We will notify you when this product is available.
KIND team, I started KIND back in 2004 to solve a problem I faced – I couldn’t find a healthy snack to take on the go or enjoy at my desk that was both delicious and good for me. In those early days, I carried my beat-up briefcase door-to-door to introduce retailers to the first fruit and nut bars. I never imagined that KIND would grow into what it has become today. Thanks to your commitment to excellence and embodiment of our values, we have since built KIND into an incredible brand and movement, created a new healthy snacking category and demonstrated that business can be a force for social good.
We have come a long way and have much to be proud of, but as we always say, we are just getting started. KIND has unlimited potential in a world that is becoming more aware of the importance of eating real, nutrient dense foods and that is in dire need of more kindness. With our formidable KIND platform, we are well positioned to bring healthy and tasty snacks to more people around the globe, disrupt new categories with products that adhere to our KIND Promise, and inspire kindness on a greater scale.
As I’ve shared with you, for the last year we have been actively exploring options to help us bring this vision to life. After a long and thoughtful process, we have determined that bringing on Mars as a strategic partner will best position us to achieve these ambitious goals on a global scale and fulfill KIND’s maximum potential. As part of the partnership, Mars will take a minority stake in KIND. We as a team will remain the majority shareholders, with me as the largest shareholder with a controlling stake in KIND. We will continue to operate independently as a privately held company with the same leadership and values, and with our headquarters remaining in New York.
Mars recognizes KIND’s enormous potential and will help us accelerate our global reach, extend the KIND Promise into new categories, and deepen our social impact. Like us, Mars is a privately held company, so like us, they are long-term oriented and able to make creative bets for the future. Most importantly, they have a history of operating with high integrity. Many of our values are aligned, like their principle of mutuality, which comes to life in the trust, respect and honesty that they share with their team and consumers. They are also a family-owned, principles-driven company with a proven track record of investing in the betterment of the communities where they operate, and we look forward to working with them to make this a better world for future generations.
Mars is eager to partner with KIND to bring our healthy and tasty snacks to more people around the world, further benefiting the communities in which they operate. To turbo-charge our international growth and category expansion, we’ll jointly leverage KIND’s proven playbook in healthy snacking and Mars’ best in class operational capabilities and global reach. Our small but mighty international team has made incredible progress over the years, and with this partnership, we will be able to expand the team and our international footprint even further.
The more that we grow KIND, the more that we’ll be able to deepen our social impact and redefine the role of business in society. This partnership will enable us to invest more resources in Empatico and other KIND Foundation initiatives to foster communities that are more empathetic and embrace our shared humanity. I personally intend to fund The KIND Foundation with a $25 million donation to further this work.
I am sure that you have plenty of questions. I look forward to answering them and connecting with all of you today at our town hall.
For now, I want to thank you for your partnership. We would never be where we are today without your tremendous efforts. I look forward to continuing on this exciting journey with all of you.
Warmest, Daniel Lubetzky
Why is KIND entering a global partnership with Mars?
We’ve teamed up with Mars to bring KIND’s snacks and Promise to more people in more places. By partnering with a family-owned, principles-driven company like Mars, we're looking forward to continuing on our journey to empower more people to make healthy eating decisions across the globe.
Are any of KIND’s products or ingredients changing because of this partnership?
Our recipes are staying the same, and our commitment to the KIND Promise, the nutrition principles that have guided our innovation since our founding, isn't changing. Since day one we’ve been committed to bringing you nutritious snacks without sacrificing taste. We’re going to continue doing this.
Will you introduce new products?
KIND is always working on creating new snacks that are healthy and tasty, wholesome and convenient; however, we don't have anything specific to announce at the moment.
Will your products still be available in my area? Where else will we see KIND products?
Yes, our snacks will still be available everywhere they are today. For our fans abroad, it’s likely you’ll start seeing KIND snacks in new places. We don’t have specifics on geographic expansion yet, but we’ll be in touch when we do!
Why is Mars the right global partner for KIND?
Like KIND, Mars treats its consumers and team members with mutuality and empathy, operates with integrity, and believes in using its business for good. Mars’ global presence and expertise will also bring the KIND brand, products and mission to more people in more places around the world. For these reasons and more, they are the right partner.