Informational Interview:

Tatiana BirgissonFounder and CEO of Mati

Energy Drinks

Tatiana Birgisson• Graduated from Duke University in

2013. During her time as a student at Duke she didn’t know exactly what she wanted to do for a career. She was pursuing an Economics degree with a minor in entrepreneurship.

• She brewed her own tea as her primary source of energy- she liked tea for its naturalness and lack of added sugars. Colleagues of hers loved the tea she brewed, so she began to brew it in large quantities for them. They convinced her to enter the Duke start-up Challenge, which she won and was granted $11,500 to fund the manufacturing of her project.

Mati Energy Drinks• Thus, Tatiana began her own

business. She started humbly, by figuring out the most efficient brewing methods and selling the tea in kegs to offices. She was then set up with officials from Durham’s American Underground, where she was able to obtain workspace and a small staff of her own to expand her business.

• Her product is now available in numerous Whole Foods and other health supermarkets across North Carolina. She expects to expand to other food retailers in North Carolina and other areas across the nation very soon.

Entrepreneurship

• Tatiana is a prime example of a successful entrepreneur. She was a young college student without a decisive plan for her future, and had no idea that in less than 5 years she would own her own successful business. She simply had an idea for a product, and worked with her given resources to turn that idea into a business venture. Entrepreneurship is a growing field in modern times, celebrated for creative pursuits and passionate business ventures.