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North Fulton Business Radio

Manuja Ranasinghe of 50 Acres Tea: Wellness in a Cup

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Manuja Ranasinghe of 50 Acres Tea: Wellness in a Cup (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 909)

On this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Manuja Ranasinghe, founder of 50 Acres Tea, a premium tea brand based in Metro Atlanta. Manuja recounts his journey from Sri Lanka, which included a lengthy corporate career in banking and the airline industry, and how a 2020 buyout paved the way for the launch of a purpose-driven tea company.

Drawing on childhood time around his grandparents’ tea estate and Sri Lankan factories, he explains why 50 Acres centers on a single-region, high-elevation black tea that he refined over two and a half years to suit American palates seeking a lighter, calming beverage. He also unpacks his blends, including mangosteen, cardamom, pineapple, and cinnamon, and explains why he calls tea “wellness in a cup.” The conversation also covers daily tea habits, caffeine comparisons with coffee, and why 50 Acres sells directly to consumers online.

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

How a single-region, high-elevation Sri Lankan black tea produces a light, smooth cup that appeals to American tea drinkers
Why 50 Acres layers functional flavors like mangosteen, cardamom, pineapple, and cinnamon over full-leaf black tea
Tea as a calming, evening-friendly beverage with lower caffeine than coffee
The family story behind the 50 Acres name and how it shapes the brand

Topics Discussed in this Episode

0:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:37 Meet Manuja Ranasinghe of 50 Acres Tea
00:53 Renasant Bank: Your Personal Banking Solution
03:04 Manuja’s Journey from Sri Lanka to the USA
04:29 The Birth of 50 Acres Tea
06:31 Understanding the American Tea Market
09:26 The Health Benefits of Tea
12:24 Exploring Premium Tea Blends
16:05 Starting a Tea Company in Georgia
16:41 The Growing Popularity of Tea
17:21 The Story Behind the Brand
18:51 Solving Problems with Premium Tea
21:15 Unique Selling Points and Market Strategy
23:43 Core Values and Community Outreach
27:01 Customer Reviews and Product Quality
28:51 How to Purchase and Experience 50 Acres Tea
30:31 Final Thoughts and Additional Information

Manuja Ranasinghe, Founder, 50 Acres Tea

Manuja Ranasinghe, 50 Acres Tea

Manuja Ranasinghe is a Sri Lankan-born entrepreneur, storyteller, and values-driven leader based in the United States, best known as the founder of 50 Acres Tea. Drawing from his experiences at Delta Air Lines and as a Distinguished Toastmaster, Manuja champions self-empowerment and authenticity in business and life. His philosophy is deeply rooted in his Buddhist heritage, emphasizing moral conduct, concentration, and wisdom, which infuses both his leadership style and his approach to wellness-focused entrepreneurship.

Founded in 2023 and headquartered in Marietta, Georgia, 50 Acres sources premium Ceylon tea blends crafted to support well-being and refreshment. The company’s product line features teas rich in natural antioxidants, soothing herbs, spices, and fruits, all designed to promote healing, focus, and serene clarity without the jitters associated with conventional caffeinated beverages. 50 Acres reflects Manuja’s mission to create products that ignite both personal wellness and a deeper appreciation for extraordinary taste.

This combination of cross-cultural experience, values-first leadership, and a passion for quality tea makes Manuja and 50 Acres uniquely positioned in the modern wellness and beverage landscape—making them ideal for listeners seeking both inspiration and practical tips for living authentically and well.

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Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $17 billion in assets and more than 180 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from each banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way to better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

Whether you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.

Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.

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About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

With over 900 episodes and having featured over 1,400 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!

The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their markets, communities, and professions. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.

John Ray, host of North Fulton Business Radio and Owner, Ray Business Advisors

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, and it is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

You can find the complete archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.

John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is the author of the five-star rated book, The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.

Atlanta Business Radio

Georgia Department of Economic Development Presents Small Business Rock Stars Award Winners

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Spencer Nix, Zaheer Faruqi, Mary Ellen McClanahan, Ryan “Redhawk” McPherson

Mary Ellen McClanahan / Georgia Department of Economic Development

Director, Entrepreneur & Small Business

As Director of Entrepreneur & Small Business Development for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Mary Ellen McClanahan helps find solutions and effective ways to build an entrepreneurial environment to support small business through mentoring, professional development, strategic planning and resource awareness. She also connects with Georgias business and community associations so that thousands of businesses, local leaders and practitioners are aware of resources and opportunities. She also directs any size businesses to the specific resources they need. Mary Ellen is also an Existing Industry Project Manager within the Metro Atlanta region. She calls on growing companies making them aware of state resources and incentives and provides assistance with their growth plans and decision-making process. She also works closely with the local economic developers with their existing industry support efforts.

During her 18 years with the department, she helped develop and grow its regional economic development program, the Entrepreneur Friendly Initiative and acted as legislative liaison. Prior to that, Mary Ellen was the economic developer and president of two rural South Georgia chambers of commerce in Dodge and Sumter Counties.

Originally from Erie, PA and in Georgia since 1973, Mary Ellen serves on the boards of GEDA (Georgia Economic Developers Association), GACCE (GA Association of Chambers of Commerce Executives), Georgia Mentor Protégé Connection, Adv

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Zaheer Faruqi / Aventure Aviation

Founder and President

Zaheer Faruqi has been president of Aventure Aviation since he co-founded the company in 2001. He has more than 35 years of aviation experience, having worked in the engineering and maintenance departments of several major international airlines for more than 20 years before co-founding Aventure. Zaheer is responsible for the success and strategic direction of the company. He oversees the company’s operations, taking great interest in ensuring that the right staff are hired, and that they are provided with the proper training and facilities needed to make their jobs challenging and fun. His favorite part about working at Aventure is forming relationships with customers, to ensure that he understands their specific parts requirements. He also takes great satisfaction in training the Aventure staff to better serve their customers. Zaheer was first attracted to the aviation field by his childhood love of airplanes.

When not working, he enjoys reading business books, volunteering in the community, and helping those in need improve their daily lives. Zaheer holds a Masters in Administrative Management, and a Bachelor of Science in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Technology. He has FAA airframe and power plant licenses, and has completed multiple courses from Airbus and Boeing.

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Spencer Nix / Reformation Brewery

Founder

Reformation Brewery out of Woodstock, Ga. employs 10 people and is redefining what local beer should be. “We built our entire business model on this concept of enjoying well made beer as a gift and sharing that gift with others,” said Spencer Nix, CEO of Reformation Brewery. And Nix wanted to enjoy the process. Many breweries obtain a lot of capital and skip to the largest equipment they can afford, but Reformation did the opposite and started with a few investors and opened a production brewery on a 1-Barrel Brewhouse. They’ve since scaled that equipment to a 3-Barrel Brewhouse, a 7-Barrel Brewhouse, and recently installed the first High Efficiency Brewing System (HEBS) in the State of Georgia.

Since starting in 2014, the company has gone from zero paid employees to ten and saw $700,000 in sales in 2015. But its impact on people and the community is what fuels their business and has launched them into the new phenomenon of “beer tourism.” The brewery has drawn visitors from as far away as Michigan, and theKeeping Room welcomed 12,000 visitors to its downtown Woodstock location in its first year.

So why start a brewery in Georgia? “Because it’s home,” Nix says. “Home to a growing population relocating from other parts of the country. Home to great small communities where small business thrives. Home to world-class resources the city of Atlanta attracts. And home to where I’m from, and all meaningful adventures start at home.”

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