The Pioneers of Stevia
1980s
Where It All Began
Jim May discovered stevia in the early 1980s from Paraguay, where the stevia plant is native. Jim, a health-conscious entrepreneur who avoided artificial sweeteners, was amazed by the stevia leaf's natural sweetness.
1982
A Family on a Mission
In 1982, Jim launched Wisdom of the Ancients bringing plant-based herbal teas and sweeteners to the U.S. From handing out products from the family van to stocking store shelves, Jim and his kids spread the word about plant-based sweetness, proving you don't need artificial ingredients to make sweet taste sweet.
1990s
The Green Packet is Born
The May family continued to pioneer new stevia products, and in 1999 launched SweetLeaf®, introducing Stevia Plus Fiber, the first green sweetener packet to the world.
(At the time, pink was saccharin, blue was aspartame, and white was sugar.)
2000s
Leading the Plant-Based Sweetener Movement
From Sweet Drops® to monk fruit blends, SweetLeaf® led the shift toward real, plant-based sweeteners. In 2008, FDA approval made it official. Plant-based sweetness had arrived.
2010s
Growing the Legacy
With Water Drops® and new flavor formats, we made healthy sweetness simple and craveable. Through it all, our passion for helping people make better, real-life choices every day has stayed the same.
Today
The Original, and the Reimagined
Today, SweetLeaf® is still family-led and still innovating, leading the way in plant-based sweetness. In 2024, we expanded our lineup to include Drizzle Honey.