KEY is a first-of-its-kind, clean all-natural energy drink, providing long-lasting energy by unlocking a new energy source: ketones, made using fermentation. Ketones are our body's alternative fuel! Humans can run on two sources of energy: sugars and ketones. Sugars shock your body spiking your blood glucose levels resulting in energy crashes, but Ketones release sustained energy. Our bodies convert fat into ketones as a natural alternative when we're exercising too hard or haven't eaten.
KEY is 100% natural containing 11.5g AvelaTM Pre-Ketones, Natural Green Tea Caffeine, Natural Green Tea L-Theanine, Natural Stevia Leaf Sweetener, and Natural Flavors. KEY's canned beverages are also 79 calories, contains zero sugar, and contains 80 mg of caffeine
What’s Not in KEY: No added sugar, No artificial stimulants, No artificial sweeteners, No artificial flavorings, No artificial colorings and it's not genetically modified!
KEY can be purchased at www.drinkkey.com, Amazon, Erewhon, and 250 stores in New York primarily natural premium stores and bodegas including Westside Market, Brooklyn Fare, Health & Harmony, Mulberry Market (Soho) and select Equinox.
Founding Story
Tekla Back and Karishma Thawani are beverage industry veterans with over 35years of combined experience in the food & beverage industry and the Co-Founders of KEY, a first-of-its-kind, all-natural energy drink, providing long-lasting energy through the power of ketones. After leaving their corporate gigs at rival beverage companies, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, they sought to create the industry’s first-ever clean energy drink without the sugar shock or caffeine jitters that give energy drinks a bad rap.
Utilizing their combined beverage experience, coupled with Tekla’s science background and Karishma’s product Ops experience, the duo created a ketone-backed energy drink that has both function and flavor. Rooted in the belief that humans possess untapped potential, KEY’s mission is to help people unlock this natural energy.
Tekla is a consumer industry authority with 25+ years of experience in both corporate and startups. Tekla is the Co-Founder of KEY, the first-of-its-kind, all-natural energy drink, providing long-lasting energy through our bodies natural energy source: ketones.
Prior to founding KEY, Tekla founded KEHO, an award-winning real food savory snack business. Tekla is a proven beverage innovator. She was previously Senior Executive at PepsiCo, a Fortune 50 company and the largest Food & Beverage Company in the US and 2nd largest in the world. At PepsiCo, Tekla led CorporateStrategy globally and previously was the Head of Hydration Marketing for the $1bn waters category, where she successfully elevated plain water into a premium product. Prior to PepsiCo, Tekla spent a decade with McKinsey & Co, focused primarily in retail. She holds a doctorate in Physics from Oxford University and an Associate Degree in Fashion Design from FIT. She is originally from Finland and is currently living in Miami with her partner Tomi Jane, and their two cats Samia and Olavi.
As Co-Founder of KEY, the first-of-its-kind, all-natural energy drink harnessing the power of ketones, Karishma brings 10+ years of experience in consumer products across food, beverage, and advanced technology industries. In her most recent role before launching KEY, Karishma spearheaded product launches at an early-stage food technology startup, Motif FoodWorks, where she notably developed a proprietary ecosystem to gather consumer insights and test new products to drive innovation.
Prior to her role at Motif, Karishmas spent five years at Apple and managed the successful launch of the Apple Watchworking closely with R&D and Operations to take the product from design to market. At Apple she was responsible for managing $1Bn+ spend and bringing up new production factories in Asia to commercialize advanced technology. Earlier in her career, Karishma was instrumental in crafting co-manufacturing strategies, developing financial models, and providing strategic guidance on product development decisions at beverage giant Coca-Cola.A seasoned tastemaker and innovator in the food & beverage industry, Karishma has orchestrated multiple successful new product launches, overseeing the entire process from ideation to large-scale production. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and maintains a fervent passion for food, beverage, and wellness.
