Ben McQueen has shaped Karuna Kava's mission to create places where people can gather, stay present, and share an experience that encourages genuine connection. His vision reaches beyond the drink itself, drawing from tradition and personal history to build environments that support conversation and a sense of belonging.
His path toward founding Karuna Kava grew out of lived experience. Raised in Indiana, McQueen's early years included challenges that influenced his relationship with alcohol. Later, during a period of homelessness, daily survival became his main focus. While living in a sober home during a transitional phase, he tried kava for the first time. That moment shifted his perspective. "I once thought I needed a substitute," he says. "But I came to understand that what I was searching for was connection."
