AWÁ Nutrition CEO Felipe Guevara: Bringing the Superfoods and Exotic Fruits of Ecuador to the World

As an expert food technologist, accomplished entrepreneur, and extreme sports enthusiast, Felipe Guevara continues his journey to the forefront of food innovation in his home country of Ecuador and throughout the world. In his most recent and prominent business venture, Guevara is taking his company AWÁ Nutrition internationally, developing, manufacturing and commercializing nutritional supplements made with ancestral Andean superfoods for everyday health conscious individuals, as well as dedicated athletes.

Following significant success in his home country of Ecuador, Guevara wasted no time in taking the brand to the global marketplace. When some would consider celebrating their success in developing a major national brand, AWÁ Nutrition’s CEO continues to expand the company into new markets, and has most recently entered into the United States.

Felipe Guevara, Founder and CEO, AWÁ Nutrition

A Lifetime of Multinational Experience
Born and raised in Ecuador, Guevara developed a vast knowledge of the country’s unique crops, agriculture, fruits and flavors at a young age. Pairing this uncommon expertise with his passions for personal fitness and adventure, Felipe would embark on a 20-year, and ongoing, journey through the food/ beverage and nutritional supplement industries. This would ultimately set the foundation for his success in founding AWÁ Nutrition, quickly becoming a global player in the protein supplements category.

At just 18 years old, Guevara dedicated himself to learning everything he could about Ecuador's agroindustrial environment. Throughout 2003 and 2006, during his studies and R&D work in Europe, he started developing the first quinoa protein concentrates, a significant and disruptive breakthrough concept at the time. After achieving a Masters Degree in Food Technology in Wageningen University in the Netherlands and having worked for major European multinational players in the protein and human nutrition industry like Friesland Campina and Arla Foods Ingredients, he then founded his first company in 2011, Alimlogia Food Consulting, where he developed the first ready to drink horchata beverage, leading a successful launch to bring the unique herbal elixir drink to consumers in Ecuador.

This food and beverage innovation experience would guide him to seamlessly incorporate AWÁ Nutrition’s unique, plant-based superfood ingredient Andean lupin into their products. The use of Andean lupin fulfills a significant and continuously growing consumer trend in plant-based proteins and exotic fruits. Like acai, which is now widely popular in Western countries, was once just a staple of indigenous populations in Brazil.

The Pursuit of a High Performance Active Lifestyle
Matching his high level of entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen, Guevara incorporates an equally important passion into his daily routine — fitness and exercise. He regularly pursues his love for extreme outdoor sports throughout the landscapes of Ecuador, Isla de la Plata, the Galapagos Islands, as well as in other countries in South America and Europe. When at home managing day-to-day operations for AWÁ Nutrition, Guevara balances his work with his personal fitness routine, combining functional exercise, high intensity cardio and weight training.

“My passion for sports and fitness taught me the need to consume protein supplements and reach higher performance levels. I was always trying new supplements to improve muscle growth and recovery and had tried hundreds of brands and protein supplements. However, I just never found one that had a great amino acid profile, was easy to digest, and would cause little to no inflammation,” Guevara said. “I knew there was a point of intersection between my passion for fitness and my career. Ultimately, this led me to transforming Ecuador’s unique crops into amazing added value protein nutritional supplements that could be aimed at health and wellness-oriented consumers.”

Assisted by his food innovation background, Guevara developed AWÁ Nutrition’s products to be all natural, non-inflammatory, nutrient dense and infused with high nutritional quality vegetable protein. In pursuit of a clean label, the products are naturally flavored with fruit concentrates high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that provide important micronutrients for metabolic health and functional benefits. Each of AWÁ Nutrition’s product creations are developed with the consumer in mind — free of allergens, GMO’s and added sugars.

When Guevara is out of office from expanding AWÁ Nutrition’s global presence, he is a fitness and extreme sports enthusiast, including scuba diving, snowboarding, dirt biking and more.

Devotion to Ecuador and the Andes
Guevara’s lifelong vision and business success comes with a deep appreciation and commitment to his Andean heritage. Ecuador’s food, culture, music, family, and exotic environment of the Andes Mountains, coastal region and Amazonian influence has all contributed to the founding of AWÁ Nutrition and his passion for leading the business to global markets.

This background would culminate in the founding of AWÁ Nutrition, with their products frequently referred to as Ancestral Wellness of the Andes. As the success of his company continues far and wide throughout the United States and beyond, Guevara maintains commitment to his roots and true passion to share the beauty of Ecuador with healthy lifestyle consumers and athletes around the world.

AWÁ Nutrition’s plant-based smoothie-mixes come in two lines for personalized nutrition. The Lifestyle Active series is formulated for the everyday, healthy lifestyle consumer and is available in six Andean flavor mixes. The High Performance series of mixes are ideal for more serious athletes and are available in four Andean flavor mixes.

About AWÁ Nutrition
Based in Ecuador and with offices in Santa Monica, CA, the mission of AWÁ Nutrition is to promote an active lifestyle and encourage mindfulness of nutrition through unique and natural Andean plant-based nutritional products. We source from local, small-scale producers and cater to consumers who consciously seek out quality products with greater purpose. A direct percentage of sales of AWÁ Nutrition products go toward supporting social responsibility and nutrition and sports programs for disadvantaged communities in Ecuador.

Contact
For Retail, Wholesale and Distribution Inquiries: 
Felipe Guevara, CEO, AWÁ Nutrition, fguevara@awanutrition.com

For Media Inquiries:
Evan Tompros, Compass Natural, evan@compassnaturalmarketing.com

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