Our Mission
We’re on a mission to create systemic change in coffee by adding value to the fruit.
At I Am Grounded, we’re not just making snacks, we’re building a brand that fuels active lives.
Founded by Vanessa and Lachlan, a couple driven by a passion for sports, sustainability, and community, we create high performance energy bars using upcycled coffee fruit. Whether you’re training hard, juggling a busy schedule, or simply need a clean energy boost, our SUPR Bars are designed to power you through your day.
Each bite supports Colombian coffee farmers and helps reduce food waste, all while delivering the clean, lasting energy you need to perform at your best. Let’s fuel change, together.
SUPR Bars: Energy with heart.
Our Impact
Grounded in Purpose,
Fuelled by Passion.
RETHINK
We create impactful snacks that are not only healthy and all natural but also purpose driven. First, we RETHINK coffee by showcasing the fruit and shedding light on byproducts.
UPCYCLE
Next, we work to UPCYCLE the coffee fruit into a antioxidant-packed concentrate to save the fruit from waste & contaminating river systems.
EMPOWER
And finally, we EMPOWER people along the coffee chain such as farmers, buyers, roasters, cafes and coffee drinkers to start conversations around commercialisng the byproducts of coffee.
Without a market, farmers are not incentivised to upcycle, that's why we must all do our part to rethink and upcycle in order to empower.
THE NUMBERS
Every gram of fruit upcycled makes a difference.
I Am Grounded have upcycled just over 40,000 kilos of coffee fruit from Colombia.
Our Vision
We’re on a mission to create systemic change in coffee by adding value to the fruit.
Our first product the Coffee Fruit Bar, harnesses the power of upcycling the natural by-product of the coffee cherry, to contribute positive environmental and social change in coffee producing and coffee drinking communities.
Through championing eco-innovation, I Am Grounded aims to lessen environmental loading on the planet and further the ‘closed loop’ approach in coffee production.We are focused on social empowerment and providing economic opportunities for impoverished coffee producing communities.
01
Natural Ingredients
Our bars prioritise healthy, good fats with natural sugars to help you avoid the ‘rollercoaster’ highs and lows of conventional snacks.
Plus, the high concentration of Polyphenols (Plant Micronutrients) in the coffee fruit contributes to fighting nasty free radicals, repairing muscle damage, boosting your immune system and much more.
02
Committed To Sustainability
Upcycling coffee fruit empowers our coffee farmers to earn additional income in one of the most volatile agri-food sectors in the world.
I Am Grounded intentionally sources its coffee fruit from a small number micro-lot farms in Colombia. Our mission is to provide an additional revenue stream to the farmer along with a waste removal alternative.
03
Upcycled Goodness
Considered to be a waste product, coffee fruit is usually left in piles to spoil where it produces undesirable compounds called mycotoxins.
If left untreated, these piles eventually contaminate local river systems causing damage to local flora and fauna. Each Coffee Fruit Bar reduces coffee cherry waste loading on the planet by 50g.
Meet The Founders
MEET LACHLAN POWELL
“The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.”
- Paulo Coelho.
Lachlan Powell is the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of I Am Grounded. A qualified Civil Engineer with a Master’s in Project Management, he’s driven by a deep commitment to environmental sustainability,whether shaping the built environment or transforming the way we fuel our bodies.
Raised in a family of triathletes, his mother and stepfather have together completed over 60 Ironman events, including 21 in Hawaii—Lachlan learned early on the value of wholesome nutrition to fuel performance.
In 2025, he set his sights on completing his first full Ironman in honour of his stepfather, who passed away from cancer in 2024.
Passionate about reducing his carbon footprint, Lachlan champions regenerative food systems that turn fruit and vegetable by-products into high-performance snacks. After discovering the potent health benefits of coffee fruit, he led the development of I Am Grounded’s signature SUPR Bars.
When he isn’t fine-tuning operations, finance and product development, you’ll find Lachlan cooking up new recipes, scaling rock faces, or catching waves at the beach.
MEET VANESSA MURILLO
“You are more powerful than you think you are. Act accordingly.”
- Seth Godin.
Vanessa Murillo is the co-founder and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer of I Am Grounded. Originally from Colombia, she grew up immersed in her family’s coffee-farming and roasting business—discovering firsthand the magic (and by-products) of the coffee fruit.
After completing a Barista Masters course at just 13, Vanessa went on to earn a Bachelor of Journalism & Communications and a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) at The University of Queensland, followed by a Postgraduate Certificate in Integrated Marketing Communications from QUT. She cut her teeth as a journalist before falling in love with digital and content marketing building consumer goods brands into the e-commerce era.
A 2015 coffee-growing project in Colombia ignited Vanessa’s passion for “business for purpose, people and planet.” She’s now laser-focused on conscious, regenerative food systems, turning fruit and vegetable by-products into high-performance snacks.
Outside the office, Vanessa has practised yoga and meditation for over a decade, and you’ll often find her on a trail run or in a hot pilates class.
At I Am Grounded, she oversees all marketing, communications and day-to-day operations, your go-to for anything from campaign strategy to product launch details.
PERFORMANCE FUEL
THAT'S MINDFUL