Hi! We’re Celena, Zack, and Ivy—and we make energy jellies that are juicy, bouncy, and actually fun to eat.
Our story
Pao started as a post-run rant
Why do all energy gels taste like expired jam? Why do they stick to your teeth and your fingers and somehow your soul? And why do they never taste like the flavors we grew up loving?
So we decided to make our own.
We teamed up with Ivy—our brilliant friend, a scientist who studied at MIT and holds a PhD from Harvard in bioengineering—and started experimenting with textures, ingredients, and real Asian flavors like yuzu, lychee oolong, and strawberry matcha. The goal? Fuel that makes your mouth and your legs happy.
We’re not elite athletes
We’re just regular runners who love long miles, big laughs, and good snacks. We believe fueling shouldn’t feel clinical or gross. It should feel like cracking open your favorite childhood drink, slurping down a fruit jelly, or grabbing a treat from 7-Eleven on vacation in Asia.
That’s the energy behind Pao (跑)
Which means “run” in Chinese. Our jellies are designed for every pace and every runner, whether you’re chasing a PR or just vibing on your weekend long run. We made these because we couldn’t find them anywhere else—and because we wanted something that tasted like us.