Final Report: Hella Tea

Context:

Hella Tea is a tea company based online focused on delivering delicious but healthy tea to the

community of Oakland with Hip-Hop and Bay Area integration. This company is run by

Chantrelle, a black woman, who is the founder and CEO. Hella Tea, previously known as Raised

Pinky Tea which opened in 2007 first targeted little children who are interested in more luxurious

tea but now is rebranded to Hella Tea to now serve the greater area of Oakland. Each type of tea

pays an homage to iconic Hip-Hop influences and has a play on words.

Scope of Work:

The students of Mills College at Northeastern University focused on delivering an increase in

social media engagement, updating the website, and applying for grants for the Hella Tea store to

be opened which the client requested of. Previously mentioned in the scope of work at the

beginning of this project we offered to do a pop-up store at Mills College at Northeastern

University but couldn’t be feasible because of change in management in dining services as well

as the difficulty of approvals for a pop-up store in the University.

Recommendations:

Social Media Influencers:

We believe having popular influencers endorse the brand, Hella Tea can improve outreach and

brand awareness. Through our research, we have seen Chloe Ting, Latoya Shauntay Snell, and

Jasmine Blockers as influencers that can represent Hella Tea for what it stands for. Chloe Ting is

well known for her fitness workouts that can be done at home and for her healthy meals that can
accompany the workouts. Chloe Ting, with her following of 24 million on Youtube and 2.9

million on Instagram, can bring Hella Tea to a wider range of audience who are interested in tea

with health benefits. Latoya Shauntay Snell has her platform, Running Fat Chef where she shares

her weightloss journey and as a chef she shares her recipes. Her audience can be interested in tea

with health benefits which is Hella Tea. Jasmine Blockers, a USA athlete, has many partnerships

with big brands that promote fitness and health. She is currently the brand ambassador for

Lululemon, Halo Top Creamery, and Bobo’s. Hella Tea fits in with these other brands and she

can introduce her audience to Hella Tea.

Instagram:

Currently when posting on stories the only social media activity that is displayed on the Hella

Tea account is the reposting of other people’s stories who have mentioned Hella Tea. Reposting

is a great way to show Hella Tea’s audience how many people have bought the product but

community engagement on Instagram stories can be done more. Putting a question sticker can

enhance more communication with the followers of Hella Tea and it would be an easier way for

pressing questions to be answered. Making graphic design posts of recipes with the Hella Tea

flavors can add a new way of presenting the tea and making it more straightforward for the

buyers of Hella Tea to use the tea. A reaction slider is a fun and easy way for the followers of

Hella Tea to interact with the story and this information will be sent to Instagram’s algorithm and

promote the Hella Tea’s Instagram account more. We also made graphic design posts to post the

main grid for Instagram for a different visual than the current posts.
Tik Tok:

The Tik Tok account currently only has 55 followers, and to increase a follower rate posting Tik

Toks on a daily basis would bring more awareness to the account and the algorithm of Tik Tok

would pick this up and put it on more people’s feeds. Using hashtags related to tea, hip-hop, the

bay area, and health can target specifically the audience we want to buy the tea. One video

showed how we make Hella Tea, another showed the benefits of drinking Hella Tea, and the last
video showed the physical tea itself. We used audio from Oakland artists and best summarized

our ideas in these videos.

Link for the videos:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1J4OqG9TtovCXEKRbHR1znxeVznIzSNEt?usp=sharing

Website:

For our client the About Us page on the Hella Tea website needed some updates. We provided an

updated summary with our words and the current summary combined together to make the

About Us page as specific as possible. We also added clients and press, which Hella Tea

currently has and has been in. Currently, the website right now has three pages of teas with no

categorization, and we believe the teas should be categorized based on flavors: herbal and fruity,

green, black, white, and hella extra. Categorizing the tea makes it an easier way for customers to

view the product in an efficient way. Adding health benefits to each tea can also help the

customers understand which tea has which benefits, providing more information to the

customers. Since Hella Tea is focused on providing health benefits, this would be valuable

information to provide.
Grants:

To provide opportunities for receiving grants for Hella Tea we have focused on two grants

specifically: Oakland Black Business fund and Fearless Fund. We have completed the questions

regarding the company and its goals with our capabilities with newspaper articles and meetings

with Chantrelle. Down below the grant questions are filled out for both funds hoping the grant

can be acquired for an opening of Hella Tea’s first store.

Reflections:

Many of our initial ideas have been paused but we adapted to the situation and found alternative

routes to approach our ideas. For example, we weren’t able to get a hold on the actual product of

Hella Tea so we switched to using a different tea brand to represent Hella Tea and show

examples of what our videos can be like. Even though we couldn’t implement our ideas and see

results we hope this can be helpful to Hella Tea and Chantrelle.

