Jibby was founded by James Reina and Alvaro Ortega. Struggling with ADHD since childhood, Alvaro started taking medication at the age of 8 and began to experience side effects (like anxiety) as a result. He battled these symptoms for years until he turned 22, which was when he decided to take matters into his own hands. Alvaro began scouring forums, science books, and Reddit groups in search of a solution to his anxiety. One day, he came across CBD and learned that it had helped others with ADHD. After taking CBD for a few weeks, Alvaro felt like a completely new person — but he had a hard time remembering to take it consistently. When he had the idea to combine CBD into his daily morning coffee, Alvaro knew he had hit the jackpot.

At the same time, James — a coffee connoisseur who had opened his own cafe back in 2015 — started developing a sensitivity to caffeine and experiencing jitters. In his own search for a coffee that didn’t leave him jittery for the rest of the day, James fortuitously met Alvaro, who introduced him to CBD coffee. The duo bonded quickly and started testing out different CBD coffee formulations, ultimately deciding to create a business out of it after witnessing the drastic improvements to their mood and productivity. In August 2020, James and Alvaro left their jobs and committed full-time to Jibby. Fast forward to today, the co-founders are reimagining America’s morning ritual with CBD coffee that’s both uplifting and grounding.