Meet Karen Danudjaja, the visionary behind Blume—a brand redefining wellness with superfood-powered rituals and a commitment to inclusivity. From her journey overcoming personal health challenges to building a thriving community-driven business, Karen shares how Blume balances functionality, taste, and innovation to make wellness accessible. Discover the story behind their gut-loving SuperBelly elixir, holiday superfood blends, and plans for scaling impact with their recent $200K TELUS #StandWithOwners grand prize. —Noa Nichol
What inspired you to create Blume, and how did your personal journey with digestive issues and stress shape the brand’s mission?
Blume started rather organically 7 years ago. I started my career in commercial realty — a culture built around relationships & coffee meetings. But with drinks made entirely from espresso and syrups, it affected my digestion, sleep & hormones. There was nothing on the menu that tasted great and did something good for my body. So on the side of my desk, I started making Blume Superfood Latte, re-making my favourite café lattes with the magic of superfoods. A few years later, we also launched SuperBelly, our gut-building hydration line that is taking the world by storm. I started Blume because I wanted to embrace a more intentional approach to life and wellness – that was all about progress over perfection. I didn’t resonate with any of the wellness brands out there that were super clinical and filled with hard-to-read ingredients. Blume is about creating a kinder way to wellness through better-for-you products, plastic-neutral packaging kinder for the environment and our general belief that you should always be kinder to yourself and others.
How did you scale Blume from selling functional latte packages in coffee shops to being available in over 4,000 retailers across Canada and expanding into the U.S.?
Building Blume has certainly not been an overnight success! That said, I don’t think we would be where we are today without our radical focus on building community or fostering relationships. Whether it be with customers or retailers, we’ve always put connection at the forefront. In the early days, small local retailers were the first to champion Blume on shelves and I am forever grateful for that. Still to this day, we devote a lot of our resources to supporting those same local businesses and investing in events for customers to drive a larger sense of community.
Can you share how Blume’s community-driven approach influenced the development of SuperBelly and other products?
Community is truly the heart of Blume. I’ve always believed it’s important to be obsessed with the customer, as they will always tell you what they want and need. So when we were in the process of trying to decide what we should innovate after our Superfood Latte Blends, we kept hearing from our community surveys that they needed hydration and gut support that tasted delicious because no one else was providing this on the market. So we set out to research how we could best support our community, and that’s how SuperBelly was born. We also let our community lead the decision on flavour by posting Instagram stories polls and we narrowed it down to the top three flavours that we now have on shelves.
What makes SuperBelly unique, and how does it reflect Blume’s dedication to creating accessible and functional products?
SuperBelly is really the first of its kind. We’ve all tried traditional electrolyte drinks and taken probiotics pills, but SuperBelly is the first gut-building hydration beverage that combines our love of superfoods with prebiotics (from inulin), trace minerals, fermented apple cider vinegar, and clinically studied probiotics that contribute to a healthy gut flora. We wanted to create something that was delicious and effective but not clinical or unenjoyable to use or understand. What I love about SuperBelly is it’s the perfect introduction to kinder wellness which is exactly what our mission is all about. We bring a new customer to the wellness aisle with more approachable options that deliver on results.
What inspired the creation of your holiday superfood blends like Mint Cocoa, Nut Nog, and Gingerbread, and how do they align with Blume’s brand values?
The holidays are no doubt one of the most stressful and unhealthy times of the year with the amount of excess sugar, alcohol and artificial ingredients we consume. For those out there that are looking for a better for you sweet treat with low to no caffeine, no refined sugars, organic ingredients and a superfood boost, the Holiday Superfood Latte Blend collection is for you. We love them for their functional benefits, but they are also just so simple and delicious to enjoy making it the perfect kinder ritual to fill your cup.
How do you plan to use the $200K TELUS #StandWithOwners grand prize to further Blume’s growth and community initiatives?
We are only one year into the USA market so this grand prize means the world to a small business like us with a mission to grow community down south. Especially as this program recognizes businesses for their innovation and proven track record of growth. We are going to allocate all our funds to amping up community sampling and events so we can get more SuperBelly and Superfood Lattes in people’s hands. Further, we will get to create accessibility to kinder rituals to people all over North America – and that excites us!
What is your process for ensuring Blume products achieve the perfect balance of functionality and great taste?
I’m really glad you asked this question because our top two priorities when we innovate are taste and function. The way we innovate our product starts with the problem that we are trying to solve for our community. In the case of SuperBelly, we did rigorous research to first understand what ingredients would support digestion, bloating and gut health. From there, we solidify the ingredients and move into flavour or taste. We always listen to our customers and what flavours they want from us. Then we are able to send samples to brand friends and team to get feedback on taste. It usually takes 20 or more recipes to perfect the flavour. Once we nail the recipe, then we launch!
What has been the most challenging part of growing Blume, and what milestone are you most proud of achieving so far?
At this moment in time, USA brand awareness has been the largest challenge. We are proud to be a Canadian-founded company however it poses a struggle when trying to break into the large USA market when we are an arm’s length away. There are so many moments to be proud of, but I would say launching the SuperBelly lineup has to be up there along with building the Blume Team! I feel so lucky to work with such incredible people every single day!
With expansion into the U.S. and a focus on innovation, what’s next for Blume in terms of product development and community engagement?
We are on the SuperBelly rocketship right now. The product only launched this year so we have so much work to do still in getting it in as many doors across North America as possible. And yes, we may have more flavours in store (pun intended) in the near future. For community engagement, we are so excited to be growing our footprint across the USA now. So look out for a lot more community events where you can come drink product and connect with others in the Blumekind Community.
As a successful entrepreneur in the wellness space, what advice would you offer to someone looking to start their own purpose-driven brand?
I would say get extremely clear on your mission and values as early as possible – and hire people who not only believe in the same vision but are excited by it. It takes clear direction and a lot of hands to bring a brand purpose-driven brand to life! Also, don’t be afraid to try new things. A huge part of starting a business is about throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. It’s really about staying steady on who you are while staying nimble on how you execute.
Current favourite way to enjoy Blume?
This is so hard to answer – too many ways! For SuperBelly, I love making mocktails. Add powder to sparkling water and muddle in some delicious herbs and fruit. Enjoy as a little mid-day treat. For Superfood Lattes Blends, I love adding our holiday blends to oatmeal or smoothies. They are super versatile for adding flavour to other delicious goodies too.
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