Meghan gives her brand of woke coffee a boost! The Duchess appears on social media
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The Duchess of Sussex gave her woke coffee brand a boost when she was featured in a video on her Instagram that was shared last night.
Meghan Markle announced in December 2020 that she would be endorsing the California-based “wellness brand,” and quickly made a move to promote its products through her friend Oprah by sending her a gift basket filled with the company’s superfood brands.
It was her first investment after she and her husband, Prince Harry, retired from royal duties and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a private life and seek “financial independence.” It is unclear how much money Meghan invested in the company.
In a video posted on Clevr’s instagram account yesterday, founder Hannah Mendoza talked about how the brand had grown and shared clips as Meghan toured the company and drank one of the lattes.
Meghan has kept an unusually low profile this year compared to her husband, who went on a whirlwind publishing tour of his Spare memoir in January.
The Duchess of Sussex, 41, gave her Wake coffee brand a boost when she appeared in a video on her Instagram that was shared last night.
In a video posted to Clevr’s Instagram account yesterday, founder Hannah Mendoza talked about how the brand had grown, sharing clips as Meghan toured the company and drank one of the lattes.
In the video, Meghan was chilling in her Burberry ‘Maythorne’ silk trench coat, which she wore during her royal tour of Australia in 2018.
She donned a white Ralph Lauren shirt with a pair of dark jeans, adding a touch of glam with loads of gold jewelry on her arms.
The Duchess wore her Logan Hollowell ‘Baby Queen’ emerald and water drop solitaire necklace, £2,800, with her Cartier love bracelet and tank watch.
In the clip, Hannah talked about how she started the brand in 2016, saying, “People fell in love with the drink and really wanted to make it at home.”
‘Three years ago, everything changed. None other than Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, had started drinking our lattes.
“Not only did he love the product, but he was also very passionate about the founders and sustainable sourcing.”
Meghan ended up becoming our first Clevr investor, adviser, and biggest advocate.
‘He even sent our turmeric latte to his friends. A few days later, I open my phone to see Oprah herself making our superlatte in our kitchen.
“Our small but mighty team wasn’t ready for this and ended up selling out for two months.
In the video, Meghan was relaxed in her Burberry ‘Maythorne’ silk trench coat, which she wore during her royal tour of Australia in 2018, with a white shirt and jeans.
‘We made our team grow. launched amazing new products and decided to dive into retail.’
“We owe a lot to the women who cheer on women…we have big plans for the future.”
“This investment is in support of a passionate entrepreneur who prioritizes building community alongside her business,” Meghan said of the brand’s founder and CEO, Hannah.
“I am proud to invest in Hannah’s commitment to sourcing ethical ingredients and creating a product that I personally love that takes a holistic approach to wellness.
I believe in her and I believe in her company.
Promotion: Oprah Winfrey has promoted her ‘neighbor’ Meghan Markle’s ‘ethical’ coffee brand in different ways in recent years
A helping hand: Oprah promoted the brand’s products on her Instagram page, where she had more than 19 million followers at the time.
The startup business sells latte powders in matcha, chai, and coffee flavors, which are made into a drink by adding hot or cold water.
In a statement, Hannah said: “Entrepreneurs need funding, but they also need advisors who care deeply about what they’re building.
I am grateful to have found both in the Duchess of Sussex.
‘Her passion for what we’re creating is palpable, and I couldn’t imagine a more aligned partnership. We are excited for the road ahead.
When Meghan first got involved with the product, she sent a gift box filled with vegan coffee to Oprah, who shared a video of herself unboxing on her Instagram account.
The post was reportedly worth at least $1 million and experts told MailOnline at the time that it was probably the most valuable free advertisement ever.
Meghan said she was “proud” to invest in the company and praised CEO Hannah Mendoza for her “commitment to sourcing ethical ingredients” (Hannah Mendoza pictured)
‘The first day of Christmas my neighbor “M” sent me… A basket of delights! (Yes that M). My new favorite morning and night drink. I wish I had @clevrblends earlier because I would have added it to my list of favorite things. #HappyHolidays,’ he wrote in the post.
She gave Meghan’s coffee company yet another promotion by including her instant lattes on her list of favorite things of 2021.
“My neighbor Meghan (yes, that one) introduced me to this female-led wellness brand,” she said in the listing.
However, despite promoting itself as an ethical brand, Clevr Blends sparked controversy in 2021 when The Mail on Sunday revealed that the company had imported a large number of its ingredients from a Chinese supplier based in a brutal police state.
Human rights groups had urged Western companies to cut all business ties with China’s Xinjiang region due to horrific abuses, including the widespread use of forced labor and the detention of a million Uyghur Muslims in re-education camps, where it is stated that women are systematically raped. .
Despite this, it was revealed in April 2021 that Clevr Blends had received nearly 19 tonnes of oat milk powder from a company based in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, before switching to a US-based supplier. .earlier that year.
The supplier, Xinjiang Haiyan International Trade, had its headquarters within four miles of four alleged detention centers, including a possible maximum-security prison and an alleged re-education center.
However, there is no evidence to suggest that Xinjiang Haiyan used forced labor and The Mail on Sunday reported that the oats received by Clevr Blends were not grown or processed in Xinjiang.
Still, the US State Department issued an updated warning to US companies about “supply chain and investment linkages” in the region in July this year, urging all companies to end any existing relationships with providers in the area.
‘Given the severity and scope of these abuses, including widespread state-sponsored forced labor and intrusive surveillance taking place amid ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, companies and individuals who do not abandon supply chains, companies and/or investments connected to Xinjiang could be at high risk of violating US law,’ the warning states.
Meghan’s appearance in the clip comes after a quiet start to the year for the Duchess.
In January, the Duke appeared on a host of shows, including 60 Minutes and Good Morning America, as well as The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to promote the book.
But upon its release, the couple’s popularity took a hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
Harry’s wife, Meghan, had reportedly expressed “mild concerns” about Harry’s decision to release Spare and was concerned whether it was the right move.
The 41-year-old is said to have expressed concern that the book might disturb the feathers.
The royal couple have been known to form a united front, including during the incendiary interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.
Harry was also in the audience with schoolchildren in New York when Meghan promoted her book The Bench.
But since Harry released his explosive memoir, which criticizes his family and reveals he killed 25 Taliban fighters, Meghan has been conspicuously absent from any promotions or interviews.
She reportedly stayed away because she would have been accused of ‘trying to steal the spotlight’, but also ‘media savvy’ Meghan may have expressed mild concerns about whether the book was the right move.