Kevin Hart is heavily Invested In a Black-owned Tea Company

Kevin Hart, the comedian, and actor, is popularly known for his interest in investing in startups. This time, Hart has partnered with Nailah Ellis by investing in her Ellis Tea company.

Nailah Ellis is a black woman from Jamaica. She is also the founder and owner of the Ellis Tea company. 

Hart revealed that what triggered his interest in the company is Ellis's passion for her tea business. Ellis, at 20, started her coffee brewing business in her mother's kitchen with her grandfather, Cyril Byron, special recipes. After launching her business, Ellis followed her grandfather's motto, “this recipe is to be sold, not told.”

“Cyril’s story is one of a true risk-taker. He came here with nothing but his dreams,” Ellis said, according to PRWeb. “He went on to become a head chef on Marcus Garvey’s Black Star Line and then the owner of Byron Caterers, one of the most successful Black-owned catering businesses in the Bronx.”

Ellis started the business by selling coffee from the trunk of her car. This singular act to convert her passion into business reminded Hart of his struggles at the early stage of his career. 

“There were a lot of people pulling for Nailah,” Hart said, according to the press release. “Her name just kept coming up and coming across my radar. So, I figured there had to be something to it.”

From starting as a coffee hawker who sells her coffee from the trunk of her car, Nailah has developed her business and currently owns a Detroit-based beverage production facility, the largest beverage manufacturer in the United States headed by a Black woman. Her tea is currently sold in Costco, Sam’s Club, and airport concessioners across the U.S.

Ellis is proud that she is not only doing what she enjoys but also giving back to the Detroit community by providing jobs for the residents.

She said 

“We all need opportunity,” she said. “I’ve been given mine and now I’m paying it forward and providing that for others.”

Kevin Hart's investment would help improve and develop the business. 

The cat is out of the bag! Ellis Island Tea is now officially partnered with @kevinhart4real! ??Thank you for your belief in us, Kev! Now I need y’all to go buy some tea because I gotta pay him back ??#EllisIslandTea #KevinHart #entrepreneur #hibiscus #tea #free pic.twitter.com/s9dk7tY29s

— Ellis Island Tea ? (@EllisIslandTea) July 14, 2020