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Meghan Markle is featured in a new video shared by Clevr Blends. In the video posted on Instagram and TikTok, Clevr co-founder and CEO Hannah Mendoza recalled how the Duchess of Sussex impacted her business, which was started in 2016.
“Three years ago, everything changed,” Hannah said in the video that was posted on Feb. 27. “None other than Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, had started drinking our lattes. Not only did she love the product, but she was extremely passionate about supporting female founders, our sustainable sourcing and our food justice giveback.”
Hannah added, “Meghan ended up becoming our first investor, adviser and biggest Clevr advocate. She even sent our turmeric latte to friends.”
Back in December of 2020, Oprah Winfrey revealed that her “neighbor ‘M’” had sent her a basket containing packets of instant latte mix from Clevr Blends. Hannah admitted that they “lost it” after seeing Oprah make their golden superlatte.
“Our small but might team was 100 percent not ready for this and ended up selling out for two months. We then grew our team, launched amazing new products and started to dip our toe into retail,” Hannah said. “We’ve now served over 6 million lattes and we owe so much of that to the power of women uplifting women especially in business where only 2 percent of venture funding goes to female-founded brands.”
Clevr’s video includes clips of Meghan sipping lattes and speaking with Hannah. Fortune reported in 2020 that the Duchess of Sussex had made her debut as a startup investor. “This investment is in support of a passionate female entrepreneur who prioritizes building community alongside her business,” Meghan said in a statement to Fortune. “I’m proud to invest in [CEO Hannah Mendoza] Hannah’s commitment to sourcing ethical ingredients and creating a product that I personally love and [that] has a holistic approach to wellness. I believe in her, and I believe in her company.”
At the time, Hannah said that she was “grateful” to have found both an entrepreneur and adviser in the Duchess of Sussex. The CEO said, “[Meghan’s] passion for what we’re creating is palpable, and I couldn’t imagine a more aligned partnership. We’re excited for the road ahead.”
