creator of WakeUp Bio-waker® formula and the BioLift beverage.

Let’s start from the very beginning. How did the whole story of BioLift begin? Who inspire you to launch a beverage brand?

I grew up in a family that owned the largest CPG distribution system in Israel with over 12,000 points of sale.  From a young age, if I wanted to please my dad, I had to find more products that could put on the trucks, so I was taught to look for a customer need. The InnoBev story began in 2007, long before FoodTech or Biohacking were terms of art, while I was talking to a friend who was studying medicine at the Tel Aviv University.  He told me about a study that showed the U.S. workforce was losing $136.4 billion dollars every year due to lack of productivity.

This unproductive time was found to be a result of Post Lunch Dip syndrome, the tiredness we all feel between 1:00 to 3:00 PM imbedded in our circadian rhythm.  These same hours are also the most dangerous hours of the day for work and road accidents. At that moment it occurred to me this was a real pressing need that I felt compelled to solve.  Very naively, I called professor Giora Pilar the head of the Israeli sleep institute in the Technion and one of the world’s leading experts in chronobiology. Ten years, three clinical trials and plenty of patents later we created the initial WakeUp BioWaker® Formula that BioLift is based on.

InnoBev is not a beverage company, we are a FoodTech company specializing in the science of chronobiology and nutrition. Our goal from day one was to find a healthy natural solution for the Post Lunch Dip. The majority of our work from 2008 through today is centered on around R&D, clinical research, food engineering and acquiring patents to clinically prove and protect the IP of our WakeUp Bio-Waker® formulations.

After over a decade of clinical trials, we are proving the WakeUp formula is not only a superior “beyond caffeine” alternative but it’s completely safe. The WakeUp formula does not increase pulse or blood pressure nor build tolerance over time and it is also acceptable for people with blood pressure or heart condition and recommended for diabetics. Last year we began to collaborate with IFF on manufacturing the WakeUp ingredients and in parallel launched the BioLift beverage in New York. As a product that is designed to support and promote the WakeUp formulation it was important that other CPG, beverage and nutritional companies understand they can integrate the ingredients into existing brands without almost any change to the flavor. This is why we created the three very subtle flavors similar to flavored water. Today’s customer demands healthy natural scientific backed products with a great flavor and that is affordable.

BioLift is a functional beverage line of 3 different flavors. Can you tell us more about each? Which ingredients are the most important?

The formulation is composed of three botanicals:  ginkgo, biloba elderberry and guarana (only 10 mg caffeine) and a low glycemic carob extract. PLD usually hits at noontime, approximately six to seven hours after we wake up. During this time the physiological changes occurring in our bodies are characterized by a decrease in the oxygen in our blood accompanied by a decrease of half a degree Celsius in temperature as well as a slump in blood sugar levels. There are also some mild hormonal changes mostly involving cortisol release. The ingredients on their own don’t have any physiological effect but their combination together in one formulation is our clinically proven and patented breakthrough.

Since we are a science-oriented company, we thought about creating our proof of concept in one flavor but upon the recommendation of Beyond Brands, our New York based agency, we launched in three flavors, Mixed Berry, Melon Lime and Mandarin Orange.  In retrospect, it was excellent advice.

We also had the enormous advantage of leveraging our collaboration with IFF and using their natural flavors application lab to create the aforementioned great flavors which together with the extracts yields a mild-flavored and refreshing water taste.

It’s no secret that the process of a beverage development is long and tricky. What challenges you had to face in order to release BioLift line? Is it hard to maintain a good taste and high functionality of the beverage?

After more than 12 years working on this project, I honestly think we reinvented the term “long process”.  The greatest frustration with the project came when we completed the clinical study.  Although we had successfully developed the formulation during the customer research stage, we noticed how intent to buy dropped from over eight to below three due to the bitter overtones created by the extracts in our formulation. We literally crossed the globe to find the specific quality of extract with the required functional ingredient properties and without the dominant flavors, but the trickiest part of all was it had to be water-soluble.

BioLift is a dietary supplement created as a nootropic line. In your opinion, why more and more people are in a need of such products?

I believe people are looking for natural products that can work together with their bodies and not against it especially when managing demanding work schedules.

2020 was a hard year for everybody. What measures have you taken to decrease the impact of COVID-19 outbreak? What did you learn from this period?

