Mark Sotomayor, Founder of Treecup Tea, Environmental Impact through Entrepreneurship

Mark Sotomayor is changing the literally changing the landscape of Haiti, one bottle of tea at a time.  In this podcast, Mark shares his incredible journey from a college sophomore to an environmental minded Entrepreneur.  Since Mark and his Mother founded Treecup Tea in October 2017, the company has planted 18,000 trees in Haiti.

Like many young entrepreneurs, Mark had an unconventional inspiration and path.   He was enrolled in the Entrepreneurship Program at Grove City College, of which we are both alumnae. During an unexpected break, Mark and his Mother, Vitalia, came up with the idea over a pitcher of his Grandmother's Peruvian Chi Tea.  That was the moment had sparked the idea that is making both a local and global impact.

Businesses unfold and grow, sometimes taking their own path.   Mark wanted to make an impact with his business and integrate a social cause with his business.   Ultimately, Mark partnered with Haiti Friends, a Pittsburgh Based non profit.   You can learn more about Haiti Friends at http://www.haitifriends.org/.    The slogan  "Buy a Tea, Plant a Tree"  was born.   For every bottle of tea sold, one tree is planted for a local haitian farmer in the Artibonite Valley.     

Those early days were exciting and growth was happening.   Then, a major set back hit.   Mark's share how he had to reassess the future of the company and ultimately completely rebrand.   That rebranding is the Treecup Tea that exists today.   The company continues to grow and expand its commitment to the environmental stewardship.   Treecup Tea is not sold in reusable, recyclable glass bottles. 

TREECUP TEA MISSION STATEMENT:
Treecup seeks to provide a unique, healthy, and above all – philanthropic experience to tea drinkers. We exist to positively impact the environment and human lives through planting trees in Haiti.

TREECUP TEA CURRENT OFFERINGS

Peruvian Chai - This is the founder's grandmother's recipe. It is a spicy black tea with cinnamon, cloves, and anise. Regions all over the world like Asia and South America drink their own versions of chai. The Peruvian Chai is a simpler blend of chai, which aims to highlight the high quality flavors from the spices, which are fair-trade and ethically sourced. Some people like to mix this tea with milk to create a delicious creamy chai! No preservatives.

Ginsyin & Yang - This tea is named as a play on words with "ginseng" and "Yin & Yang". This tea is inspired by oriental flavors like gunpowder green tea, ginseng, lemon, and spearmint.  People like to sometimes try this unsweetened tea with a dash of honey for a mix of different savory flavors, or umami. No preservatives.

Lumberjack Black - When people finally taste lumberjack black, they can know why it's called that.  It has a woody taste with earthy after-notes of flavor. The base for this delicious concoction is an organic Nilgiri black tea. This tea promotes heart health with the brewed-in properties of the North American Juniper and Cedar trees. Avid black tea drinkers will love this tea.  No preservatives.

Berry Jasmine - Our best seller! With the delicious properties from four different types of berries and rose petals, this tea is wildly refreshing! This tea is only served sweetened, with six grams of organic cane sugar to softly elevate the notes from other ingredients.

Mark has a new Kickstarter project to raise capital to increase production and expand his operations.   You can support Treecup Tea and the Haitian people by purchasing his teas or supporting the Kickstarter campaign.

https://treecuptea.com/
http://www.haitifriends.org/