Acai: Interview with Ryan & Jeremy Black

How two brothers brought a purple berry to the world and made a difference in the process.

Acai ... sure, we all know that it's a purple berry loaded with antioxidants, it tastes good and it's good for ya. But I bet you didn't even know how to pronounce the word (ah-sigh-ee) 10 years ago, let alone know that it was even good for you. Well, meet the men that introduced you and the world to this lovely little fruit with a vitamin-packed punch.

Brothers Jeremy and Ryan Black were introduced to the acai berry after Ryan and friend Ed Nichols' millennium surf trip to Brazil. They were so impressed with the powers of the fruit that they decided to form Sambazon (along Nichols) that would bring the fruit's benefits global. The Black brothers have business degrees and share a love for sports — founding a business together seemed only natural.

Ryan acts as the CEO and is passionate about creating positive social and environmental change. He is responsible for partnerships with various NGOs (World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy) that have led to the first of its kind Fair Trade, sustainable and certified organic supply chain of açaí.

Jeremy is the VP of Marketing and branding power behind Sambazon. The health benefits of the purple berry are a perfect marketing fit in the sports and active world that both brothers are at home in. Jeremy is an avid surfer, skateboarder and snowboarder, and often mixes work with pleasure forging new alliances while on a surfing vacation in Indonesia or catching some early morning waves before a trade show.

Both men feel strongly that the multi-million dollar success of their company lies in their triple bottom line approach to the business from the beginning. Jeremy and Ryan take a break from surfing great waves and getting juiced to answer a few questions:

1. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

JB: A professional skateboarder.

RB: A pro football player and the president of the United States.

2. How are you improving your triple bottom line in CSR? Economic performance, environmental responsibility and positive social impact.

JB: We are working on reducing our carbon footprint in all areas of our business, from the packaging to transportation and energy use. In Brazil we are working with local NGOs to monitor the impact of our business (social and environmental) and looking for ways to improve the positives and reduce negatives.

RB: Sustainability is a continuous goal. We still face challenges in our business where we want to reduce our footprint (packaging, energy and fuel use in logistics and manufacturing, etc). We also want a healthier employee and stakeholder base, which means a healthy work environment, family and benefit support, day care, training and technical assistance, health care, diets, exercise and carpools. In other words, we want efficiencies and healthy living for the Sambazon community. We are committed to achieving more and frequent milestones in this area.

3. How do you stay constantly ready for change?

JB: Staying current, being open and knowing God's plan is better than mine. If I do the best I can and fight for what I believe in, I can feel good about the way things are going.

RB: I would say it's all about attitude and mental preparedness. When you know you have done the work, refined your model (business, human, etc.,), you are ready for whatever new challenge or change is in front of you. The way you respond to adversity is the key difference between good and great. Anyone can be positive when things are going well, but performing when things are tough is the real challenge, and you need your mind, body and soul to be ready for it.

4. What's the best advice you ever got?

JB: Vote with your dollars; find out what's behind the goods and services you support with your purchases.

RB: 1) The best way to predict the future is to create it. 2) Do one thing and do it well. Becoming an expert is a requirement for success and focus is key to developing your expertise. 3) The human will is a lot more powerful than we realize.

5. What or who is your inspiration?

JB: Positive Change Makers all over the world, people who, no matter how big or little their role or impact, are doing what they can to make this world a better place.

RB: I get inspired from characters in history who have stood up for social justice, love and tolerance, Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi are just a handful of the role models who are dear to me.

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