In 1986, runners Brian and Jennifer Maxwell took to their kitchen while coaching and studying food science, respectively, at the University of California Berkeley to create an energy bar that would aid in Brian’s athletic pursuits as a marathon runner with Olympic dreams.

That passion project, which the couple dubbed, “PowerBar,” went on to become a household name and a multimillion-dollar brand. The original bar was a staple in gym goers’ lifestyles, offering fuel before and after a workout or athletic competition.

“The world was a different place in the 80s,” Jennifer Maxwell told Nutraceuticals World. “[There were] granola bars, but no sports energy bar. We were creating a whole industry through the product. We had this big canvas on which to create and it took off immediately. It was such a novel idea. Athletes didn’t really eat anything before working out at the time, and PowerBar came along and it was perfect for that. People just loved it.”

The couple sold the PowerBar company to Nestle in the year 2000. Nestle would go on to sell its sports nutrition business, including PowerBar, to Post Holdings in 2014. Today, the PowerBar brand exists under the portfolio of the Post-owned Premier Nutrition Company.

Loss, Drums, and JamBar

Despite a congenital heart condition, Brian Maxwell was one of the top elite marathon runners of his time. However, he died of a heart attack in 2004 at the age of 51. Along with Jennifer, he was survived by six children.

An elite cross-country runner in her own right, Jennifer focused on raising the kids, and eventually took up jazz drumming. She’s also now carried the entrepreneurial torch, launching a new energy bar brand called JamBar.

Officially launched in the fall of 2021, JamBars are organic, gluten-free, and Fair-Trade. “The primary focus is energy,” said Maxwell. “JamBar is a comprehensive food, meaning 10 grams of protein complex and simple carbs and 4 grams of fiber.”

The regular JamBar contains whey protein with a sunflower seed protein vegan option. Because the brand sought to create an organic bar of the highest-quality, there aren’t any manufactured sugars, Maxwell said. Instead, JamBar uses Grade A maple syrup sourced from Canada and sugar from grapes, honey, and dates, to serve as natural flavor enhancers.

“It’s better for your body to eat ingredients that are closer to nature,” said Maxwell. “Everything in JamBar is so pure, you could eat it off a spoon.”

The bars are available in four varieties: Jammin’ Jazzelberry, a taste Maxwell describes as bright with lots of berries; Mango, which contains large, chewy dry pieces of the fruit; Chocolate, which can take the shape of a soft brownie in warmer temperatures and a firm, grainy chocolate oat cake in cooler temperatures; and Malt Nut Melody, a peanut, sesame, malt, and vanilla flavored bar.

Unlike PowerBar’s chewy, taffy-like texture, JamBar is softer.

“Sweetness dictates the texture because it’s holding the product together,” noted Maxwell.

While JamBar can be enjoyed anytime of day or before a workout, Maxwell prefers hers with a cup of tea at breakfast or with cottage cheese and a glass of milk during a daytime snack.

“Twenty grams of protein and 400 calories is a pretty good mini meal,” she said. “It’s enough to sustain you for 3-4 hours.”

After consuming JamBar, Maxwell said she feels energized, but not uncomfortably full. “It’s very satisfying,” she said, “The chewy goodness with the grains, and there’s no aftertaste.”

Writing a New Rhythm

Following Brian’s passing, Jennifer took up jazz drumming, which she said felt natural to her, aligning with her rhythm as a runner.

“Being a runner my whole life, I had that cadence and tempo already inside me,” she said. “To have it in my soul, in my body. [I was] drawn to the drums. I enjoy jazz. It’s very interactive. When you play with your ensemble, you listen to each other and talk to each other through your instrument. You’re playing a tune that can be played a different way every single time you play it, depending on who you’re playing with and your mood at the time. To me, that’s really intriguing.”

She continued, “I feel at peace and engaged in something that’s part of me, but outside of me as well, because I’m creating music for myself and an audience.”

The mother of six plays in a jazz band, performing at the California Jazz Conservatory (CJC) four times a year, and with a local rock and funk band at restaurants and parties. She cites Pink Floyd, Sly and the Family Stone, and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers as influences.

After more than a decade drumming, the JamBar couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. To give back to the music and active living community, JamBar prides itself as a “product on a mission.” Recognized by its whimsical musical characters on the packaging and purple block lettering—the artwork of which is supplied by Maxwell’s daughter—50% of JamBar’s profits are donated to music and active living programs. Beneficiaries include the CJC, a children’s orphanage and music school in Haiti and Louisiana, and the Positive Coaching Alliance, a nonprofit organization that creates a positive youth sports environment, among several others.

While JamBars are currently in 200 retail outlets, including organic food stores, grocery stores, coffee shops, and sports and bikes stores on the west coast, the brand is looking to expand nationwide in the near future.

What would Brian think of JamBar?

“He’s cheering us on for sure,” said Maxwell. “He would love the varieties. He would love the quality. Brian was a big humanitarian as well, and he’d be really supporting us in wanting to give back to the community.”