Our story
KA! was born from a simple truth: separation is one of the deepest wounds of our time—the feeling of being disconnected from nature, from one another, and from ourselves.
In a world that asks us to move faster, consume more, and stay perpetually plugged in, many of us have quietly lost touch with what it means to feel truly connected. We’ve learned how to optimize our nutrition, productivity, fitness, and even mindfulness, yet few of us have learned how to care for our nervous system so we can live more fully from the heart.
Inspired by nature, informed by modern science, and guided by the wisdom of indigenous traditions, we’ve spent years drawing on ethnobotany, botanical medicine, and the rigor of modern biochemistry to create a new approach to emotional wellness.
The result is KA! Empathogenics™ — a different kind of wellness company, centered on an open heart, a calm nervous system, a clear mind, and full-spectrum aliveness. A way to be fully human, without becoming overwhelmed. Kanna is the first botanical that allowed us to bring this vision to life, but KA! has always been about something much larger than one plant.
We believe the heart is the source of our greatest intelligence—one we’ve forgotten how to trust.
When the mind is clear, the body is calm, and the heart is open, we make wiser decisions, build deeper relationships, and move through life with greater joy, presence, empathy, and grace.
That’s the world we’re here to help create.
A more connected, heart-centered, fully alive world.
For all beings.
Meet our founder
Like many people, I’ve lived through seasons of anxiety, depression, and profound uncertainty. Those experiences sent me inward—in search of something I felt I’d lost, something I had not yet awakened to.
Although I’d built a successful career in finance and film, I realized I wasn’t looking for more achievement. I wanted to feel fully alive, connected and genuinely myself.
That search led me to healing traditions from around the world, and eventually to an extraordinary botanical from South Africa called kanna. It helped me experience a calmer nervous system, a more open heart, and a deeper sense of joyful presence I hadn’t felt in years. It reawakened me to love—not merely as an emotion, but as a way of being. In that moment, I knew I had found part of what I was meant to bring into the world.
That calling became KA! Empathogenics—built on the belief that emotional connection is an essential expression of nervous system health, and foundational to how we live, love, heal, create, and lead. Our mission is to help people cultivate not just greater wellbeing, but deeper humanity.
Kanna is the first language KA! learned to speak.
I've sat with Bushmen and Khoi elders, listened to stories passed down across generations, and walked the land where kanna grows wild. I came to understand that the deepest wisdom about this plant isn't found in laboratories alone, but also through relationships. That understanding continues to shape the relationships I've built with farmers, researchers, and stewards of this plant, all rooted in integrity, reciprocity, and trust.
My hope is that KA! offers moments of true attunement and heart-centered presence, especially now, when so much is designed to pull us apart — helping you remain compassionate, resilient and resourced.
Thank you for being here. It’s an honor to share this journey with you.
With love,
Stephanie Wang
Founder
Brought to you by thousands of years of indigenous wisdom.
Health = homeostasis
When our systems are in balance, anything—including optimal health—is possible. All KA! Empathogenics are carefully formulated to restore and cohere the body, heart, mind and spirit.
Joy is the highest form
of well being
We’re on a mission to help you feel the fullness of your aliveness. It’s ok to not always feel good, but when you do, you radiate from within, and are able to positively affect everything around you.
We’re better together
KA! brings people together through deeper connection to themselves and others. We are all connected, and we believe in the power of plants to help us remember.
Circular is the way
If everything is everything, then every little detail matters. Including how we source our ingredients, develop our products, package and distribute them—with full integrity and closed-loop thinking.
Regeneration is the future
We are committed to creating meaningful value for the environment and its inhabitants rather than just taking from it. “Doing less harm” is not enough, we are here to be proactive, leave things better than we found them, and show up for change.
Next-gen empathogens
This new category of natural heart-opening supplements are designed to help people feel more alive as they navigate everyday stress*. Our proprietary offerings feature Kanna, a powerful South African botanical that’s clinically proven to calm stress, lift mood and sharpen cognitive function.