Oakland Black Business Fund

Is your business black owned?

Yes.

The Oakland Black Business Fund supports black-owned businesses that are based in Oakland,
California. Please confirm you are a resident of California and have a business based in Oakland
(we will verify both.)
My business is based in Oakland and I am a resident of California.

Contact First Name

Chantrelle

Contact Last Name

Randle-Edwards

Mailing Address
Na

Mailing City
Oakland

Mailing State
CA

Contact email
info@hellatea.com

Contact phone
5109728327

Business Name
Hella Tea

Business Address
Na

Business City
Oakland

Business State
CA

Business Zip Code

Na

Business Neighborhood
Na

Website
Hellatea.com

Please select the closest match to your business category (if not available, select "Other")
Food Services and Drinking Places

Social Media Handles

Hella Tea Oakland - facebook
Hellateaoakland - instagram

Is your business registered with the State of California (i.e. LLC, Corp)?
Yes/No

Do you have a business bank account?

Yes/No

What is your banking institution?

No business bank account

Bank of America
Bank of the West
 Chase
Community Bank of the Bay
Wells Fargo
Other

Do you have an active insurance policy for your business?

Yes/No

Do you use accounting software to keep track of your finances?

Yes/No

If yes, what accounting software do you use?

No insurance software

Quickbooks

Xero

Zoho

Other

Please explain what type of professional services your business is seeking?

Hella Tea, my company, is focused on delivering healthy and delicious tea to the young
generation of the Oakland community with HipHop and Bay Area influences. Originally I had a
company called Raised Pinky Tea which catered to young girls, women’s groups and church
events, this tea was branded for more luxurious occasions. I knew this tea company was not the
right direction for me and knew it had no purpose for me or for the community so I thought for a
rebranding of the company. I founded Hella Tea, “hella” a term that represents the Bay Area.
With Hella Tea, I grew it with the $100 in my bank account and brought it to where it is now
solely with my efforts. Each type of tea I sell pays an homage to iconic Hip-Hop influences and
the Bay Area and consists of a play on words like Chamo-la-harris or Steep-Curry which has an
association to the tea flavors. Each tea has its own health influences which can recover many
illnesses within a few hours. Currently my clients consist of Disney, Pixar, Capital One,
Paramount Pictures, Microsoft, Salesforce, and now MasterCard. Each order for my clients is
designed and catered to their brand and has different packaging that correlates to their company.
If approved for the grant, I would like to use this money to further develop my current business
and move it from a fully e-commerce business to selling tea in my own store front. This store
would be my own tea shop and cafe that can be a place for everyone in Oakland to come together
and further build our community. Being able to open my own store will provide me the
opportunity to develop and grow as a company and provide for Oakland in a more efficient
manner.

How many years has your business been in business?

5 years

Is your business at risk of closure in the near future?

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Is there risk of you or your business leaving Oakland due to financial hardship in the near future?

1,2,3,4,5

Is your business partially or fully woman-led?

Yes

Does your business have a social impact mission?

Yes

If yes, please describe your social impact:

Throughout my life tea has been my main source of comfort while growing up. The first time I
drank tea was when I was 7, sitting on the porch with my family, sipping on my Lipton tea with a
mixture of honey and lemon added to it. Growing up I have seen so much in front of my eyes
and have various challenges in my life but tea was what made me relax and surpass the moments
of difficulties. Even when I had felt ill I would make my concoction of my tea and it would
recover me in an instant. I want my tea to be the source of comfort that anyone can find when
they are also going through anything difficult. Especially for the younger generation, I want them
to see this as something they can lean on as I did. Not only should the tea be something to see as
relaxing but also healthy and improve the nutritional value of food intake by the population of
Oakland. Teas are already known for helping your immune system, filled with antioxidants, is a
preventative measure for heart attacks and even cancer. My teas are even more specialized with
my special ingredients to provide a quick recovery from any sickness. In the city of Oakland
there needs to be an improvement in the population of Oakland’s diets and meal plans. Due to
redlining in Oakland it has deprived Oakland from having necessary healthy food that should be
provided to everyone in Oakland. Oakland is known to be a food desert and lacks access to food
to have for everyone. There aren’t enough supermarkets but there is a surplus of fast food places
and narcotics which lead to an overall low nutritious food options that are available for the
community of Oakland. Hella Tea can provide the health benefits that are necessary for the
people.

Have you received any of the following assistance funding? (Paycheck Protection Program- PPP,
Economic Injury Disaster Loans- EIDL)

PPP
EIDL
Grant
Other
No Assistance

How did you hear about OBBF?

