For Rochester native CJ Rapp, the origins of Pittsford-based Karma Culture LLC simply came from recognizing an opportunity.
The opportunity, said Rapp, was a void of a product in the health and wellness marketplace. And so he founded the beverage company in 2011 to manufacture Karma Wellness Water, which recently launched its national distribution.
The concept of the beverage originates from the concern that some vitamins deteriorate in water. Therefore, pre-mixed vitamin drinks may lose some of their nutritional value over time if no preservatives are used.
That’s where the KarmaCap comes in — the company’s proprietary cap holds vitamins and nutrients before consumption. Instead of using preservatives, Karma Wellness Water, available in five varieties, simply separates the nutrition from the water, so the consumer mixes them seconds before consumption.
For Rapp, it was also about adding style to the substance.
“We want to have a name that people find interesting and desirable,” he said. “We want to have a package that people find attractive.
“But we also want to deliver on its promise; we want to embrace a form of substance,” Rapp said, adding that the company has an advisory panel of experts to make the drink more beneficial.
And although the concept of the KarmaCap is the first of its kind, it’s just another innovation to be added to Rapp’s list. Also the founder of Jolt, a highly caffeinated cola, Rapp is no stranger to the beverage industry, especially since his father owned the 7Up and Canada Dry franchise in upstate New York dating back to the late 1940s.
“It’s a way of life, and it’s certainly a passion,” Rapp said. “Sometimes I have to talk about how you go from making the world’s naughtiest soda to practically the world’s healthiest beverage.”
The switch can be attributed to innovation and opportunity, said Rapp.
“I have always found my own passion stems from one of innovation, of recognizing that there is a void and therefore seeing an opportunity to fill a void in the marketplace,” he said.
As for the name, Rapp and his co-founders looked for something that could represent the health and wellness lifestyle — ”something about taking responsibility and doing what is needed for the future,” Rapp said.
It also comes from Rapp’s own travels throughout Pacific Asia, where he was exposed to all forms of religion and lifestyles and “came to appreciate the whole notion of karma, from pay it forward to taking responsibility for your actions.”
Now, after advancing the product from regional to national distribution, Rapp said that the company is continuing to focus on gaining high-quality beverage distributors. Going global is also in the mix, as the company has already received inquires from a few countries overseas.
But Rapp is just looking forward to the near future.
“There’s plenty of opportunity for Karma, so I can’t get past the three-to-five year window, where we’ll be both excited and heavily engaged in the expansion of Karma,” he said.
For Rochester native CJ Rapp, the origins of Pittsford-based Karma Culture LLC simply came from recognizing an opportunity.
The opportunity, said Rapp, was a void of a product in the health and wellness marketplace. And so he founded the beverage company in 2011 to manufacture Karma Wellness Water, which recently launched its national distribution.
The concept of the beverage originates from the concern that some vitamins deteriorate in water. Therefore, pre-mixed vitamin drinks may lose some of their nutritional value over time if no preservatives are used.
That’s where the KarmaCap comes in — the company’s proprietary cap holds vitamins and nutrients before consumption. Instead of using preservatives, Karma Wellness Water, available in five varieties, simply separates the nutrition from the water, so the consumer mixes them seconds before consumption.
For Rapp, it was also about adding style to the substance.
“We want to have a name that people find interesting and desirable,” he said. “We want to have a package that people find attractive.
“But we also want to deliver on its promise; we want to embrace a form of substance,” Rapp said, adding that the company has an advisory panel of experts to make the drink more beneficial.
And although the concept of the KarmaCap is the first of its kind, it’s just another innovation to be added to Rapp’s list. Also the founder of Jolt, a highly caffeinated cola, Rapp is no stranger to the beverage industry, especially since his father owned the 7Up and Canada Dry franchise in upstate New York dating back to the late 1940s.
“It’s a way of life, and it’s certainly a passion,” Rapp said. “Sometimes I have to talk about how you go from making the world’s naughtiest soda to practically the world’s healthiest beverage.”
The switch can be attributed to innovation and opportunity, said Rapp.
“I have always found my own passion stems from one of innovation, of recognizing that there is a void and therefore seeing an opportunity to fill a void in the marketplace,” he said.
As for the name, Rapp and his co-founders looked for something that could represent the health and wellness lifestyle — ”something about taking responsibility and doing what is needed for the future,” Rapp said.
It also comes from Rapp’s own travels throughout Pacific Asia, where he was exposed to all forms of religion and lifestyles and “came to appreciate the whole notion of karma, from pay it forward to taking responsibility for your actions.”
Now, after advancing the product from regional to national distribution, Rapp said that the company is continuing to focus on gaining high-quality beverage distributors. Going global is also in the mix, as the company has already received inquires from a few countries overseas.
But Rapp is just looking forward to the near future.
“There’s plenty of opportunity for Karma, so I can’t get past the three-to-five year window, where we’ll be both excited and heavily engaged in the expansion of Karma,” he said.
