Kelly Krpata's path to founding a nutrition company began with a grizzly bear attack and was later reinforced by two diagnoses of Stage 4 colorectal cancer. But those experiences did not directly inspire him to start a business. Instead, they changed how he viewed ordinary life. That perspective eventually became the foundation for BRYTR DAYS, a company that today introduces its philosophy of Daily Nutrition for Real Life with a simple, once-daily nutritional drink.
While hiking in Glacier National Park as a University of Michigan graduate student, Krpata was mauled by a grizzly bear, suffering injuries that required surgery to repair severed muscles and multiple puncture wounds. The ordeal was later featured in National Geographic Adventure. More than two decades later, he faced two diagnoses of Stage 4 colorectal cancer. Between those events were years on Wall Street and at Silicon Valley startups, marriage, raising two daughters, and the ordinary experiences that make up a life.
"Going through cancer changes what you pay attention to," Krpata said. "You stop thinking about living an extraordinary life and start appreciating ordinary ones. You want enough energy for your family, your work, and the people you care about. You realize most people aren't trying to optimize every moment. They're simply trying to have more good days."
That curiosity led him to explore nutrition and the science of how the body works. He became convinced that modern life had changed faster than our nutritional habits. Busy schedules, constant stress, inconsistent meals, poor sleep, and endless responsibilities had become part of everyday life, yet much of the nutrition industry continued asking people to do more—follow another routine, buy another product, or chase another trend.
Instead of asking how to build another nutrition company, Krpata asked how nutrition could better support the life people were already living. That question brought together family members, close friends, experienced scientists, and countless conversations about nutrients, ingredient forms, interactions, and formulation. As the idea grew, Krpata realized that discovering an idea and building a company are two different jobs. He asked his wife, Anita, to become CEO—not because she shared his strengths, but because she complemented them. The two had met as students at the University of Michigan and later built a life together, raising two daughters and navigating two diagnoses of Stage 4 colorectal cancer.
"I've always believed discovering an idea and building a company are two different jobs," Krpata said. "I've always been drawn to questions. Anita has always been exceptional at turning answers into action. I didn't want someone who thought like I did. I wanted someone who challenged my thinking, made better decisions than I would make on my own, and could build the company with the same level of care that went into discovering the idea in the first place."
Together, they built BRYTR DAYS around a simple idea: if life was asking more of people than ever before, daily nutrition shouldn't ask more of them too. It should be simple, thoughtful, and easy to return to every day. Years of research and formulation came down to three principles: choose the right ingredients, understand the right interactions, and find the right ratios. Internally, the team calls them the Three Rs, and they continue to guide every formulation decision.
The result is Daily Nutrition for Real Life—a simple, once-daily nutritional drink designed to help people feel more prepared for the demands of everyday life. "We're not trying to help people optimize their lives," Krpata said. "We're trying to help people feel a little more like themselves. Because when you feel more like yourself, it's easier to show up for everything else that matters."
For Krpata, BRYTR DAYS was never about building another nutrition company. It was about building something that reflected what life had taught him: that extraordinary experiences can change your perspective, curiosity can change your understanding, and sometimes the best way to help people live extraordinary lives is to help them have more good ordinary days.
BRYTR DAYS creates Daily Nutrition for Real Life, a thoughtfully formulated once-daily nutritional drink designed to help people feel more prepared for the demands of everyday life. Built on the belief that wellness should support your life—not become your life—BRYTR DAYS combines scientific rigor with a simple, approachable philosophy that makes daily nutrition easier to sustain. For more information, visit https://www.brytrdays.com.
