta Mama. Asante Mama employs over 11,000 farmers growing six different crops, including moringa.

Kwami Williams, MoringaConnect

Similar to Pamela, after his studies, Kwami become distraught by the huge disconnect between a land rich in opportunity but no money, and consumers in the western world. He learned about moringa in 2011 on a trip to Ghana with MITD-Lab. With his now co-founder, Emily, they witnessed Ghanaians battling malnutrition even though the moringa tree, the most nutrient dense tree in the world, was growing in their own backyards. With this passion, Kwami left his path to become a rocket scientist and started Moringa Connect instead. Moringa Connect has planted over two million trees, served 3,000 small farming families and increased farmer income by 10x.

*The award winners at the African Diaspora Investment Symposium held January 24-25, 2019 in Mountain View, California.

A Future of Moringa

Africa is a continent rich with languages, unique foods, music, and incredibly talented social entrepreneurs like Pamela and Kwami. Kuli Kuli applauds them both for their work developing successful companies, international supply chains and showing the world just how much Africa has to offer. Kuli Kuli is proud to harness it’s conscientious supply to enable entrepreneurs like Pamela and Kwami to grow their mission-driven businesses and farms to empower areas of the world that are susceptible to the harshest realities of malnourishment, poverty and the early effects of climate change. We envision a future where Africa is overflowing with opportunity, one moringa tree at a time.

To learn more about Kuli Kuli’s impact in Sub-Saharan Africa and around the globe, click here.

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Whether you’re cheering for blue & yellow or blue, red & silver – it has never been easier to go GREEN this Super Bowl weekend. We’ve found a way for you to eat all the classic game day snacks without the stomach aches and guilt.

Consider these #moringainspired snacks as part of your Sunday Super Bowl spread.

1) Dips! Dips! Dips!
Having a tasty array of dips is critical to any good spread. Check out our classic moringa guacamole that is easy to make and adds a delicious smoky flavor to the average guacamole. If you’re looking for something a little more unique, try a roasted poblano moringa hummus or a peanut moringa dipping sauce. When it comes to dips, the more the merrier, so why not make all three?!

2) Go Savory this Super Bowl
Although personally, I could sustain myself on chips and dips, in order to keep the fans full and happy, it’s important to have a few savory items for your guests to munch on. Rather than spending all morning cooking, check out these freezable moringa empanadas or these veggie or swordfish skewers you can make the day before and just throw on the grill on game day.

3) Full Bellies, Clear Eyes, Can’t Lose
For those who want to offer something a little more filling , you can’t go wrong to the classics: pizza and burgers. Check out these quinoa moringa black beans sliders and watch as even the most carnivorous guests go back for seconds. For your gluten free friends, you can try this pizza that puts Domino’s to shame – butternut squash pizza with moringa cauliflower crust!

4) Magic! Turn a Brownie into a Salad
When it comes to desserts, it can feel impossible to find a healthy option while maintaining flavor. Fortunately, moringa powder pairs extremely well in baked goods so you can get your favorite treat while sticking to your goal of eating veggies! Take your favorite cake/ cookie/ brownie recipe and add some pure moringa powder, simple as that. Read these four tips to ensure you’re not baking out the nutrients. Our personal MVP is the dark chocolate moringa truffles.

5) Drink your Greens
Last but not least, after snacking on all these tasty moringa treats, guests will need something to quench their thirst. A refreshing moringa lemonade can do the trick. Or you’re in parts of the world that are experiencing extremely low temperatures, this pumpkin spiced moringa latte might be a more appealing option. And when you hit half time and feel your energy go down and your pom pom hand are a little heavier, snag a moringa energy shot and get right back into it!

Here at Kuli Kuli we are wishing everybody a healthy, happy and safe Super Bowl Weekend. If you enjoy moringa on game day, be sure to take a picture and tag @KuliKuliFoods on Instagram and hashtag #KuliKuli and #MoringaInspired so we can see!

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In 2018, moringa was named superfood of the year, which meant Kuli Kuli staff dressed up as the superheroes of superfood at last year’s Winter Fancy Food show. Coming off of an incredible year, we were unsure how we’d be able to top that as returned for the 2019 show. Luckily, winning the Specialty Food Association Leadership Award for Citizenship was a great place to start!

The award was a result of our work creating a sustainable supply chain with smallholder farmers around the world. This honor also meant we saw our founder & CEO’s photo on the cover of the Specialty Food Associations Magazine and on posters throughout the show. If you’re curious about the award that required us to make room for an expanding trophy collection, check out this post.

But for now, we ate our way through the show in order to share with you the latest trends to keep an eye out for in 2019 (you’re welcome).

1. Cauliflower… everything! Pizza crust was just the start to the growing array of uses for this funny looking vegetable. With the mission “when it comes from the ground, it’s got to be good”, we fell in love with From the Ground Up’s line of cauliflower treats. They are reinventing everyone’s childhood favorites, like cheez-its and pretzel sticks, to be a healthy and delicious snack. Paired with a moringa hummus, we think it’s basically like eating a salad.

