Rakkasan Tea sources its imports that it sells direct to customers from smallholder farms in post-conflict areas of the world; regions ravaged by war and natural disasters. Examples are Vietnam, Rwanda, Laos (where the total tonnage of bombs dropped on the population was greater than that of Europe in world War II) and Sri Lanka. The company was built by veterans and mainly hires vets. It shows soldiers in the peace business.
Photo courtesy Rakkasan Tea
Rakkasan Tea
Rakkasan Tea
And it’s a strong business. The teas are first rate and the firm is well-positioned for growth domestically and internationally. Peter Drucker, perhaps the shrewdest business observer of modern times, defined profit as the cost of staying in business. Rakkasan looks well able to stand on its own financial feet and not be a charitable organization dependent on external funding.
Rakkasan is the Japanese word for parachute – literally, an umbrella for falling – and nickname for the parachutists of Airborne Division in which Brandon Friedman saw combat as an officer, in Iraq and Afghanistan. Brandon’s resume is a compelling and admirable record of public service, leadership and contribution to politic discourse: director of digital strategy in the VA in Obama’s Presidency and assistant secretary for public affairs in HUD. His memoir was rated one of the ten best military books of the decade by The Military Times and he has been a regular writer for leading national newspapers.
He explains how he came to found Rakkasan, after the election of Donald Trump and his family decision to move away from Washington to Dallas. The genesis for a new step that involved more than just making a profit was his experience in community meetings in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each of them had a common unifying feature: tea. “We never conducted a meeting with any of the locals unless it was over tea… Everyone drinks tea It’s a social thing and it sort of lubricates the whole [conversation] – everyone drinking and talking and doing business.”
Photo courtesy Rakkasan Tea
Rakkasan Tea
Brandon Friedman overseas deployment
He built Rakkasan around those deep-rooted memories and experiences. It could hire veterans and help countries recover from war. Together, this helps communities recover, in Friedman’s words, both at home and abroad.”
Just one example of abroad is a testimony from Jeni Dodd, a supplier to Rakkasan of teas from Nepal, where she helps local communities cultivate and get distribution. Rakassan’s commitment to actively seeking out and buying from small estates is effective and humane. She cites one village that was able to hire teachers for its local school as a direct result. “That’s a tangible effect that immediately improves the quality of life.” At home, the firm is closely linked with veterans’ support groups and agencies. It’s veteran-owned and veteran-staffed.
All this doesn’t happen just through good will. At home, Rakkasan needs a strong business base. Its Web site headline captures this: “We find the hidden gems.” The teas get very positive reviews and are mostly ones where producers have little access to the market and vice versa. Standouts include its Rwandan Rukeri Black, Nepal White Sunrise, Laotian Lan Xan and Vietnam Black Jasmine. Rakkasan is strengthening its ties with brick-and-mortar retailers, seeking extra capital and expanding its marketing.
It is looking like a winner – at home and abroad, whether viewed for its social good or its business foundations. Looked at together, these are a powerful win-win combination – a win for the communities it buys from, for its customers in terms of unusual and excellent teas as well as social contribution, for its veteran staff, and for its mission of promoting peace and social development.