Our Story

MAMBO! It's DaFene & Knight, Co-founders of Kwanzaa!

It started with two cups of tea during a late-night study session in business school. One cup brewed with an iced southern sweet tea from Georgia. The other, chai ya maziwa, tea steeped in a spiced milk from over 8,000 miles away in Kenya. We were MBA classmates at WashU; worlds apart in tradition, but united by a question: Why does the $200B tea industry erase the farmers from East Africa who make it possible?

During our second winter vacation from business school, we traveled to Kenya’s highlands where a majority of its tea is produced. To our surprise, preindependence-era supply chains still funnel roughly 90% of profits to middlemen and multinational corporations. We met farmers growing world-class teas that were inevitably blended with tea from China, India, and Pakistan. Later, white-labeled and sold without acknowledging Kenya's contribution or the farmers who picked each leaf. That day, Kwanzaa! was born. Kwanzaa means "first" in Swahili, just like your first cup to start your day.

Our Mission:

We’re reclaiming Africa’s tea legacy predating G.W.L. Canine. Kwanzaa!'s partners directly with Kenyan farmers, guaranteeing fairer wages in our brand. We craft premium teas and community-building experiences that honor their craft and the relationships we develop over a shared cup.

The Founders:

Knight breathes life into businesses. A serial entrepreneur from bustling capital city of Nairobi, who built Nami Essentials, a wellness brand that took over boutiques across the country. She’s navigated Kenya’s supply chains, Chinese manufacturers, and Singaporean retailers looking to expand in markets across Oceania. Her work at CPG startups and tech consulting taught her that equity must be baked into the business model, not simply bolted on. If you speak to her, you'll always hear her say, "Kila wakati ni wakati wa chai" meaning "every time is tea time." Tea is as Kenyan as the flag she proudly wears on her wrist.

DaFene is the glue that bridges continents. A former educator hailing from the Good Life City of Albany, Georgia. Since a young age he loved learning about different cultures and communities across the globe. His first introduction to tea was the classical Sweet Tea of the Southern US, but he first trip outside of the country on a study abroad trip to Osaka, Japan had him come face-to-face with Japanese-style green tea and ceremonial grade matcha. After years of learning about Japanese and Chinese teas. He landed in Jeju, South Korea where he was at the heart of the provinces tea production. Here he learned about the multitude of tea applications from your everyday drinks to coveted skin care products lining shelves throughout the country. He brings a global lens to East Africa's tea potential. 

Why Kwanzaa! ?

• ✊🏾 Farmer Equity, where a percentage of revenue goes back to growers.
• 🌱 Single-estate teas blended with ingredients sourced from across East Africa.
• ✨ A Movement for drinkers who believe taste and justice belong in the same cup.