We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shelly Steele a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Shelly, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
Rise Yaupon started with a passion for a native treasure: Yaupon Holly, the only caffeinated plant indigenous to North America. The journey began when my father introduced me to Yaupon, recounting its rich history as a medicinal plant used by the Timucua people thousands of years ago. The plant’s natural health benefits and light, smooth flavor immediately resonated with me.
Learning about Yaupon’s potential sparked an idea: why not reintroduce this remarkable, sustainable plant to modern tea drinkers while supporting local communities? Yaupon is naturally abundant in antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and theobromine (also found in chocolate), which promotes alertness and happiness without jitters. It’s tannin-free, meaning no bitterness and no sugar required—a perfect fit for health-conscious consumers.
This discovery coincided with a challenge: Florida’s struggling citrus industry. Decimated by citrus greening disease, farmers needed a resilient alternative. Yaupon Holly, an evergreen tree that thrives without pesticides, herbicides, or irrigation, presented an opportunity. This realization solidified my belief in Yaupon as a vehicle for economic, environmental, and social impact, thus Rise Yaupon was born.
Shelly, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I began my career in financial services, focusing on transformative projects that redefined business operations and client interactions. Over 15 years, including roles across Wall Street and most recently at Charles Schwab, I developed expertise in innovation, strategy execution, problem-solving, and challenging the status quo. In 2023, inspired by a tea festival experience, I co-founded Rise Yaupon with my parents and a farm partner. Our women- and veteran-owned business is rooted in a mission to create positive impact—producing sustainable, healthful Yaupon tea while supporting our community and environment. For me, it’s about more than great tea; it’s about making a difference.
Being a part of Rise Yaupon has been an extremely rewarding and fulfilling experience for me personally. We have such a compelling product and story. At Rise Yaupon, we believe tea can change lives. Here’s how:
Promotes Healthy & Wellness | Delicious and never bitter, our teas are rich in antioxidants, polyphenols, and prebiotics. Equipped with natural caffeine, Yaupon boosts energy and mental clarity, offering an alternative to coffee or soda. It’s also prebiotic that feeds the good bacteria in your gut, which helps regulate the digestive system.
Sustainability | As a native plant, Yaupon requires no herbicides, pesticides, or additional water, allowing farmers to conserve Florida’s precious environmental resources and support Florida’s aquifer. Plus, the harvesting technique is equally responsible with a negative carbon footprint.
Community Impact | We hire second-chance employees, giving individuals a fresh start. $1 from every product sold supports local charities like Food Brings Hope and JASMYN.
Family-Owned and Handcrafted | We are a women-owned and veteran-owned small business. From farming to packaging, every step is personally managed by a member of our team, ensuring the highest quality. Our motto is Drink tea. Be healthy. Do good.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I had a great career in financial services, but I wanted more from life than building powerpoint decks so that the senior executives could make decisions. I wanted a seat at the table and a say in my own professional destiny.
I decided to take the leap and move from the financial district of San Francisco back to my hometown to run a family tea business. I left financial stability, guaranteed health insurance, and colleagues who were experts in their field to work with my family to build Rise Yaupon from the ground up. I went from power suits and pantyhose to driving a tractor everyday.
In my new role as president, I get to wear multiple hats; I’m responsible for strategy, product development, branding, marketing, sales, logistics, forecasting, accounting, employee supervision, and production, just to name a few. The amount of learning is tremendous and something that I would have never gotten the opportunity to experience if I’d stayed in my corporate role.
But the journey hasn’t come without its challenges. Initially operating out of my garage, Rise Yaupon has grown into a food-safe production facility supplying online retailers, health food stores, and major grocers across the southeast.
Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.
We do everything ourselves including growing, hand harvesting, sanitizing, drying, grinding, blending, bagging, counting, and packaging tea. We also do all the marketing, advertising and selling to customers online, in stores and at local pop-up events. Our process originated with the use of Yaupon by indigenous tribes. We’re experts in crafting artisanal Yaupon teas that are as delightful to sip as they are beneficial to your health. Available in various blends, our teas cater to diverse palates and health goals. They’re locally sourced, sustainably produced, and proudly made in Florida.
Our biggest challenge is scaling while staying true to our mission. My father’s engineering ingenuity has helped us mechanize certain processes without losing our artisanal touch. We’re working on developing farm programs and expanding production to meet rising demand while maintaining our commitment to sustainability and quality.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://riseyaupon.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riseyaupontea/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riseyaupon
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelly-steele-97656323/
Image Credits
Rise Yaupon