Bringing MEM Lessons to Sports Performance Drinks

It was 2014 when Tareq Alhamwi (MEM '22) decided to create a workout routine for himself. He was a recent college graduate, and his regimen consisted almost exclusively of pushups and pullups at home.  

He quickly discovered joy in the process and set out to improve his performance and refine his technique. He joined a low-budget gym for access to more exercise machines, and over the years, his enthusiasm for fitness grew. Today, he belongs to a fitness center complete with a pool, sauna, and state-of-the-art equipment. 

Through his fitness journey, Tareq has witnessed a confounding reality—the number of drinks athletes intake around their exercise.  

"If you look at the lifecycle of an athlete's workout, there's usually an energy source before the workout, like coffee or an energy drink, a hydration drink during the workout, and a protein shake or powder post workout," Tareq said. "Why not combine all those drinks into one while making it actually enjoyable, rather than something you have to chug?" 

Tareq co-founded SPYRE, a complete sports performance drink that combines 160 mg of pre-workout energy, 2,000 mg of intra-workout hydration, and 27 grams of clear protein. 

The global functional drink market is valued at about $165 billion and is expected to reach $360 billion by the end of the decade. Tareq knows breaking into it will be a challenge, but he believes SPYRE has an advantage—superior formulation, and a great taste. 

Tareq experienced firsthand the chalky taste and feel often associated with post-workout protein shakes—drinks that usually come in basic flavors like vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry. SPYRE incorporates an FDA-approved protein with what Tareq described as a superior amino acid profile without the thickness or chalkiness found in a standard whey protein.   

SPYRE comes in four flavors: raspberry, watermelon, dragonfruit, and lemon-lime. 

Tareq’s primary role with SPYRE is akin to a chief operating officer, working on supply chain management and logistics, financials, taxes, and sales. While the company is actively looking for talent to join the team and help in sales and brand building, it currently is a two-person startup, so there are plenty of roles Tareq plays on any given day. 

To thrive, Tareq is utilizing lessons he learned in the MEM program.  

“MEM is more tailored to an entrepreneurial mindset," Tareq said. "They give you marketing, accounting, finance, organizational psychology, and there are a few electives around product development and entrepreneurship, which I took. That was the kind of space I wanted to get into, and that is why I picked MEM versus an MBA.”  

SPYRE used pre-seed funding to launch the product earlier this year. The drink is available for sale on the company’s website and at gyms and local retailers around Chicago. 

“We want to raise awareness about the product, the brand, and the company itself,” Tareq said. “We're doing a lot of collaborations with run clubs and local gyms, and then creating content online. That content creates more buzz, which in turn drives more collaborations and more awareness.”  

Each step in the startup’s journey has been guided by Tareq's MEM experience. 

“New business ventures have always been something that I've wanted to get into, that's why I went to MEM,” he said. “MEM gave me a lot of instrumental knowledge to think about SPYRE as a business, not just a project or side job."