We probably had the worst timing in the last century to launch our product. Our original plan was to launch BioLift at the beginning of March in New York and introduce it to companies as a refreshing beverage they could offer their employees in order to cope better with their lunch time bout of fatigue.  This is the same model we leveraged in Israel when we were working with the eBay and Google Innovation centers.  Both companies maintained a refrigerator in their kitchenette with our beverages for the benefit of the company and its employees.

Due to the virus, we had to change our strategy and swiftly pivot our focus to the retail sector whereby we launched BioLift in over 100 stores in New York while also expanding to Florida.

BioLift is available in NY state at this moment. Are you planning to hit the national market? Why?

As a young company with an innovative solution, you need always to move forward. The response to our product over the last five months in New York and Florida is encouraging and we intend to go expand sales to the national market in 2021.

Where do you see BioLift in 5 year from now?

A global brand that will expand to applications beyond drinks. As a parent feels for their child, the ultimate gratification is to see your concept grow and thrive on its own.

What advice would you have given yourself before you started out in the beverage business?

As a psychology major, I think we underestimate the emotional, spiritual, and mental consequences of being an entrepreneur and dedicating your career to finding an answer for a very specific phenomenon.  Entrepreneurs should take into account that alongside the satisfaction and enthusiasm that comes with developing a business, it is essential to surround themselves with a supportive environment to face the hurdles and the more difficult times. I don’t know of any entrepreneur or innovator that hasn’t faced such stresses.

For more information visit BioLift’s website.

It’s been more than 9 months after our talk back in 2019. Can you tell us what major changes has Vertosa had ever since then?

Hard to imagine it has been 9 months already. We’ve grown and evolved tremendously as a company in no short part due to the COVID-19 crisis. Removing travel and going largely virtual the past four months have given us the opportunity to really focus on the essential parts of our business, streamline processes, build even greater transparency internally and externally, and really lean into product development and R&D. Most importantly, our company culture has really blossomed and morale seems to be better than ever.

Deemed an essential part of the supply chain, the business has also been strong, so we’ve continued to expand both in product offerings and geography. We’re proud to announce milestones such as new partnerships with top beverage brands such as Calexo and Caliva, as well as an expansion into Canada through a strategic partnership with VIVO Cannabis, a producer known for premium cannabis products and services that will enable Vertosa to act as a platform for hemp and cannabis brands to grow in other regions with the same great active ingredients.

I have heard about the initiative of collaborating with flavor houses in order to develop new options for CBD infused beverages. What are the most remarkable findings and creations?

How brands and product developers think about CBD, or more broadly hemp, as an ingredient is evolving quickly. In the past, there was a propensity for manufacturers to come to us almost as an afterthought; as in, we have this fully formulated product, please just add CBD to it without changing anything. While we’ve been successful in doing that, the conversation is often much different now. We’re engaging companies during the ideation stage – literally sometimes just a pitch deck in hand – helping our partners design products from the ground-up in a more holistic fashion.

Our customized approach really allows the product makers to stretch the bounds of their imagination and explore incorporating various aspects of the cannabis plant beyond CBD for a truly unique experience. Terpenes, for instance, can create unique flavors that nod to the origin of the active ingredient, and when treated with our emulsion technology, can also significantly impact the consumer’s experience. We’ve also recently developed two certified organic formulations that have a more floral appeal, which for a natural products manufacturer, acts more as a base ingredient to build around instead of being an afterthought.

So, it’s important to understand how cannabis will function within the beverage’s formulation from the very beginning. Therefore, Vertosa works closely with each of our partner brand’s flavor house to achieve the whole desired experience of the end product. It’s also important for us to consider that there are other ingredients that influence how consumers will absorb the infusion. We need to understand what’s in the product and how those other ingredients will influence the whole experience and effects of the cannabinoids. There’s that compatibility component, so we need to familiarize ourselves with the flavor house’s ingredient base and the different options. It’s a very symbiotic relationship.

Vertosa has been actively operating outside the United States as well. What major projects or initiatives have been launched in Canada and Europe? Tell us more about them.

As I mentioned, last month we announced an expansion into Canada through a partnership with VIVO Cannabis. Working with VIVO, we can help propel the next exciting phase of the cannabis movement in Canada by offering the same quality and consistent ingredients north of the border as we do in the States, effectively creating a platform for our brand partners to expand upon. Stay tuned for the forthcoming product launches.

In general, the vision of Vertosa’s business is to create a platform for which companies and products can expand. So even though regulators create barriers, we have a reliable active ingredient that can be created regionally as well as inactive ingredients that can be shipped to multiple legal markets. Our expansion into Canada is the first real step in achieving that vision and we plan to do even more of this.