Through research for grant opportunities I have found OBBF to be an outlet where I can try and
attempt to see if my dream of opening a store in Oakland can be achievable through this
organization helping women and their businesses.
Fearless Fund Application
Summarize your business (750 words max)

Hella Tea, my company, is focused on delivering healthy and delicious tea to the young
generation of the Oakland community with HipHop and Bay Area influences. Originally I had a
company called Raised Pinky Tea which catered to young girls, women’s groups and church
events, this tea was branded for more luxurious occasions. I knew this tea company was not the
right direction for me and knew it had no purpose for me or for the community so I brainstormed
ideas for a rebranding. I came up with Hella Tea, “hella” a term that represents the Bay Area so
well. With Hella Tea, I grew it with the $100 in my bank account and brought it to where it is
now solely with my efforts. Each type of tea I sell pays an homage to iconic Hip-Hop influences
and the Bay Area and consists of a play on words like Chamo-la-harris or Steep-Curry that also
has an association to the tea flavors. Each tea has its own health influences which can recover
any illness within a few hours. Currently my clients consist of Disney, Pixar, Capital One,
Paramount Pictures, Microsoft, Salesforce, and now MasterCard.If approved for the grant, I
would like to use this money to further develop my current business and move it from a fully
e-commerce business to selling tea in my own store front. This store would be my own tea shop
and cafe that can be a place for everyone in Oakland to come together and further build our
community. Being able to open my own store will provide me the opportunity to further grow as
a company and provide for Oakland in a more efficient manner.

What is the customer problem your product is solving? (500 words max)

In the city of Oakland there needs to be an improvement in the population of Oakland’s diets
and meal plans. Due to redlining in Oakland it has deprived Oakland from having necessary
healthy food that should be provided to everyone in Oakland. Oakland is known to be a food
desert and lacks access to food to have for everyone. There aren’t enough supermarkets but there
is a surplus of fast food places and narcotics which lead to an overall low nutritious food options
that are available for the community of Oakland.

What is your solution?

My company, Hella Tea, can provide health benefits by consuming it. The teas are designed in a
way where it becomes relatable to the younger generation to form a connection with them with
the tea’s names having a play on word title with celebrity references. Teas are already known for
helping your immune system, filled with antioxidants, is a preventative measure for heart attacks
and even cancer. My teas are even more specialized with my special ingredients to provide a
quick recovery from any sickness. The teas aren’t limited to one type of flavor and can
accommodate anyone’s tastes from herbal, fruity, green, black, and white teas. Each type of
category of tea has its own health benefits and can be a great addition to the community’s diets.

What is your business model?

My business model consists of Hella Tea being a company that provides health benefits to the
community. The uniqueness of the company stems from the influence of the Oakland culture and
having influential people represent each tea flavor. I market my tea in a way where it stands out
and can create a connection with the people of Oakland and can be relatable to the youth.

Management qualifications related to this venture?

I previously owned Raised Pinky Tea in 2007 where I ran the business on my own as I do with
Hella Tea as well. From this previous company I have learned what it is to be a business owner
and what I have to do to make Hella Tea more successful and make it live for its purpose for the
Oakland community. I have grown this business from the ground up and have learned to make
connections with different clients. Having different clients from Capital One to now MasterCard
I am continuing to develop my company and still run efficiently with only my efforts. I have had
many celebrities like Kevin Hart for example, try my tea and be able to connect with them and
expand the connections furthermore. I am still continuing to learn and see new ideas of how
Hella Tea will grow from its current position.
Size your potential market of customers?

My target population of customers starts from the young generation of Oakland and everyone
who is interested in tea or wanting its health benefits which consists of around 350,000 people
from the city of Oakland.

List your competitors

No competitors have been told by client.

Describe your competitive advantages and barriers to entry.

The uniqueness of Hella Tea is the branding, the packaging, and the relatability to the youth of
Oakland. My goal is to connect with the youth and bring vibrancy to the community of Oakland.
On my packaging my logo is a cassette tape. A cassette tape was the first way I was introduced
to Hip-Hop. All the names of each tea bag I sell has a connection to iconic Hip-Hop and
Bay-area influences.

It is known of the challenges for black women owning and running their businesses. I personally
have faced difficulties in being approved for grants and I have even heard from friends that they
have faced the same struggles. This exhibits the gender gap and racial bias that are systemic
within our society and exacerbates the opportunities that are restricted to black women. There is
consistent discrimination and prejudice against black women business owners. It is known that
the challenges faced by black women are not the same as white people. Black women become
disadvantaged comparatively more than white people in the labor and capital markets. Black
women are more analyzed on their personal information than white people and they receive less
support.

Funding Round Name:

None

Previous Capital Raised:

None

Amount of Capital Seeking:

$150K

Estimated Pre-Money Valuation:

$20000

Monthly Burn Rate:

$8000

Current Year Revenue:

Na

Describe your exit strategy:

I would like to pass down my assets to my descendants and the Oakland community.