When Christal Burnette first arrived in Okinawa, she expected to find a strong focus on the island’s renowned longevity. To her surprise, there wasn’t much. Determined to change that, she dedicated herself to studying Okinawan health and plants, eventually founding her own company to put Okinawan longevity back on the map. She earned her graduate degree from the University of the Ryukyus in 2018, then established Haitai Corporation. She later joined the American Chamber of Commerce in Okinawa and became an alumna of the Yoneyama Scholarship Foundation by the Rotary Club.

In 2019, during a visit home to Florida, Christal Burnette stopped by a cancer center that had purchased her fucoidan powder. Curious about their research, she spoke with a lead scientist—who revealed something shocking: out of over 50 fucoidan supplements tested, hers was the only one that was truly authentic. This was her first glimpse into the dark side of the health industry—rampant with fakes, scams, and misleading extremes. That moment shaped Haitai’s core value: to stand for truth, authenticity, and real, uncompromising quality.