VERB: A New Way To Start Your Day

 

Isaac Morrier in original Verb cap (Photo by Braden Saba)

Run. Paint. Sing. Dance. Create.

“Verb is more than just a bar… it’s about the good vibes and good energy”

Whatever your ‘verb’ is, Verb Energy bar will give you what your body needs to do it and not only feel good, but also feel good about it. Four college students at Yale have come up with the genius idea that will have people around the country ditching their morning coffee: a caffeinated energy bar.

It may sound weird, but considering how many coffee addicts crash at 3pm, there is no doubt it will spread like wildfire amongst the active youth and older hustlers alike. It all began with a seemingly mundane event that has probably happened to many of you. Matt Czarnecki, a sophomore at the time, walked out of a coffee shop with a cup of coffee in one hand, a granola bar in the other and $6 less in his pocket; with no spare hands to even open the door, he knew there must be a better way than spending that much money– enough for a decent meal from a foodtruck– to replenish his energy drained from the constant stream of clubs activities, academics, parties, and his two other entrepreneurial ventures: Yale Launch and Platinum Aerial Photography and Videography. A simple solution would be to just combine the two pick-me-ups into something you could grab out of your backpack–which is exactly what he did.

Matt Czarnecki passing out bars on Locust Walk at Penn (Photo by Braden Saba)

He brought the idea to his peers, Bennett Byerley and André Monteiro, both original supporters in Yale Launch, Czarnecki’s “entrepreneurial think tank focused on launching start-ups and social enterprises”. They immediately got to work to manifest this simple but game-changing idea, getting Isaac Morrier on board to be in charge of creative and marketing. Although you wouldn’t guess it talking to these four laid-back guys laughing about their crazy first days founding the company, they went through a lot of rejections and struggles, an essential ingredient to any successful start-up.  

The beginning consisted of countless all-nighters, grossly green coloured bars, and handing out their homemade caffeinated treats to friends. Then it grew to selling it to friends, then classmates, then the rest of the school. With a product that originally had to be refrigerated, they were continuously running back and forth between the fridge and their classes to deliver them around campus. Running out of space in their tiny college kitchens, they convinced a local bakery to lend them their kitchen after hours to keep up with demand. They went through 127 trials adjusting the heat stability, taste, and texture by just a hair each time, and finally came up with their delicious and tireless Cocoa and Oats formula. Although tiring, they only talked about it fondly with passion and excitement.

Morrier (left), Byerly (center), Czarnecki (right) smiling big at launch on Penn’s campus (Photo by Braden Saba)

“Verb is more than just a bar,” said Byerley. They pride themselves on being conscious and active on the impact of what they’re doing on the environment and communities around them. They have already donated to many charities and non-profit events and they make sure to source locally to reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible. They have received emails from many loyal Verb consumers about how Verb changed their lives. Verb’s philosophy and vision shines through in their company, which you could have easily mistaken for a tight-knit family. Verb is about motivating each other, helping the planet, taking risks, spreading good vibes and good energy,  and just inspiring people to do _______ (fill in the blank).

Verb staff and reps handing out and selling Verb bars on Penn’s campus! (Photo by Rong Xiang)

What’s your verb?

 

Written by Jennifer Higa

Feature photo by Bradley Smith


Details (see more on their website!)

First month subscription $1/bar

Second month onwards $2/bar

You can cancel anytime, but trust me, you won’t want to.

 

Nutrition Facts

Serv. Size: 1 Bar (45g), Servings: 1, Amount Per Serving: Calories 190, Fat Cal. 70, Total Fat 7g (11% DV), Sat. Fat 0.5g (3% DV), Trans Fat 0g, Cholest. 0mg (0% DV), Sodium 5mg (0% DV), Total Carb. 27g (9% DV), Fiber 4g (16% DV), Sugars 12g, Protein 5g, Vitamin A (0% DV), Vitamin C (0% DV), Calcium (8% DV), Iron (8% DV). Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Ingredients: Rolled Oats, Organic Blue Agave, Almond Butter, Organic Puffed Brown Rice, Organic Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, Light Brown Sugar, Vanilla Extract, Caffeine From Organic Green Tea Contains: Almond Distributed By Verb Energy, Inc. Lexington MA 02420 Verb Bar

 

These guys are open to questions and give amazing advice for those who want to start their own entrepreneurial adventure. Shoot them an email at team@verbenergybar.com and sign up!

 

 

 

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