Eightbillion’s Journey with 1% for the Planet & Eat Real

How it Started: Discovering 1% for the Planet with Yvon Chouinard

I've been following Yvon Chouinard's remarkable business career ever since I first read Let My People Go Surfing back in 2005. His stories of adventure and the lessons he's learned from nature have always been a huge source of inspiration for me.

 

As both an outdoor enthusiast and a consumer product developer, Yvon's perspectives deeply resonated with me. I began to notice the 1% for the Planet logo on various products in retail stores, and it piqued my interest right from the start.

In 2008 I had the pleasure of co-presenting a strategic Fossil Fuel Reduction program to a sizable audience of First Nations leaders in Alaska.  The following year, I found myself organizing and participating in the hands-on installations of wind turbines in three villages in the Aleutian Islands.

 

During weather-related flight delays, I found myself re-reading Yvon’s stories. It was there, in the wilds of an Alaskan village, that I made a decision: the 1% for the Planet logo would be a part of the future business I was already planning.

 

The Catalyst: Meeting Dr. Robert Lustig 

After reading Fat Chance: Beating The Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease, I was excited to hear that Dr. Robert Lustig would be speaking at the 2018 ExpoWest event, and Holly and I sat in the packed venue to hear Dr Lustig present in person.

Dr. Lustig’s presentation was riveting, and I was fortunate enough to catch him afterward in the hall, doing interviews in front of news and media cameras. We introduced ourselves, and Dr. Lustig invited us to continue our conversation at his booth on the trade-show floor. There, he graciously signed a copy of The Hacking of the American Mind and invited us to stay in touch.

 

With the release of Metabolical in 2021 and  the announcement that Dr. Lustig would be the Chief Science Officer for EatReal.org, our desire to support Eat Real in every way possible only grew!

 

EatReal.org and Eightbillion: A match made in health heaven

Raised with a public school education, I know first hand what it is like to eat school lunches that made me sick and to be told to drink dairy products that I felt were wrong for my body.

Looking back, I’m extremely grateful to my parents for packing me real food lunches that I could carry to school in a lunch box on days when the cafeteria was serving questionable ingredients.

I vividly remember sugary juice drinks being served daily and that soft drink machines lining  the halls of my middle school. 

Fortunately, I had amazing parents who dedicated their careers fighting for improved curriculums and better conditions in Seattle public schools and across all Washington State schools.

My father was the first president of the Seattle Teachers Association, playing a crucial role in securing record amounts of funding to improve conditions for schoolchildren throughout the state. My mother wrote much of the Basic Skills Curriculum for the entire district and pushed for improvements in the creative arts departments. Meanwhile, my father championed student rights, even implementing the USA’s first in-school daycare center for teenage mothers at Garfield High School in Seattle.

After years of research and learning from Dr. Lustig, it’s clear to us: real food and real beverages are the solution. We want to be part of the movement that is working towards ensuring every child has a healthy, delicious future on a livable planet.

Through Eightbillion, a member of 1% for the Planet, Holly and I named Eat Real as a beneficiary.

With our connection, contribution, and partnership with EartReal.org and 1% for the Planet, our company Eightbillion, dedicates our purpose and force for good to health, nutrition, and climate impact.

At Eightbillion, we’re fueled by purpose (and JostArriba!) to create a business that not only thrives but also serves as a catalyst for positive change. Positive change and creating good starts with what we put in our bodies, one sip (or bite!) at a time. 

We are grateful to be leaders in the revolution of the beverage and dietary supplement industries, so that all eight billion of us on this beautiful planet can drink good, feel good, and ultimately do good!