Aloha partners with Terviva for the sustainability win
CEO Brad Charron talks sustainability, sourcing, novel ingredient (Ponova oil!) and the recent NEXTY finalist recognition for this mission-forward brand.
October 25, 2023
As more consumers become simultaneously focused on wellness and environmental sustainability, they’re keener to buy products that support both goals. The Aloha Kona Bar fits right into that ethos, with its minimal and carefully sourced ingredients that include a new oil, Ponova, made from the beans of the pongomia tree in Oahu, Hawaii. Add to that Aloha’s recent climate neutral certification and its dedication to donating 10% of proceeds to Hawaii’s leading conservation nonprofit for young people and you have a recipe for Aloha Kona Bar’s Best New Plant-Focused Product finalist win.
New Hope caught up with Aloha CEO Brad Charron to chat about the recognition. Charron has spent most of his career in what he calls the “better food” business. He took the lead at Aloha in 2017; the company refers to him as the “re-founder.” Since assuming the Aloha helm, Charron has concentrated on responsible ingredient sourcing and conscious food design, which he says play a critical role in future-proofing a business. Indeed, one of the major issues people tend to have with plant-based products comes down to taste. Charron made sure to address that off that bat.
“In taking the reins at Aloha, a plant-based pioneer, I made sure the quality, taste, superior macronutrients and premium, traceable ingredients were the stars of the show,” he tells New Hope. “It’s the sum of the parts that makes it special and truly differentiated.”
Read on for more insight from Charron in this lightly edited Q&A.
What was your reaction when you learned Aloha Kona Bar landed the NEXTY finalist win?
Brad Charron: Thrilled! How can you not be thrilled? And not only because it was an obvious win for Aloha but, honestly, because it was an acknowledgement from a broader food community (that we greatly respect) that allowed us to amplify awareness for the farmers, communities and ingredients of Hawai’i that made this bar possible in the first place.
How do you plan to capitalize on your NEXTY award recognition? Please discuss any details around how Aloha will use this award to increase market share.
BC: We’re honored to have that NEXTY recognition and have been sharing it with our community on and offline. It’s a great validator for retail partners, in particular, that Aloha is the brand to bet on, the product to bet on, the people to bet on. This award is awesome and humbling! We know the strict judging criteria. But, as a company, we’re really just going to keep on keeping on in our quest to get more people to meet us. Increased market share will come naturally through continued hard work and operating with the purpose we’ve had since our founding.
What more you have learned about or done with Ponova oil since the various interviews you gave earlier this year? What’s potentially new with this ingredient itself, especially as it relates to Aloha and its business model, and the NEXTY finalist recognition?
BC: Since we launched the Kona Bar back in March, Terviva, the innovative re-generative agriculture company behind Ponova oil, has received global recognition for the work that its doing, including being a finalist for FastCo’s “World Changing Ideas,” and the opportunity to showcase at Climate Week NYC 2023.
Aloha is Terviva’s first ingredient partner and the Kona Bar continues to provide tangible proof of the possibilities that Pongamia trees present for shifting our industry and serving the needs of the planet. If in-stock conditions are any indication of momentum, Kona Bars continue to be in extremely high demand on Aloha.com and through our partners at Thrive Market and Vitacost. We actually sold out completely back in August while running an enhanced Maui Wildfire Relief program that donated 50% of all proceeds of the bar to support our philanthropic partner on Hawai’i, Kupu, and its relief efforts. Literally, I was out of stock in my own household.