World Tea Expo is thrilled to announce the addition of "Tea Up for Health" to this year's dynamic tea showcase. This new event sector offers both an education track and an exclusive pavilion right on the show floor. Learn more...
Nailah Ellis-Brown (Photo: Ellis Infinity)
Since 2008, Nailah Ellis-Brown has been producing Ellis Island Tropical Tea, a hibiscus tea, that has found popularity in her southeast Michigan region, as well as in specialty shops in Chicago and New York. She is now teaming up with a Detroit 11-year-old, Asia Newson, to create a new beverage company, one intended to improve the health of local children. Ellis-Brown was just 20 when she began selling her tea so she knows something about having drive and passion at a young age and being capable of achieving success. She was receiving a “Dream Big” business award when she first met Newson and found inspiration.
Asia Newson (Photo: Super Business Girl)
Newson, at 11, was already a local celebrity in her own right. She had founded Super Business Girl with the help of her parents when she was five years old, an organization intended to help kids learn to become entrepreneurs. She sells hand-crafted candles and merchandise and helps train others in sales skills. She has been featured on the Ellen Degeneres Show, NPR, 20/20 and other television shows and venues.
Ellis-Brown and Newson developed a plan to create a new tea beverage that would meet school nutritional guidelines and could offer an alternative to the options that are currently available. It would need to be healthy and taste great. They’ve identified test sites and are meeting with distributors to ensure that the finished product can reach the schools who need it. The first step, however, will be to develop the perfect recipe.
The Ellis Infinity brand has been experiencing its own growth of late. In 2014, Ellis-Brown opened her own beverage production and co-packaging facility in Detroit which will allow for broader distribution of her current product line.
Source: WXYZ - Detroit
