There we were, sitting through two full days of corporate strategy meetings at an upscale hotel. As is typical, at about 2-3pm everyone was starting to drag as the afternoon doldrums set in. In comes the catered snack cart with the usual stuff: fruit, cookies, packaged snacks, hot coffee and, surprisingly, a well known energy drink.

Grabbing some berries and the sucralose-packed drink provided the juxtaposition. This is when we wondered: why isn’t there a clean energy drink as fresh and mood-lifting as these berries, yet capable of powering deep work? No junk, no artificial sweeteners, just healthy and functional. 

That moment sparked STÆD, an upscale, designer energy brand created for people who build, code, design, teach, parent, and push us forward.