TEAKOO A Chinese Tea Brand, Crafting a Sanctuary for the Soul

TEAKOO: A Tea Brand That Brings Peace and Healing

Recently, Mao Buyi’s song "Little Empty" introduced many people to the Chinese tea brand TEAKOO. As the brand’s "Music Healing Ambassador," Mao wrote this soft and calming song for TEAKOO’s 2nd anniversary. The lyrics are warm and relaxing, and the music video makes you feel like you’ve entered a peaceful paradise. Many listeners said: "It made me feel calm, as if my soul was cleansed."

This song led me to explore TEAKOO’s social media pages and the personal account of its founder, Zhao Haibai. Through their content, I discovered a brand that values peace and healing. In fact, “healing” has always been a key idea for TEAKOO. The story of this young tea brand begins with Zhao Haibai’s own journey of self-discovery and inner peace.

Part 1: Before TEAKOO, He Emptied Himself First

Zhao Haibai’s early career sounds like a dream:

• Graduated from Yale University
• Worked at Goldman Sachs, a top global investment bank
• Helped with Alibaba’s IPO
• Joined Blackstone and took part in real estate projects worth over 10 billion RMB

For someone so young, these are amazing achievements. But at 26, Zhao began to feel lost. Even though his work was often in the news, he didn’t feel fulfilled. He realized he was on a smooth and successful path—but it wasn’t what he truly wanted. So he made a brave choice: he left.

He left to listen to his heart.

Zhao went to Harvard for further studies. There, he spent four years learning and thinking about himself. He asked big questions like:

• "Who am I?"
• "What do I really want to do in this world?"

He reread his old diaries and applications and noticed one common theme: his deep love for Chinese culture.

Although born in Berlin, Zhao always felt connected to Chinese culture. As a child, he loved "Journey to the West" and martial arts novels. He even asked his father to help him write a letter to the actor who played Monkey King. These childhood passions resurfaced during his time at Harvard. He became sure about one thing: he wanted to do something meaningful rooted in Chinese culture—and share it with the world.

During his studies, Zhao also set small goals for himself: writing a song, creating a course that became part of Harvard’s program, waking up at 6 am to exercise, and writing daily notes. Through these habits, he discovered the kind of life he wanted: one filled with warmth, positive energy, and relaxation.

But what exactly should he do? He wasn’t sure until one day in the Harvard cafeteria...

He saw some American classmates drinking tea and proudly told them about tea’s deep history in China. Then they asked him two simple questions:

• "What are some famous Chinese tea brands?"
• "What tea brands do young people in China like?"

Zhao realized that although China has many great teas, most people can’t name a well-known tea brand. That’s when he knew: he would create a tea brand that could become world-famous.

With this new goal, Zhao felt motivated and ready. Leaving his successful job and returning to school was his way of “resetting” himself. Starting a tea brand was his new beginning.

Part 2: A Team That Has Seen the World Wants the World to Love China

On January 1, 2020—his mother’s birthday—Zhao Haibai started his business. He was 30 years old, an age when many people feel pressure to succeed. But Zhao wrote: "I have never felt younger than today... Compared to where we are going, we are all still children. We are standing at the beginning." He was ready.

In fact, he began preparing in his last winter break before graduating in 2019. He traveled across China to major tea-producing areas and visited local tea farmers in his hometown, Enshi, Hubei. The farmers’ simple but deep love for tea moved him. He also saw how healthy and valuable tea is as a drink. He became certain that his tea brand should promote health, beauty, and healing. He thought: "China should have a world-class lifestyle brand."

After defining the brand, Zhao’s first step was to build a team. He spent months traveling to tea bases and meeting talented people from different fields. Seven months later, experts in consumer goods, tea supply, and product development came together in Hangzhou and created TEAKOO. The name means “tea empty,” suggesting a mind free from worry.

This team shares a beautiful dream: to bring Chinese tea to the world and promote a healthy, relaxed lifestyle. They hope TEAKOO can go far and wide— sharing Chinese tea culture and helping more people feel less stressed and more at peace.