Hoda Mohajerani @ Chakra Chai
A CPG Based On Consciousness
Hoda Mohajerani is the Founder and CEO at Chakra Chai. Chakra Chai is supporting regenerative agriculture with its alchemical truffles and superfood elixirs that activate and nourish the seven Chakras of the body with formulas rooted in Ayurvedic medicine. All of their ingredients are organic and, where possible, regenerative and/or bio-dynamic.
The Brand
Chakra Chai sells two product categories, alchemical truffles and superfood elixirs, each with 7 SKUs related to a different Chakra. “Chakra” means “wheel” in Sanskrit, referencing the spinning wheels or energy centers of the body. Located from the base of the spine to the crown of the head, Chakras act as pathways between the physical and subtle realms. The Chakras are also referred to in ancient Ayurvedic texts (the oldest form of medicine coming from India) that recognize their importance on the journey towards physical health. More recently, there are suggestions of their correlation with the Endocrine system, the Vagus nerve, and electromagnetic “fields”.
Hoda and her team spent nearly 3 years in R&D with a third-generation Gujarati Ayurveda practitioner to create 7 elixirs and 7 truffle snacks that are sweetened with raw regenerative honey. Each SKU intentionally correlates with the Chakras: Root, Flow, Power, Love, Truth, Insight, and Spirit. They’ve formulated their products to provide delight while consumed and simultaneously address deeper physiological and energy issues – proving that food can be medicine.
Chakra Chai is available online and in several retail partners in California.
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Born of Grief and Love
Hoda gives all credit for the brand to her son Arta (“Truth” in Avestan Persian). Burnished and scorched with grief after losing him at a very young age, Hoda struggled with her identity, her place in the world, and the great questions of “Why am I here?” and “What is my purpose?”.
A year after her profound loss, Hoda was deep in meditation when Arta spoke to her with the words “Chakra Chai” and said, “If you wish, you are permitted to move on this.” She has taken his words as a responsibility, a mission she must steward.
“We are constantly, consciously or unconsciously, trying to transcend our own human condition. And in these moments of grace and in these moments of union, with the right vibrational frequencies and the right intentionalities, the most incredible beauty and rightness is birthed. Yes, it was a tragedy, but this is a triumph that was born out of tragedy.” – Hoda
Intentionally Regenerative
While starting Chakra Chai, Hoda and her co-founder Shawn were intentional about building something in a circular and regenerative way. They sought an aggregate of regenerative farmers who could supply their adaptogen, ashwagandha (adaptogens are a class of herbs, mushrooms, and minerals that protect the body from stress-induced dysfunction), and deliver a level of potency and active components without depleting the land.
Chakra Chai is not your typical CPG. They’re creating a new product category based on a truly conscious regenerative business model, and marketing their brand based on product attributes that require self-awareness and self-diagnosis. While the brand is considered innovative today, it’s only because we’ve lost touch with wisdom traditions.
"Within the time and culture that we find ourselves in right now, we could consider this innovation, right, but only because we've lost touch with these wisdom traditions. It's not innovative if you go to any of these other cultures that have deep medicinal histories, right? But right now it's an innovation. God only knows a CPG startup based on consciousness and regeneration can't be any more inconvenient. So I, being the Crazy Horse that I am, said I accept." – Hoda
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A Better System
Hoda believes the food system must serve humans and the planet. We are too focused on food fueling longevity. But what good is living another 100 years if we keep repeating the same mistakes and don’t know who we are or why we’re here? By introducing one truffle, one elixir, Hoda is providing a vehicle through which to address the real underlying issues – both within the individual and within the collective.
“It's time for the philosophers, thinkers, and poets to take their rightful place at the table and steer us in a better direction for the future of humanity and our planet. If we want to still be on this planet in 100 years, thriving in cultures and communities that are more enlightened, conscious, and integrated, we have to become regenerative. If something is in a constant state of decay, chaos, and death, it can’t regenerate.” – Hoda
Our Path to 50% Market Share 4 Regen
While Chakra Chai is 100% organic right now, they, like many brands, face the steep financial challenge of becoming 100% regenerative. Hoda is asking investors, thinkers, and policymakers to step up and help farmers and brands work together to define regenerative ag, and what a regenerative brand and business model should look like. Farmers and brands need more than just monetary capital resources; they also need intelligence, experiential, and network resources in order to move forward.
Hoda encourages us to look at indigenous communities and indigenous wisdom. These cultures built an infrastructure that supports those who need nourishment and nurturing, not those who are "already strong." Chakra Chai, like so many other emerging brands, wants to do better, to become better stewards, and “take the ship where it’s meant to go.” And that’s where the "already strong" can help.
“If you want to see me have a better profit and loss sheet, if you want to see better numbers, then put your money where your mouth is. Don't put it in plastic meats and plastic rice and lab-grown fish. The future is now. Every day, my team and I are doing our best to pave the way for a better future, and we’re calling other people to connect with us and exact change for good.” – Hoda
You can check out the full episode with Hoda from Chakra Chai HERE.
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This ReGen Recap was produced with support from Kristina Tober