JAMBAR Partners With UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business MBA Program to Create a Long-Term Sustainability Plan

JAMBAR, the organic artisan energy bar that donates 50% of profits to communities, furthers its commitment to minimizing environmental impact 

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (April 18, 2023) – Organic energy bar maker JAMBAR® today announced it is working with The Walter A. Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley Haas), to create an actionable, long-term sustainability plan. JAMBAR was selected by the Berkeley Haas Center for Responsible Business as a semester-long consulting project for a team of MBA students.

“I created JAMBAR with the goal of helping people feel good about what they eat, as well as the impact they can have on their local community, which includes being as Earth-friendly a company as possible,” said Jennifer Maxwell, founder and CEO of JAMBAR. “We’ve been hugely impressed by the innovation, professionalism and creativity our Haas MBA team brings and feel confident their work will result in a top-tier sustainability roadmap for us to follow.”

The Haas MBA team began its work by conducting an analysis of sustainability initiatives and best practices in the energy bar category. At the end of the partnership, the Haas students will present a comprehensive strategic plan with recommendations to help JAMBAR do business in environmentally responsible ways.

“It’s clear that since its inception, JAMBAR has kept sustainability top-of-mind when it comes to business practices, including sourcing, processing and shipping,” said Matt Rittenhouse, a project team member who will graduate from Berkeley Haas with an MBA in 2023. “Our objective is to provide recommendations and create a long-term plan with goals and success metrics, and to help JAMBAR communicate its initiatives to consumers and partners.”

This partnership marks the continuation of a long relationship between JAMBAR’s founder, Jennifer Maxwell, and UC Berkeley. Jennifer and her late husband, Brian, both ran track at Cal and together in 1985 created PowerBar®, the original energy bar. For many years, PowerBar’s headquarters were in downtown Berkeley, overlooking the Cal campus. After Brian’s death, Jennifer created the Brian Maxwell Fellows program at Berkeley Haas with the goal of helping entrepreneurs “to create opportunities, to innovate and bring real value and change to the world.” 

About JAMBAR
In late 2021, Jennifer Maxwell founded JAMBAR with the goal of helping people feel good about the ingredients they put in their bodies and the positive impact they can have on their local communities. Made from only premium organic ingredients, JAMBARs feature ancient grains, authentic sweeteners from nature and high-quality proteins. The company donates 50% of after-tax profits to organizations that support the transformative pursuits of music and sports. JAMBARs are available at JAMBAR.com, on Amazon.com and also at leading grocery stores, including Mollie Stone’s Markets, Earth Fare, Good Earth, Nugget Markets, United Markets, Berkeley Bowl, select Safeway stores and more. Learn more at www.jambar.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

Media Contacts
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, steve@compassnatural.com, tel 303.807.1042
Debbie Pfeifer, JAMBAR, debbie@jambar.com, tel 206.669.3580

Clif Bar Invests in University of California’s First Organic Research Institute

Photo: Pexels

Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, February 2020
By Steven Hoffman

With a $1 million endowment from Clif Bar & Company and University of California (UC) President Janet Napolitano, the university will establish the system’s first-ever institute for organic research and education. The California Organic Institute will accelerate the development and adoption of tools and practices for organic farmers and those transitioning to organic by building on the capabilities of the UC Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources’ (UC ANR) Cooperative Extension and Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, the university said in a release. “California's organic farmers already benefit from UC ANR's pest management, irrigation and crop production research, and this partnership with Clif Bar will give UC more capacity to focus on challenges specific to organic farming,” said Glenda Humiston, UC vice president of agriculture and natural resources in the release. “The California Organic Institute will serve many of the organic producers we depend on for ingredients like almonds and figs, as well as farmers outside our supply chain,” added Lynn Ineson, VP of Sustainable Sourcing for Clif Bar. “We recognize that the future of our food company depends on the ecological and economic success of organic and transitioning farmers.” According to UC ANR, California has the most organic farms in the U.S., with 3,000 certified organic farms in the state representing 21% of all certified organic acreage in the U.S.