Spotlight on: Amy Aed

Meet Amy, the founder of EISA Tea Co. and a driven entrepreneur determined to revolutionize the industry. The following is an exclusive interview with Amy, uncovering her passion and commitment to making an ethical and sustainable product. If you like the content, please feel free to leave a comment!

Please tell us a bit about who you are and what you do.

I am Amy, the founder of EISA Tea Co., an ethical and sustainable tea business that aims to inspire informed change in consumer habits. I believe in doing several things:

Firstly, I educate my customers on the source of the tea, the full journey that their tea has undergone from source to cup, the farming practices, and which family picked that specific cup. To do this, I host online events and seminars, run monthly newsletters, have a tea blog on our website, and am completely transparent.

Within this, I operate with a 100% open door policy, being clear and honest with my customers and farmers from the start. Any questions – even ones that so-called ‘consumer aware’ companies shy away from – I delve into all the details.

Finally, I believe in giving credit where credit is due – namely, to my tea farmers. I can’t quite wrap my head around the motivations of tea companies that underpay and undervalue their staff – for me, my farmers are family.

How and when did you get started?

The idea began yonks ago, but the manifestation of it only came into being last year. I spent months traveling and trying out the world’s best teas. Then, when lockdown hit, I undertook my certification from the International Tea Academy and studied the effects of the tea industry on the people who suffered from it most – the tea farmers. I simply couldn’t understand how other tea companies got away with slave labor, blatant sexism, and racism on their farms, and child workers that were struggling just as much as their parents.

I spent all of my time crafting the perfect tea company – one that actually made sense. And then when a university competition came along, I entered it.

After a year of hard work, it all seemed to pay off. Not only did I secure farmers in the most prolific places across the world, but I also won a professional kitchen, an office space, free accommodation, free branding, and grant money. Finally, in 2021, EISA Tea Co. was born.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced so far?

I would be lying if I didn’t say that one of my biggest challenges has been Covid-19. Most of my tea farmers live in remote areas where the internet isn’t readily accessible – and when it is, it isn’t half glitchy. Being unable to visit the farms in person and build relationships has been much harder amidst the pandemic.

Along with that, navigating the landmine that is the tea industry has been insane. Choosing a tea that is pesticide and chemical-free, not picked by machines, grown on nutrient-rich soil, and processed by small families is especially difficult when I live so far away and travel is restricted.

On top of this, being taken seriously is an underrated challenge. As a woman entering a male-dominated market, seeking to empower other women in other male-dominated environments is ridiculously difficult – especially when I have such big plans to revolutionize the industry.

What has been your most satisfying moment so far?

Securing my farmers!

I couldn’t have imagined how difficult it would be to fall in love with both tea and farmer – and in just the past year alone, I have tried over 350 teas. Finally finding farms and families that I love and which produce the best tea I have ever tasted has been one helluva accomplishment.

Would you recommend entrepreneurship to others?

Entrepreneurship encompasses so many concepts and ideas, and means something a little different to everyone. For me, it means being brave enough to follow what I believe in. It means fixing a problem which no one else seems to have cracked. Most importantly, it means being a market-leader, blazing a trail for others to follow.

I cannot recommend entrepreneurship enough. Being my own boss, breaking and creating rules as I go – it’s a type of freedom that a desk job will never offer.

What was your motivation to become an entrepreneur?

Honestly, it all happened by accident!

I was motivated by something that I felt so strongly about, and it all came about by itself. My main mission is to empower tea farmers around the world, and by following my passion for delicious, ethically-sourced tea, the rest simply fell into place.

What drives you, what motivates you?

The knowledge that I can change the world, one cup at a time.

Knowing just how far I can go with EISA Tea Co., knowing that the world deserves an ethical and sustainable tea company that actually does things right… That’s all I need.