Of course, Europe is on our radar, and being that we operate in both cannabis and hemp, there are different limiting regulations and barriers that we have to consider. But Vertosa has infused products on the market in Europe, such as VitoCoco’s Infused beverages, which are available in the UK. But overall, we are being deliberate and careful with how we enter every market.

The impact of COVID-19 has been huge to the beverage market worldwide. What actions has Vertosa taken to decrease the negative impact?

COVID-19 disrupted every industry and shook our entire world to its core. However, when it came down to it, the cannabis beverage market remained strong and made major strides through the pandemic. It was an encouraging silver lining in a trying time. The growth in the space is likely because infused beverages are typically designed for individual consumption and can be consumed discreetly, which is ideal during social distancing. They are also an approachable, familiar way to consume cannabis for less experienced users and those looking to avoid smoking during this time.

In stressful times like these, to have a healthful alternative to alcohol and other substances is game-changing for consumers, and it is showing in the positive growth of our business.

The health crisis has formed new trends in many markets. Have you noticed any new trends in the beverage market? Any specific changes in the CBD-infused beverage niche?

Have you heard of the Entourage Effect? The combination of various cannabinoids that creates a unique experience, and often more efficacious, than a single cannabinoid alone, like CBD. Well, the Entourage Effect goes well beyond the compounds in the plant. Because CBD reportedly has strong anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory and anti-stress effects, product makers are starting to pair these with other ingredients that can work alongside CBD to create incredibly efficacious experiences.

In times of immense stress, producers and brands are now thinking of CBD and other cannabinoids, such as CBN and CBG, as active ingredients that can work alongside ashwagandha or valerian root or other popular actives. Producers are also starting to understand CBD more and developing products tailored to specific demographics and uses instead of just broadly trying to put CBD in everything – or have CBD replace alcohol. The market is becoming more sophisticated, and consumers are becoming more sophisticated. Most importantly, the conversation is well beyond just CBD now and we’re often testing for detection of minor cannabinoids.

While we’re starting to see people think more creatively about their formulations, we’re also witnessing a greater creativity around engaging the consumer. Brands are thinking deeply about how to connect and speak with their customers and are often exploring direct-to-consumer sales channels. This is exciting because it allows the brand to think beyond a single product and design an entire customer journey through their brand.

I asked you this question 9 months ago, however I wonder if anything changed. In your opinion, CBD-infused beverages are the next big thing or just a short-term trend? Why?

CBD beverages, and beverages infused with other cannabinoids including THC and Delta-8, are most definitely here to stay. In fact, according to a report by Prohibition Partners, the global cannabis drinks market will be worth $1.82 billion by the end of the year.

In these extremely difficult times, infused beverages offer an appealing, approachable, and affordable alternative to alcoholic beverages. And thanks to Vertosa’s proprietary emulsion technology, there are also more sophisticated and high-end varieties of cannabis beverages than ever before, from wine to beer to cold brew coffee to fresh juice to sparkling water. We can also expect to see notable consumer brands from beer, spirits, coffee, energy drinks and more bring exciting new products to market.

However, when it comes to questioning if CBD will be an established, standalone industry, the answer is complicated. CBD is a single compound. As an active ingredient, CBD will be ubiquitous across many consumer-packaged goods and industries. At Vertosa, we consider the whole plant with hundreds of compounds at play and pride ourselves on providing the expertise to create a truly elevated cannabis experience.

For more information visit Vertosa’s website.

How did the whole story of waterdrop® begin and who inspired you?

Growing up, my grandfather was a huge inspiration to me, an entrepreneur who taught me a large amount about business, setting goals and what it means to be a good person. Years later he inspired me to create waterdrop®.

As part of my earlier career, I was often away on business trips and struggled to find a drink on the go that wasn’t full of sugar or packaged in unnecessary plastic. That’s when, in 2015 I came up with the idea of a microdrink, a sugar-free compact cube, providing a smarter and more enjoyable way to drink water. Since then, our aim has always been to help people drink more water and stay healthy.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA – AUGUST 19, 2019: CEO Martin Donald Murray of Waterdrop, Vienna.

Waterdrop® has 9 different flavours, including the newest release – NERO. Can you tell us more about the whole line?

We wanted to be all about choice. Each innovative recipe is developed through intensive research and in the end we really want each flavour to be one of a kind and to be perfect. At the heart of each recipe is the aim to enhance the taste of water using the best real fruit and plant extracts from high-quality ingredients sourced from all over the world.

