ReGen Brands Recap #92

Sara Delaney @ Sarilla

The Regenerative Sparkling Beverage Brand Spotlighting Rwanda

On this episode, Anthony and Kyle chat with Sara Delaney who is the Founder and CEO of Sarilla. Sarilla is supporting regenerative agriculture with its lineup of ready-to-drink spritzers that are all made with organic and regenerative ingredients. Sarilla sources the majority of its ingredients via direct trade relationships with farmer cooperatives in Rwanda that are USDA Organic and Fair Trade Certified and also pursuing regenerative certification. 

Sarilla spritzers are high in antioxidants, non-alcoholic, and contain no or low sugar. The drinks come in seven unique flavors including lemon, hibiscus, ginger, rooibos, tulsi lime, spiced apple and chamomile. You can purchase Sarilla cans online, at natural retailers, and at Sprouts markets beginning in April. 


Inspiration From The People Of Rwanda

Sara’s journey to founding Sarilla began in 2009 when she moved to Rwanda to manage a restaurant designed as a hands-on training facility for youth who had lost their parents in the 1994 genocide. This experience gave her a deep understanding of the challenges facing Rwandans, including not only healing trauma but also finding economic opportunities. After her work at the restaurant, Sara created the Africa Healing Exchange, a nonprofit focused on trauma healing, especially for women who had experienced sexual violence during the genocide. The organization prioritized restoring resiliency through Rwandan cultural practices and tailored mental health support. While Sara strongly believed in the impact of the non-profit, she became increasingly interested in providing economic support that would be better supported through for-profit businesses.

A turning point came when she returned from Rwanda with tea as gifts for friends and was met with an overwhelmingly positive response. Sara saw an opportunity to create a high-quality, good-for-you product that would support local economic development in Rwanda. She also wanted to develop a sober-safe beverage that reflected her personal journey of 18 years of sobriety. Sarilla tea-based spritzers unlocked an opportunity to share her passion and increase her support for resilience in Rwanda.

"We're still lacking this economic healing with the non-profit model. We're doing the mental health part, stress management, and helping people feel stable, but they need to earn more money. That’s where products with purpose can come in and help with that full circle healing." – Sara 


From Silverback Beverage To Sarilla

Sara began humbly, developing unique tea blends and kegging them at a local brewery school in Asheville, North Carolina. Initially, Sarilla was available exclusively on tap, catering to foodservice and hospitality accounts. Sara was a trailblazer in the non-alcoholic arena, facing initial skepticism as she offered her products to breweries as an alternative drink option. Over time, as the demand for non-alcoholic beverages grew, more breweries became receptive. However, the onset of COVID-19 abruptly shifted her business model, forcing her to pivot to canned production, which required upgrading her manufacturing processes and partnering with a co-packer.

The early days of Sarilla were marked by trial and error. The brand’s initial name and design centered around a gorilla, inspired by Rwanda’s famous silverback gorillas. While meaningful, the branding felt more like an energy drink than a tea spritzer, and the product lineup—just two SKUs—left little room to capture a broad audience. Reflecting on these missteps, Sara reimagined Sarilla with a brighter, more inspiring brand identity that better aligned with its mission. Today, Sarilla’s success is driven by refined positioning, expanded SKUs, and a strong focus on creating a joyful, sober-safe beverage that resonates with consumers.


Ingredients You Can Feel Good About

Sarilla sources its tea from 7,000 acres of tea gardens in Rwanda’s northern province. The cooperative they partner with includes a 3,000-acre tea garden plus an additional 4,000 acres of smallholder farms in the surrounding region. In Rwanda, organic farming remains the norm, but Sara highlights the potential risks posed by the growing adoption of conventional farming practices as the economy expands and synthetic inputs become more accessible. Tea in Sarilla’s supply chain is shade-grown, pesticide-free, and hand-picked – creating 7,000 jobs and supporting over 100,000 people in the farming area. The tea plants thrive in the volcanic soil at high elevations, where terracing is used to capture rainwater, and lemongrass and other companion crops grow alongside the tea to promote biodiversity. 

"When you're in a regenerative farm setting, there's a feeling of health and life. People just seem happier, looking well-fed, and there's a sense of wealth and abundance. That was definitely the vibe I got when I arrived at this tea garden. It just felt different, and I knew I wanted to work with them." – Sara 

Sarilla imports tea directly from the cooperative and pays a Fair Trade premium of 50 cents per pound. As an importer, Sara isn't constrained by Sarilla's demand alone; she can create a greater impact for farmers by purchasing larger volumes of tea and other crops, which she then supplies to other brands and manufacturers in the United States.


Brand Positioning, Channel Selection, & Future Growth

Sara has focused Sarilla’s growth primarily in foodservice, hospitality, and vending channels, with selective entry into natural grocery stores. By targeting places where consumers currently lack high-quality, non-alcoholic options, she aims to carve out a niche for Sarilla that avoids overcrowded retail shelves. She is particularly excited about campus partnerships and corporate accounts like Meta where companies purchase Sarilla for employees to demo and become fans of the brand. Sarilla is also building its presence in hotels and sports stadiums, where consumers are more likely to try something new and are less price-sensitive.

With its operations now well-structured, Sara is committed to staying focused, saying no to distractions, and building a sustainable business. Through all its efforts, Sarilla remains dedicated to its core mission: helping people tap into their inner power while spotlighting the vibrancy and resilience of Rwanda.

“Don't always go for the obvious thing, because that's where everyone else is. Can you build a brand outside of the store? Only say yes to grocery if you're really ready to support it with promotions, demos, and everything it requires." – Sara 


50% Market Share For Regen

Sara believes that achieving 50% market share will require a collaborative effort that brings everyone into the conversation—even those who may initially resist the idea of regenerative agriculture. She emphasizes the importance of helping people see the human stories by showcasing the farmers and illustrating how lives are impacted on the other side of the supply chain. 

She also thinks visual storytelling, such as images that contrast the potential outcomes of regenerative versus conventional practices, can be a powerful tool in shifting perceptions. Sara and Kyle also highlight Kyle’s point that convenience and accessibility are key to success, ensuring that regenerative options are as easy to choose as conventional ones. Collaboration among brands, such as bundling products in gift boxes, can further amplify awareness and drive collective impact by creating shared opportunities for growth and consumer engagement.

 “My goal is to build a brand as big as we can so that we have a platform where people will actually listen. That’s where we can make a difference.” – Sara



This ReGen Recap was written by Katey Finnegan

You can check out the full episode with Kyle and Anthony HERE

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