KUTOA™, which means “to give” in Swahili, was founded by young entrepreneur, Joey Grassia. The idea was born in late 2009, after Grassia had witnessed the effects of malnutrition during his time in South Asia and after he experienced a health scare of his own.

“The vast devastation I witnessed was unforgivable and became forever imprinted in my mind. Young children sitting helpless and hungry in dirt alleyways, while their parents worked in deplorable conditions to provide for them. In Vietnam and Cambodia, I met children who went to bed hungry every night in makeshift housing that often collapsed on them. The people I encountered and the situations I witnessed were both tragic and unforgettable."

After returning from Asia in 2007, Joey knew he needed to do something to alleviate the tragedies he witnessed. He quickly changed his major from Economics to International Development and started studying the causes behind the devastation. However, it wasn't until he experienced a health scare of his own that the dots connected.

Grassia has two food brands to his name. The first, KUTOA Health Bars, came about while he was still working at Facebook in 2011. The idea for the second, Steamm Espresso, came while he was pitching KUTOA: he wanted a caffeine fix via something healthier than an energy drink and something stronger than regular coffee. Steamm, which yields a higher-intensity espresso by using steam, was the result. The coffee comes bottled and is currently served in offices around Silicon Valley.

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