Entrepreneur Anna Cobb has landed her products in one of her dream retailers.
A few years ago, Cobb visited a GNC while searching for a supplement to boost her energy. At the time, she was a 20-year-old student at Tuskegee University pursuing a degree in plant sciences, according to her LinkedIn profile. However, the women’s energy vitamin triggered a life-threatening allergic reaction, leaving her in a coma for a week.
“…I realized my survival meant a greater purpose,” Cobb wrote. “This experience prompted extensive research into the harmful chemicals present in energy supplements. During my time at Tuskegee University, I observed a lack of healthful food and beverage options on campus, inspiring me to transform my personal research into a campus-wide plant-based catering company during my senior year.”
Rejuvenation
That company didn’t survive the COVID-19 pandemic, per LinkedIn. Still, it did serve as a launch pad for Rejuvenation Beverage Co., which started in 2020 with its first brand, Rejuvenation, offering plant-based energy drinks in flavors like pineapple, hibiscus, and apple. The brand also scored $100,000 as a winner of Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition Prize, according to information on its website.
O’kra
In September 2025, Cobb launched a second brand, O’kra, which also operates under the parent company Rejuvenation by VQC Inc., according to information shared with AFROTECH™. The project is marketed as the world’s first sparkling okra water, per a press release. Cobb shared that through her personal experience she found that okra water contributed to clearer skin, reduced mood swings, and a natural energy boost.
“For generations, okra has been used in kitchens and communities as a healing food,” Cobb wrote in a LinkedIn post. “I wanted to honor that heritage while bringing it forward as a modern wellness product, the world’s first sparkling okra water.”
The O’kra brand, which includes offerings in flavors such as pineapple and pomegranate, has been a success. Within its first week of launch, 1,000 cans were sold, and the company had sold 7,000 cans within a month shortly after, according to information shared with AFROTECH™.
Launching in Erewhon
Now, the brand is shelved in one of Cobb’s dream retailers, Erewhon.
“I can officially say that in under six months of O’kra, we have launched into Erewhon,” she said in another LinkedIn post. “The most luxurious grocery store in the U.S., known for its $26 smoothies and celebrity clientele, now holds a piece of ancestral history on its shelves. Choosing okra isn’t just intentional. It’s symbolic.”
She continued, “It speaks volumes about the kind of retailer Erewhon truly is, one willing to honor culture, heritage, and wellness in its most authentic form. For those who understand premium retail, this moment feels almost unreal.”
O’kra is now available in all 11 Erewhon locations across Southern California. In the post, Cobb also teased that the brand will expand into another retailer with more than 400 locations across the southern U.S.
