Spencer McManes is a smart guy. He attended Blessed Trinity High School and Yale University where he studied political science and played football. He then moved to Washington, DC to work under Stanley McChrystal at the consulting firm, McChrystal Group, before moving to Austin, TX and taking on a career in technology startups.
His wisest decision and best move? “I went through a ‘sober-curious’ phase of my life when I realized that all of my challenges pointed back to alcohol. I knew I wasn’t alone, so I set out to find a better solution.”
Now living in Austin he is the founder and CEO of Kaviva, a company that sells non-alcoholic drinks that give you a buzz. “As a consumer, I found a lack of options between non-alcoholic beverages and alcohol, especially at bars and restaurants, and set out to change that,” says Spencer who grew up in Alpharetta. “I believe people will always want to go out to a shared location to be social and will always want to feel an elevated experience, but that alcohol was not the best way to achieve this.”
While playing rugby in Austin, his Fijian teammates shared an ancient ceremonial tea called kava. Kava is a tropical evergreen shrub belonging to the pepper family, native to the South Pacific Islands. Its root and stems are made into a non-alcoholic tea, also called kava, which is consumed for its calming and euphoric effects, often after rugby matches as a way to bond with teammates and competitors. “There is no hangover, no addiction, yet a calming relaxing buzz and social uplift, similar to that of 1-2 alcoholic drinks,” says Spencer.
He created the formula with a team of food scientists with friends doing taste-testing sessions with natural ingredients. “Finally, we needed the can design to look and feel like the drink tastes… slightly sweet, refreshing, and a burst of good energy to fuel you to have the best day of your life,” says Spencer.
Kaviva is now sold in multiple markets, liquor stores, and bars in the Austin area. He hopes to bring Kaviva to Roswell restaurants and bars.