Kelly Krpata's life has been shaped by two extraordinary events: a grizzly bear attack while hiking in Glacier National Park as a University of Michigan graduate student, and two subsequent diagnoses of Stage 4 colorectal cancer. Yet neither experience directly inspired him to start a company. Instead, they transformed how he viewed ordinary life—and that perspective became the foundation for BRYTR DAYS, a new nutrition company bringing its philosophy of Daily Nutrition for Real Life to market with a simple, once-daily nutritional drink.
The company's launch challenges a prevailing trend in the nutrition industry: the demand that consumers do more. Busy schedules, constant stress, inconsistent meals, poor sleep, and endless responsibilities have become part of everyday life, yet much of the nutrition industry continues asking people to follow another routine, buy another product, or chase another trend. Krpata found himself asking a different question: How could nutrition better support the life people were already living?
That question brought together family members, close friends, and experienced scientists for countless conversations about nutrients, ingredient forms, interactions, and formulation. The result is BRYTR DAYS, built on three principles the team calls the Three Rs: choose the right ingredients, understand the right interactions, and find the right ratios. These principles guide every formulation decision for the company's once-daily nutritional drink.
"Going through cancer changes what you pay attention to," Krpata says. "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."
Krpata's bear attack, which was later featured in National Geographic Adventure, required surgery to repair severed muscles and multiple puncture wounds. More than two decades later came the cancer diagnoses. Between those moments were years on Wall Street and at Silicon Valley startups, marriage, raising two daughters, and all of the ordinary experiences that make up a life. Those experiences convinced him that ordinary days were worth protecting.
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 met as students at the University of Michigan and later built a life together, navigating two diagnoses of Stage 4 colorectal cancer. Anita's ability to turn answers into action, Krpata says, made her the right person to build the company with the same care that went into discovering the idea.
"I've always believed discovering an idea and building a company are two different jobs," Krpata says. "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."
BRYTR DAYS's approach reflects a broader shift in consumer wellness: a move away from optimization culture and toward sustainable, simple habits. The company's once-daily drink is designed to help people feel more prepared for the demands of everyday life without adding another complex routine. For more information about the company's philosophy, visit BRYTR DAYS.
"We're not trying to help people optimize their lives," Krpata says. "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.