If you are lacking energy, BOOST can help with a rich taste of blackcurrant, elderflower and Brazilian Açaí containing vitamin B6, B12 and C, if you are feeling under the weather DEFENCE with vitamin C helps keep your immune system fit and if you need to RELAX we even have that covered.

We wanted to ensure we were offering the perfect flavour and vitamin combination for whatever the day throws at you.

Let’s talk about NERO. After being successful during a limited edition run you’ve recently bought this product back full time.

NERO was initially developed to give extra focus when it’s needed the most. Due to the current climate and with many of us working from home, it’s easy to feel lethargic when spending an increased amount of time indoors. With energy lagging we decided it was the right time to bring it back. We included flavours such as guarana, cola nut, blackberry and activated charcoal to create a unique product and it’s our first microdrink to contain natural caffeine and one we are really proud of.

It is a challenge to create a good-tasting functional drink. What difficulties have you had so far?

Each microdrink has its own special blend of vitamins and superfoods, these superfoods are combined with well-known flavours such as lime, current, peach and cranberry. We have deliberately made all our microdrinks sugar-free because the excessive consumption of sugar can have various negative effects on the body. Ensuring our products taste good and don’t contain sugar has been a challenge, but thanks to our rigorous testing and a special manufacturing process, no fructose is contained in any of our products, making them completely sugar-free.

In order to give our products a slightly sweet taste, we use a tiny amount of sucralose, which has zero calories and therefore no influence on blood sugar levels.

What is the biggest achievement waterdrop® has reached so far?

There are countless milestones and records at waterdrop® that we keep on breaking. You never know at the beginning if it will be successful, so we celebrate every win, no matter how small. A major milestone for me was the opening of our first shop on Mariahilferstrasse in Vienna, Austria, which made everything even more real.

From a sales perspective, we’ve celebrated every first, from our first €1,000 day up to the hundreds of thousands per day when we launch a new product.

Personally, the growth of the team has always been the biggest achievement for me. One person will be behind every business, but it’s the team that brings our success. I love looking around the table on a Monday morning and seeing now over 30 people, every single person who joins our team helps drive us forward and shapes our culture and this should always be celebrated.

2020 is very hard year for the whole industry. What measures have you taken to decrease the impact of COVID-19 outbreak?

We are doing all we can to cut unnecessary costs which is obvious in theory but harder in practice as unnecessary can mean so many things depending on the business you are in. As countless other companies, we had to close our shops and incurred many unforeseen costs. However, there is also a lot of opportunity at the moment, traditional media costs have decreased due to bigger players pulling out and we are pivoting our plans to reflect this. We plan to invest in traditional media, open flagship and pop up stores and start creating content for YouTube, in the hope of connecting with consumers on a much deeper level to build long standing relationships.

Credit – © Sophie Biebl

What advice would you have given yourself before you started out in the beverage business?

Trying to disrupt an outdated industry is always going to be hard and when it comes to entrepreneurship you often only hear stories of success, but naturally also stories of failure. I think it’s easy to have an unrealistic impression of how much hard work is needed when starting a new business, regardless of the industry.

Looking back, I’d tell myself to be realistic and to believe in myself. Every idea has the chance to succeed if you believe in both yourself and the idea. It’s important to surround yourself with people who support you 100% in everything you want to do.

For more information visit Waterdrop’s website.

1. Let’s start at the very beginning. How did the whole story of 14 Hands Winery start?

14 Hands was initially introduced in 2005 as an on-premise brand to provide fine dining establishments with the perfect ‘by-the-glass’ wine with fruit sourced primarily from the Horse Heaven Hills in Eastern Washington. The success of the brand created a broader national demand for the wines and in 2010, 14 Hands entered the off-premise market.

2. 15 years of leading a successful winery is impressive. What makes 14 Hands Winery stand out among the rest?

The brand has grown and adapted according to consumer demand. From launching with three restaurant-only wines in 2005, to entering the off-premise market 5 years later and opening its own winery and tasting room in Prosser, WA 5 years after that, the brand has consistently responded to demand. By 2017 14 Hands reached 2 million cases in the national market and in 2018 began to tour the country with a horse trailer converted into a wine bar as part of the “14 Hands Run Free Road Trip.” The trailer poured “frosé” and other popular varietals at music festivals and food and wine events, bringing the spirit of 14 Hands to consumers across the United States.

The most recent evolution of 14 Hands was the addition of canned wines to the lineup in 2019, expanding the brand’s presence in the convenience store channel. 14 Hands in cans gives 14 Hands fans the same product they know and love, but for on-the-go and when, where and how they want it.

