CREATIVE ENERGY INNOVATOR TAIKA INC.,

Announces Official Partnership with Award-Winning Filmmaker and Actor Taika Waititi

Taika (“magic” in Finnish) has one mission - to fuel creativity, so partnering with Taika Waititi is literally the perfect “Match-a.” As one of the fastest growing and most innovative beverage brands today, Taika, has created a range of award-winning adaptogen-infused lattes and sparkling yerba mate beverages that are designed to fuel creativity. Apart from the supernaturally perfect naming synergies, Taika Waititi is one of the most creative individuals working in the entertainment industry today and the ideal partner to embody Taika Inc.’s new vision for delivering “delicious creative fuel in a can.”

Waititi joins the brand as Chief Creative Offcer and will be advising on branding, marketing campaigns, strategic direction and positioning of the brand. “Taika has been a fan of the brand since 2020, so we are beyond excited to offcially welcome him to the Taika family. His wit, humor and relentless creative vision makes him a perfect ambassador and collaborator for Taika’s line of creativity fueling beverages.” - CEO + Co-Founder, Michael Sharon.

Taika Waititi is an Academy Award®, Emmy® and GRAMMY® winning writer, director, actor and producer. Most recently, Waititi directed and co-wrote the highly anticipated flm THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER now streaming on Disney+. His flm JOJO RABBIT received six Oscar® nominations, including Best Picture, and earned him an Oscar®for Best Adapted Screenplay. For television, Waititi is in post-production on Hulu’s INTERIOR CHINATOWN, for which he directed the pilot and also executive produced, as well as TIME BANDITS for Apple TV+ and season two of the HBO Max fan-favorite period comedy, OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH, in which he stars as “Blackbeard” and serves as executive producer. The latter two shows are expected to be released this year.

“I’m excited to come on board with Taika Inc. in this new role. The melding of Taika the coffee with Taika the person is not only insanely obvious, but it also allows me to wear a hat with my name on it and not look like a narcissist. It tastes great and most importantly, it keeps me from napping when I should be working,” said Waititi.

The announcement of Waititi as CCO comes hot on the heels of a national roll out in Sprouts Farmers Market stores nationwide, where the natural foods and organic focused grocery chain will now be carrying Taika’s best-selling line of “Creative Fuel” products - coffee and matcha lattes.

Since launching in 2020, the brand has grown rapidly online and throughout stores in California, establishing a well-deserved niche in the premium coffee and matcha categories, and a loyal consumer following known as “Taikanauts.” Taika solves a huge unmet need in the coffee and energy drink market by offering healthier alternatives that not only boost energy, but also stimulate creative thinking with a unique blend of natural ingredients and no artifcial preservatives or sugars.

Developed by Kal Freese (two-time Finnish Barista Champion and top 10 World Barista Champion), and Michael Sharon (former Facebook product leader), Taika’s software-like development approach combines food science and premium ingredients to create outrageously delicious drinks that are secretly healthy for you.

Taika’s delicious coffee and matcha lattes are made from all natural ingredients, infused with adaptogens with no sugar, unnecessary carbs, or artifcial additives. Every single one of their products is plant-based, keto-friendly and has no added sugar. Their creative energy products include the Black Coffee, Oat Milk Latte, Macadamia Latte, Mocha Latte and their #1 selling product, the Matcha Latte. Meticulously designed to deliver optimal taste, health benefts and effcacy, each can of Taika includes carefully sourced ingredients, housemade plant and nut milks, a proprietary natural sweetener stack, and a unique blend of adaptogens, including L-Theanine, Ashwagandha, Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, and Reishi, which work synergistically with caffeine to sustain creativity and keep consumers feeling inspired.

Taika’s full range of products, which are keto-friendly, non-GMO, plantbased, gluten free and sustainably sourced, are available at select retailers including Erewhon Market, Sprouts, Bristol Farms, Lazy Acres, Faire, Bi-Rite Market and Thrive Market, as well as through delivery services Good Eggs and Instacart, among others, in addition to its e-commerce website taika.co and Amazon. For more information, please visit Taika online at https://taika.co/, on Instagram @taika, or on Facebook.

