At Behere, we travel often and are always looking for healthy, delicious travel snacks (not an easy feat!). So we were super excited to connect with a female founder making just that – and snacks that are good for the planet! We caught up with Courtney Boyd Myers (CBM), founder of AKUA, to learn more about her healthy travel snacks and how they’re helping the planet.
Courtney’s initial idea for Kelp Jerky (we love that it’s travel-related!)
As an avid traveler, CBM splits her time between NYC, Lisbon and Cape Town, plus trips in between. It’s not surprising then that her Kelp Jerky idea came from the desire for a healthy, fast and sustainable, snack for travel. While rushing to catch a plane, she tried to find a healthy, protein-rich snack and came up short. Thus, the idea for AKUA came to life.
After 2 years of hands-on R&D, Kelp Jerky was launched with a Kickstarter campaign. Using her background in writing and marketing, CBM shared the story behind AKUA helping them surpass their Kickstarter goal.
Seaweed that tastes good, we need to know more…
Kelp Jerky, is a high-protein, high-fiber snack that’s free of refined sugars, soy, gluten, and major allergens. So far, it comes in three flavors (Spicy Thai & Spirulina, Rosemary & Maple BBQ, and Sesame & Nori Sea Salt) and even Richard Branson has said, “it’s delicious”.
Plus, these healthy snacks are made from ocean-farmed kelp – one of the most sustainable food sources on the planet. As big supporters of environmentally friendly companies, we love the difference CBM is making with AKUA.
Her goal with AKUA is to become a household name for sustainable, seagreens-based foods. We think she’s off to a good start.
Passion for food and the oceans
When she’s not busy working on sustainable seagreens, she’s also an adviser to GreenWave, a nonprofit that supports the regenerative ocean farming industry, a partner at Unframed IceCream, and a Director at Summit. Needless to say, CBM is a busy woman, making a great impact on our oceans, and tastebuds.
Connect with CBM on Instagram. And if you want to get your hands on her tasty Kelp Jerky for your next travels, AKUA has offered a 15% off discount for our community using code BEHERE.
Snagged some healthy snacks and ready for your next trip? Get started planning it with Behere below!