Revolutionizing the way people think and feel about Kombucha and fermented foods, GT Dave is sharing a message & lifestyle with the world that food is medicine. As the Founder and CEO of GT’s Living Foods, the #1 best-selling and most-loved Kombucha brand, GT has dedicated his life, his brand and even his name on the label, to the philosophy that living foods should be around us and in us to live happier, healthier lives.
Popularly named the “King of Kombucha,” GT began brewing Kombucha out of his childhood home in 1995, pioneering the category as the first person to bring the traditional Eastern drink to the U.S. market. The journey began when GT’s family was gifted a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) and he experienced first-hand the positive impact Kombucha had on his mother’s recovery during her battle with breast cancer. Little did he know what started in his home kitchen would become the largest Kombucha company in the world, leading a soon-to-be multi-billion-dollar category.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, GT had an unconventional family upbringing with values deeply rooted in Eastern traditions. He is the youngest of three sons to parents Laraine and Michael Dave. GT was a vegetarian from the womb and taught that food has the power to nourish and heal the body. Early in his youth, GT came out as gay at the age of 13. During that time, he was met with little acceptance by his peers and left high school shortly after. Continuing his education outside the traditional school walls, GT was able and inspired to create, nurture and grow his new passion for Kombucha into a thriving business.
GT is nationally recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine, Fast Company, Forbes, CNBC and more, and gained social media virality in 2019 in the roast-turned-clapback video by Celebrity YouTuber, Cody Ko. With this, a social media wave and fandom took shape around Kombucha and GT giving birth to content and memes in the social world like TikTok star Brittany Broski’s “Kombucha Face.” GT continues to give back to his community by supporting efforts close to his heart like Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation and Feed America and share his knowledge and expertise with tomorrow’s entrepreneurs at various speaking events. In 2019, he became a figurehead in Kombucha Brewer’s International with the creation of the Laraine Dave Endowment, donating $1,000,000 with a goal to preserve and secure a standard of identity for Kombucha worldwide.
A man of his mission, GT has never strayed away from his driving purpose after 25 years. Today, GT’s Living Foods offers always pure, potent and plant-derived fermented offerings crafted in their most authentic form- never compromised. GT remains fiercely independent and is the sole owner of his company.
GT resides in Los Angeles with his husband, Allan and pet bunny Madonna continuing to act as a steward for Kombucha and all living foods.