Origin Story: Created in a Castle in Berkeley, CA
Founder and Creative Director Fei Wade shares her journey of creating CalBucha, the uplifting social beverage at the heart of a wellness-centered movement.
During my first year as college student, I identified a wellness crisis plaguing the college experience, I realized the opportunity to create healthy social experiences, and I founded my company CalBucha Kombucha as a purpose-driven solution to the college wellness crisis. A popular activity in college is socializing and enjoying delicious beverages to relax and enjoy the moment. However, social drinking in college often involves alcohol abuse and leads to long-term detrimental health issues. Many college students face the challenge of figuring out how to balance studying and doing well in school while maintaining a healthy social life. CalBucha began as an uplifting fermented probiotic tea beverage enjoyed by many college students and served at popular UC Berkeley social events. CalBucha is a healthy alternative to most common social drinks, especially alcoholic drinks, because it does not have unhealthy negative side effects, such as hangovers, but rather supports a healthy lifestyle. My entrepreneurial spirit and passions for health and wellness came together during my early college years. I am inspired to continue to create purpose-driven business solutions to enhance the wellness of my school community and beyond.
I attended the University of California, Berkeley and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Society and Environment with a concentration in Justice and Sustainability. As a student at UC Berkeley, I began studying the science of kombucha fermentation and learned about the health benefits of probiotics. During my undergraduate years, I lived at the historic Berkeley castle, Bowles Hall, and was one of the first women residents in the residential college program. I founded Bowles Hall Kombucha Brewers, as part of the UC Berkeley Science and Ethics of Food Program, and experimented with innovative fermentation and flavoring techniques, and eventually perfected a barrel-brew technique. My first successful batch of naturally carbonated kombucha was brewed in an American Oak barrel in the attic of the historic castle in Berkeley. Throughout college I continued to serve CalBucha, my brand of kombucha, as a healthy social beverage at popular UC Berkeley social events for hundreds of students, and I also hosted kombucha tastings for non-profit causes at wellness events in Southern California.