About Taika Waititi

Taika Waititi is an Academy Award® and GRAMMY®-winning writer, director, actor and producer. Most recently, Waititi directed and co-wrote the highly anticipated flm THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER now streaming on Disney+. His flm JOJO RABBIT received six Oscar® nominations, including Best Picture, and earned him an Oscar®for Best Adapted Screenplay. The flm, which was released by Searchlight Pictures, was also nominated for a Golden Globe®for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and won a GRAMMY for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, among other accolades. Previously, Waititi directed the critically-acclaimed blockbuster THOR: RAGNAROK for Disney, as well as the beloved indie flms HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, BOY, and the Oscar®-nominated short flm

TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT. He also executive produced through Piki Films, his production company with Carthew Neal, THE BREAKER UPPERERS, BABY DONE, and the frst Indigenous Canadian/New Zealand co-production, NIGHT RAIDERS, which premiered at the 2021 Berlin International Film Festival.

Waititi is currently preparing for the release of his upcoming flm NEXT GOAL WINS, which he wrote, directed, and produced, based on the 2015 documentary of the same name. Searchlight Pictures will release the flm in theaters on September 22, 2023. Waititi is also executive producer of Billy Luther’s flm FRYBREAD FACE AND ME, which premiered at SXSW 2023. Previously, Waititi was seen in Shawn Levy’s FREE GUY from 20th Century Studios, alongside Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, and Joe Keery. For television, Waititi is in production on Hulu’s INTERIOR CHINATOWN, for which he directed the pilot and also executive produced. Additionally, he’s in post-production on TIME BANDITS for Apple TV+, as well as season two of the HBO Max fan-favorite period comedy, OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH, in which he stars as “Blackbeard” and serves as executive producer. Both shows are expected to release this year.

Also for the small screen, Waititi is the co-creator and executive producer of the Indigenous American teen comedy RESERVATION DOGS for FX, for which he co-wrote the frst episode with co-creator Sterlin Harjo. The series, now renewed for a third season, has been well-received, winning the 2021 Gotham Award for Short-Form Breakthrough Series and the 2022 Independent Spirit Award for Best New Scripted Series, as well as earning nominations for last year’s Critic’s Choice Awards, Golden Globe Awards ®, and Writers Guild of America Awards. Additionally, Waititi directed the season one fnale of THE MANDALORIAN for Disney+, in which he also voices “IG-11,” and serves as executive producer on the criticallyacclaimed TV adaptation of WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, for which he’s directed several episodes.

In honor of National Donut Day, Friday, June 2nd Snax-Sational Brands, parent company to the nation’s premiere popcorn brands - Cookie Pop, Candy Pop and Cereal Pop - known as the “Popcorn of Hollywood” - partnered with the famous Trejo’s Donuts on Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles to create a Candy, Cookie and Cereal Pop themed special edition donut collection and pop-up shop activation, with special guest host, iconic actor Danny Trejo.

On Friday June 2nd, Trejo’s Donuts offered four specialty favors in a buy one get one deal, with a 1oz bag of popcorn of their preferred favor also given out. The donuts were customized from the Trejo’s bakery team with four unique favors and icings to go with the four popcorn favors the brand chose to highlight. The four special edition donut creations featured Candy Pop’s and Cookie Pop’s signature candy coated and cookie coated popcorn favor toppings as well as Cereal Pop, including Candy Pop, Cookie Pop and Cereal Pop, varieties made with OREO®, Nutter Butter®, Fruity Pebbles® and Sour Patch Kids® Guests also enjoyed coffee at the donut shop complimentary of Snax-Sational Brands.

A stream of infuencers also attended to be a part of the day to celebrate Pride with the Cookie Pop OREO Donut favor, which offcially kicked off Pride Month. Infuencer Troy Pes Deejayed with special guest and boyfriend, model Zander Hodgson. Danny Trejo attended also and made a special appearance at the popup for an hour along with notable food expert Sophia Gayot and Snax-Sational Brands CMO, Adam Cohen, aka The Snaxpert.

The collaboration also marked the launch of Cookie Pop, Candy Pop and Cereal pop into TARGET Stores nationwide, their latest retailer which was announced the month prior at the Sweets and Snacks Show in Chicago. The nationwide roll out of course includes Southern California where the activation took place.

For more information follow @TrejosDonuts and @CookiePop_CandyPop

The collaboration also marked the launch of Cookie Pop, Candy Pop and Cereal pop into TARGET Stores nationwide, their latest retailer which was announced the month prior at the Sweets and Snacks Show in Chicago.