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Isabella Hughes
Building something amazing with the best team
Isabella "Bella" Hughes is an accomplished entrepreneur best known as the co-founder and former President of Shaka Tea, a company that specializes in sustainably sourced herbal teas brewed with Hawaii-grown māmaki. She co-founded Shaka Tea in 2016 with her husband, Harrison Rice, and they quickly achieved significant success, including nationwide distribution at major retailers like Walmart and Whole Foods.12
Hughes has been recognized for her contributions to business and entrepreneurship. In 2018, she was named one of Hawaii's "40 Under 40" by Pacific Business News, highlighting her as one of the brightest young business leaders in the state. She has also been involved in various initiatives to support women entrepreneurs, including co-founding Hawai’i FoundHer, an accelerator program aimed at supporting Native Hawaiian and AAPI women entrepreneurs.34
In September 2022, Hughes and Rice announced their departure from Shaka Tea following its acquisition by Irresistible Foods Group. They have since launched an investment fund called Roya Capital, focusing on financing women-founded consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands.23
Hughes holds a BA in Art History from Boston University and an MA in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University. She is based in Austin, Texas, but was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii.34
