It started with a blueberry.
It transformed into a wellness company with one mission, five products and hundreds of employees.
Just over 10 years ago, a group of friends learned about the Wild Alaskan Blueberry, a berry rich in color with five times more antioxidants than most blueberries.
The friends, who happened to all be successful business owners in eastern Idaho, were extremely interested in what this Wild Alaskan Blueberry and another key ingredient—pure vitamin E—could do for people.
“[Kyäni] all started because we learned about two incredible ingredients that could impact lives all around the world,” said Kirk Hansen, one of the company’s founders and current chairman of the board. “[One of the doctors and scientists] said, ‘If we could figure out a way to get a daily serving of Wild Alaskan Blueberry and this pure vitamin E with omega-3 [to people], we could alleviate much of the degenerate diseases around the world.’”
Hansen and his brother, Jim, along with their friend Carl Taylor, set about developing the products that would soon evolve into Kyäni, Inc., an Idaho Falls-based business trying to make a difference in the world.
Kyäni’s mission is “to bring hope—the promise of a better life—through wellness and opportunity.”
The Wild Alaskan Blueberry and the pure vitamin E that the founders learned about in the beginning became the base for the Kyäni Triangle of Health—three Kyäni products that together are intended to give optimal support to people in all areas of wellness.
To distribute these products, the founders decided to use network marketing, a system that allowed them to spread the word, wealth and products quickly.
“We provide the opportunity for people to do home-based businesses through these products, so they can turn around and sell them to customers and be able to earn a commission—whether they want to do it part time or full time or try to even make it more of a lifestyle type of opportunity,” said Andrew Mangeris, Kyäni’s CMO.
With several different ways available to make commissions, Kyäni’s distributor program allows sales representatives either to make the sale directly to the customers or to facilitate the sale so the customer is buying directly from the company. They can also talk to individuals about becoming distributors themselves.
In addition to the wellness products and business opportunities, Kyäni created Potato Pak to help feed those who are malnourished, particularly children in developing countries.
With the help of doctors and nutritionists, Taylor, who has a background in potato farming, developed Potato Pak, a potato flake product that’s an easy-to-make meal. Potato Pak contains certified Idaho potatoes from Idahoan, milk protein and over 26 essential vitamins and minerals.
Kyäni distributors can purchase Potato Pak like they would any other product, but instead of sending it to the buyer, Kyäni distributes the Potato Paks to underprivileged children around the world.
Kyäni’s goal in 2016 is to deliver 1 million of these meals to those children.
Although many of the Potato Pak meals go to developing countries such as the Philippines, Hungary, Hati and the Dominican Republic, Kyäni is making a difference at home, too. The company’s charitable arm, Kyäni Caring Hands, is a 501c3 that has ongoing efforts as well as an annual Caring Hands Day.
This last Caring Hands Day, local volunteers assembled hygiene kits, painted the house of a disabled veteran and delivered a trailer full of living essentials to the Twin Falls refugee center.
Kyäni Caring Hands recently accepted an award from the Hungarian Red Cross in recognition of Kyäni's humanitarian efforts.
“[We want] to make sure we’re looking for not just things we can do in third-world countries, but we’re trying to make the world a better place right here in our own community,” Hansen said.
While what Kyäni has accomplished—both in creating products and in helping others—so far is pretty incredible, Hansen realizes that none of it would have been possible without the people they’ve interacted with along the way.
“We really focus on strong, positive relationships with people—doesn’t matter if they’re our distributors, our customers or our staff,” he said.
From the small group of friends to the global company, one thing has stayed the same: the power of the product ingredients.
“We always say the products are the superstars of the success of the company because of the quality of the product,” Hansen said. “It’s been very rewarding for us to know some products we’ve developed have been this impactful.”
Kyäni’s Products
Kyäni Sunrise is a one-ounce liquid meant to be taken in the morning. This flagship product combines wild and organically sourced ingredients, including the Wild Alaskan Blueberry, to give nutritional and antioxidant protection.
Kyäni Sunset, taken in the evening, consists of a proprietary blend of tocotrienols—the most potent form of vitamin E—omega-3 from wild Alaskan salmon, beta-carotene and vitamin D. This product is designed to support cardiovascular and immune systems.
Kyäni’s Nitro was designed to enhance the body’s ability to produce nitric oxide, a molecule proven to be a key component in circulation. Nitro FX and Nitro Xtreme, Kyäni’s two forms of Nitro, help increase blood flow, reduce inflammation and enhance the body’s ability to perform during exercise.