Ramsey, N.J.-based Cascadia Managing Brands announced that it has taken an equity position in minority-owned KRISP DRINKS. KRISP DRINKS was founded by black entrepreneur Sean Banks, and is a Certified Minority Owned Co. by the Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council.

The KRISP portfolio features three lines:

• KRISP FLAVA is a subtly flavored line of non-sparkling spring water, sweetened with a stevia and erythritol blend, which has no added sugar and is keto-friendly.  Krisp Flava is all natural, GMO free and organic. Each bottle contains 10 calories, zero grams of net carbs and zero grams of sugar. FLAVA is available in three flavors: Organic Strawberry Pineapple, Organic Pomegranate Lime and Organic Blueberry Lemon. The suggested retail price for FLAVA is $1.89.
• KRISP FRUITISH also is flavored spring water sweetened with a blend of stevia and erythritol. FRUITISH is available in Grape, Fruit Punch, Coconut, Mixed Berry, Strawberry and Watermelon. The suggested retail price for FRUITISH is $0.99.
• KRISP Natural spring water is sourced directly from one of the world's most pure spring water sources, the company says.

“We want to make a healthier beverage option for the minority communities who typically like sweeter beverages,” Banks said in a statement. “FLAVA and FRUITISH offer a premium product at an affordable price. We have diabetes in my family and I wanted to create a healthier beverage option that is sweet, yet doesn’t contain the sugar, carbs or calories of many healthier beverages, and we wanted to create these brands at a price point that people can buy and drink every day.”

KRISP DRINKS donates 2 percent of net profits pledged to organizations that aid in bettering underserved communities.

“We have been struggling with how to give something back to the food and beverage community since COVID-19 struck,” stated Bill Sipper, managing partner at Cascadia Managing Brands, in a statement. “When Expo West was canceled, we offered free consulting to food and beverage companies that were going to exhibit at the show. In light of the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement and the current unrest of the country, we wanted to find a brand we could partner with and add significant value. A brand we could add value to without charging high retainer fees. We decided KRISP drinks is the brand we want to partner with and accepted substantial equity instead of immediate fees. We think KRISP Drinks and Sean represent that characteristics and properties we want to support and make a difference, even if just in a small way.”