Meet Tonya Donati, Grow business member and co-founder of Mother Kombucha, a St. Petersburg-based company on a mission to make kombucha that tastes good and does good for your body. We enjoyed connecting with Tonya to learn more about her journey as a small business owner in the bubbly world of kombucha, a fermented tea beverage that has gained popularity for its refreshing taste and potential health benefits.

The Mother Kombucha Story

Donati, a fifth-generation Floridian, founded Mother Kombucha in 2014 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Her story begins like that of many small business owners — by noticing a gap in the market and bringing what she’s passionate about into her business.

She said, “I’d been drinking lots of kombucha because I liked the way it made me feel. But I didn’t like the way that it tasted or that it was coming from out-of-state. I started making it in my home kitchen and then realized that there was an opportunity, since Florida didn’t have a regional kombucha brand.”

She started selling her beverages on a small scale at local farmer’s markets and indie events, and the kombucha was an absolute hit. Today, you can find Mother Kombucha’s delicious, effervescent beverages at several regional supermarkets and restaurants.

Donati created a distinctive type of business — earth-conscious, health-conscious and people-conscious. She said, “Our mission at Mother Kombucha is to create delicious products that nurture a better world.” Mother Kombucha is B Corp Certified, women-owned, vegan verified and USDA organic, using only fair-trade organic teas to create a unique blend of flavors, such as Serene Tropical Guava™ and Lavender Mojito™. Mother Kombucha also proudly harnesses the power of Florida’s sunshine through solar power to reduce its carbon footprint and pays all full-time employees at or above local living wage levels. Talk about much to be proud of!

Mother Kombucha and Grow

When choosing a financial institution for her business, Donati prioritized finding a financial cooperative with shared values. She said,

We love to hear from members who’ve grown their businesses while banking with us and forming relationships with our team. Seeing small business owners flourish makes what we do here so worthwhile. Thank you, Tonya, for sharing your story and for banking with us!

To learn more about Mother Kombucha, visit motherkombucha.com.

 

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