Who is Darin Olien?
Darin Olien founded Darin’s Naturals in 2005 as a means to integrate the numerous concepts related to health, nutrition, and exercise gained while acquiring a BA in Exercise Physiology/Nutrition, an MA in Psychology, and over a decade of experience working in several health-based industries.
Since 2005, Darin has traveled the planet on behalf of Darin’s Naturals, discovering new and underutilized herbs, superfood, and medicinal plants. Darin’s complete immersion in the indigenous cultures found across the globe have helped to expand his knowledge as a formulator and environmental initiator.
In 2006, Darin began working with Beachbody, in Santa Monica, California, to formulate the now popular whole food supplement, Shakeology. Shakeology currently generates over $1 million in sales per week with a $100 to $200 million projection for 2012.
Presently, Darin is working on 12 ground-breaking whole food formulations for Beachbody. Darin’s naturals has already successfully sourced over 250 foods and ingredients from around the world and continues to work directly with the indigenous of Peru, Amazon, Himalayas, Remote China, Costa, Rica, Yucatan, and others.
All of Darin’s international collaborations strongly support fair trade. His work closely follows the belief that the discovery of new healthful ingredients should benefit the health of individuals worldwide, while also contributing to the economies of the regions from which these herbs are sourced.
Since 2006 Darin has been working closely with Dr. Bernd Neugebauer and the Vital Village concept in the Yucatan. Vital Village is an indigenous working village promoting and sustaining cooperative social working structure through agriculture biodynamics, food and superfood production, supporting local people and economies.
In 2007, the Government of Bhutan’s Trade Ministry joined by the World Bank, contacted Darin to aid in the opening of trade between the US and Bhutan for the first time history in order to source Bhutan’s medicinal plants and other products. Darin became one of the first western ‘herbal hunters’ to venture to this ecologically diverse medicinal kingdom in the Himalayas. This significant moment in history can be witnessed in the Documentary, Bhutan: A Kingdom of Happiness*, for which Darin served as both founder and producer.
www.bhutanakingdomofhappiness.com
In addition to hunting for powerful whole foods, Darin’s Naturals has become a platform for stimulating research. Recently Darin has joined Dr. William Li at the Angiogenisis Foundation to study the positive effects and disease prevention capabilities of whole, functional foods.
In 2010 Darin was also a co-founder in the Foundation for Global Inspiration, a non-profit nonsectarian media, education, research orgainization dedicated to the promotion, awareness and dialogue of positive action among citizens, leaders and
nations of the world to increase and promote happiness and upliftment through environmental, health, spiritual and balanced values, attitudes and practices.
www.Foundationforglobalinspiration.com
Additionally, for the last 5 years Darin has worked with Atmospheric Water Technology, the simple mechanism of pulling water condensation out of the air for clean drinking water.
In 2011 Darin became a Board Member and Field Director of RainCatcher, a non-profit dedicated to providing, catching and filtering clean water around the world in places like Africa, India, Philippines as well as disaster relief events.
Also in 2011 Darin became an associate producer in the wild mustang saving film “Wild Horses and Renegades” and U2’s “Who’s gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” video.