2) Moooove over cows! Moringa, although one of the most bioavailable plant based protein, is certainly not alone as an option for conscious consumers trying to reduce their meat and dairy intake. Fellow award winning, and dear friends of Kuli Kuli, Miyoko’s Kitchen had an impressive booth of products we could not get enough of. The cheese wheels, cream cheese, butter, cheese spread – and did I mention cheese wheels? – had us in over the moon that cruelty free products could taste so good.

3) Guilt-free upcycled products! The average American wastes one pound of food every single day. The Guardian reported that those who have healthier diets, rich in fruit and vegetables, can actually be even more wasteful. We were so happy to see upcycled products in every corner of the show. One that really caught our attention was Soul Much, which recovers food waste to make delicious cookies. The company takes a restaurants unused, and destined for the garbage, rice & quinoa then turns it into a flour to make cookies. One pound of food waste equates to one delicious cookie. Goodbye, guilt! Hello, cookies!

4) Last year was all about kombucha, but this year we noticed a growing trend of other healthy, energizing beverages. Also making a social impact, we would like to recognize the efforts of Rebbl to end human trafficking through their line of tasty beverages. All 14 of their products use native ingredients grown in impoverished regions. This in turn creates sustainable economic empowerment for those communities, reducing trafficking and exploitation. They have delicious flavors like Reishi Chocolate and Matcha Latte. Add a teaspoon of moringa powder to them and you’ll be feelin’ like our staff at last year’s show, aka a total superhero.

5) Last but not least: African flavors, rejoice! Many of us here at Kuli Kuli Foods are somehow connected to Africa, whether through a Peace Corps service, working at an NGO or just an utter fascination and respect for the many cultures and ways of life found there. For that reason, we could not contain our excitement seeing so many African flavors and ingredients at this year’s show! Our booth neighbors, Yolélé Foods brought our attention to a fast-cooking grain that could replace couscous but is packed with more nutrients. Yolélé Foods is on a mission to empower some of the world’s most vulnerable population, rural West African smallholder farmers, by connecting them to an American market hungry for new and exciting sources of nutrition.

What an honor it is to work alongside these amazing companies who are taking important steps towards reshaping the food industry to be more transparent, equitable and healthy. We cannot wait to see what’s to come in 2019!

Before closing, we also want to tip our hats to the amazing volunteers with the Food Recovery Network who have recovered 3.2 million pounds of food left behind at the show since 2011. We applaud you. Click here if you’d like to join their efforts in 2020.

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In Lisa’s powerful speech at the award ceremony, she discussed her journey with moringa, the leafy green that changed her life.

It all started ten years ago as she sat in her hut in a rural African village. She wondered how she could possibly fix a system that left her Nigerien friends battling with malnutrition, while her American friends were texting about diet fads to help them lose weight. At the time, she wasn’t sure what the answer was but had a feeling moringa, a superfood healthier than kale that was growing like a weed around her village, could play an important role. With this sentiment, she created Kuli Kuli Foods, a multi-million dollar social enterprise that reaches 1,300 moringa farmers across 11 countries and sells nutritious snacks and supplements in over 7,000 stores across the nation.

Lisa credits part of her success to the Fancy Food Show, where she debuted Kuli Kuli’s first line of moringa products five years ago. The Specialty Food Association marque event provided forward momentum towards her goal of curbing malnutrition across the globe. Fast forward five years to today where Lisa was honored with the Leadership Award for Citizenship.

Along with the citizenship award, Specialty Food recognized Miyoko Schinner for her business leadership at her company, Miyoko’s and Patrick Mateer for his vision at Seal the Seasons.

2019 Winter Fancy Food Show – Spotlighting Moringa and other Biodiverse Crops!

Kuli Kuli also had the distinction of exhibiting in the Future Market Biodiversity exhibit. The exhibit was creatively designed through a partnership between Seeds and Chips and Food Tech Connect, two incredible organizations determined to bring more biodiversity into the world by reinventing how we look at food.

Along with moringa, there was a presence of other popular African ingredients like jackfruit from The Jackfruit Company, fonio from Yolélé and baobab powder from Kaibae. We are grateful to work alongside inspiring companies like Soul Much and Renewal Mill who upcycle food waste into delicious cookies.The room was packed with an amazing energy as innovators came together to share their mutual passion for creating a better and more bio-diverse world.

Building a Moral Compass into Business

According to CNBC, less than half of millennials believe in capitalism as it is currently practiced. The lack of faith in business is a scary concept, since businesses are arguably the most powerful institutions on earth – more powerful than government or religion. That said, we are living in a time where global leaders are stepping up to the plate with solution-based ideas to innovate our way out of the problems our planet is facing.

Together, with businesses such as the ones present at the Future Market Biodiversity exhibit, Kuli Kuli is honored to be part of the movement towards a world of moral driven business.

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