Runa, meaning “fully living human being" in Kichwa, is not just a brand name but also the company mantra. Each member of the team strives to incorporate this ancient concept beyond the work day and place its significance at the forefront of our personal lives. Brew a cup of guayusa, grab a seat and read below to find out when and where we feel the most alive and awake. Please share your most Runa moment in the comment section below.
"For me, living as Runa is about grooving. When I feel connected to and balanced between the infinity of the universe, the presence of my body, the love of my community, and the freshness of the environment around me, I groove."
Tyler Gage, Co-Founder and President of Runa LLC
"I feel the most fully awake and alive when I'm sharing stories, excitement, news, and plans with my friends and family around a good meal, a good beer, or a steaming cup of guayusa."
Dan MacCombie, Co-Founder and Executive VP of Runa LLC
"I feel the most Runa when I am introducing new farmers to our companies opportunities and mission."
Pedro Grefa, Tecnico
"I feel most Runa when I get to ride my bike though an empty Brooklyn street after work at night. There is a smooth calmness in pedaling (especially at night, well after sunset) when you are dodging potholes and stringing green light to green light."
Caroline Turnbull, Sales and Operations Manager
"For me, Runa is a state of being. When I am living in harmony with myself, and my surroundings I feel that I am Runa. This typically occurs when I am outside either on my bike or snowboard, or sitting on our front porch amongst our container garden in meditation. Nature supports me in feeling fully awake and alive. This experience of being Runa is heightened exponentially in the company of others."
Alex Bethel, Regional Sales Representative
"I feel Runa when I'm preforming my daily activities with the knowledge of all of that is inside of me."
Patricio Andy, Tecnico

"I feel the most Runa when I'm zooming through the Amazon on the Runa dirt bike with 2,000 guayusa seedlings strapped to my back listening to the sweet sounds of Plan B's Si Le No Contesto."
Eliot Logan-Hines, Executive Director of Fundación Runa
"There is nothing comparable to the feeling I get when I travel. The anticipation and excitement that precedes unexpected adventures and chance encounters with future friends is when I know I am living my life to the fullest."
Anna Premo, Social Media Manager
"I feel the most Runa when I am among people in the local communities speaking to them in my native language, Kichwa."
Fernando Grefa, Tecnico
"First I am very proud to work for Runa because we are Runa. I feel most alive and awake when I am in the communities with the people, the farmers, sharing their food, heading out in the field with them, and interchanging cultures.
Alex Hermosa, Tecnico
"I feel most Runa at sunrise. Be it in the mountains, the desert, or the jungle; on a motorcycle, running, or in a rocking chair; the promise of a new day among wonderful people always leaves me feeling most alive. Plus, I can let out a resounding WOOOOOP and nobody's there to judge except the roosters."
Nick Olson, Napo Regional Coordinator