3. Unicorn Rosé Bubbles is the newest limited-edition release. Can you tell us more about the new release?

The Unicorn Rosé Bubbles Can was based in several consumer insights. First, the preferred varietal of wine in a can is sparkling rosé and second, we’ve seen the unicorn trend resonate with millennial consumers for some time now. We married the two together with an effervescent rosé bubbly in a can designed to fit seamlessly into the consumer’s lifestyle. The wine offers notes cranberry, pomegranate, and Bing cherry, giving way to a juicy crispness and refreshing finish. It can be enjoyed chilled straight from the can, poured into a glass, or made into a refreshing bubbly cocktail!

4. 14 Hands Winery is an interesting name. What is the meaning behind it?

14 Hands wines are inspired by the spirit of the wild horses that once freely roamed eastern Washington, the location of the 14 Hands vineyards and winery. Measuring just fourteen hands tall — a “hand” equivalent to the width of one’s palm — these tenacious little horses would travel down from the hills every day to drink from the mighty Columbia River and graze along the riverbank, then return to the hills to cool off at night. Washington’s wild horses are symbols of the free spirit of the American West.

5. The outbreak of COVID-19 has a major impact on the beverage industry. How is 14 Hands Winery dealing with the lockdown and upcoming recession?

These really are unprecedented times, and of course, the winery‘s priority is the safety and well-being of our employees and customers. We are incredibly sensitive to the stress and uncertainty people around the world are feeling, but also recognize that our consumers may be interested in some lighter content and ways to engage with others from the safety of their homes.

With our tasting room closed, we‘ve amped up our virtual presence, hosting a number of live conversations on Instagram; including a tie-dye tutorial and a game of this-or-that where our Instagram followers chose their favorite junk foods to pair with 14 Hands wines.

We will continue to look for opportunities to connect with our customers and ensure that they have access to all of their favorite 14 Hands wines in-stores, online and through delivery services like Drizly.

6. What advice would you have given yourself before you started out in the beverage business?

I think regardless of industry, it is important to be curious, seek to understand what is important to your consumers and use that information to continuously evolve your product portfolio and the way you reach and engage with consumers. All industries are facing rapid change and the beverage industry is no exception.

My advice to anyone interested in joining the beverage industry is to put the customer first. In my experience, the products and brands that are the most successful are those with a continuous focus on both understanding their customers and creating products and experiences that exceed expectations.

For more information visit 14 Hands Winery’s website.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has shook the world. What measures Double Dutch has been taking in order to decrease the impact of the global crisis?

The current climate with COVID-19 has thrown us a curveball. It’s probably one of the most challenging times for Double Dutch at the moment. We rely on on-trade for 70% on our business, and this has now gone on lock-down, so we have had to pivot our business model really quickly.

We have begun to offer our product directly to the consumer on our new Shopify site. Our team has undertaken a lot of back-end work to get this up and running, but it has given us the opportunity to offer three custom packs that can be delivered straight to the customer’s door.

Our ‘Isolation Pack’ pack, for example, is designed to help people treat themselves while they are at home, and includes 10 Double Dutch flavors, alongside Hand Sanitser, Hand Cream and a little candle. Our ‘Family Fun Pack’ includes board games and a Cucamelon growing pack alongside 10 bottles of Double Dutch and some mini spirits to encourage families to enjoy this time they are spending together.

Finally, our ‘Virtual Party Pack’, for those who are connecting with their friends online, includes plenty of Double Dutch tonics, party games, garnishes, snacks and even some branded Double Dutch glasses! We expect the consumer appetite for our best-sellers such as ‘Cucumber & Watermelon’ and ‘Pomegranate & Basil’ to mimic these flavors’ popularity with the on-trade. It’s an exciting new avenue for us!

We are also really concentrating on our social content at the moment, as there is a surge in popularity for IG Live videos. To keep our customer-base stimulated during isolation, we will be hosting ‘Tonic Time’ – weekly virtual Happy Hour sessions on Instagram Live. Our ‘6 Questions at 6 pm’ will take the form of quick-fire interviews with a whole host of experts from the worlds of business, food, drink, art and design. We will discover what their ‘quarantine’ necessities are, as well as their survival tips during lock-down. It’s going to be a fun interview series that will hopefully boost people’s spirits (pun intended)! The first Live session starts Thursday 2^nd April.

This will be followed with our #justthetonic content on Fridays at 6 pm. We are inviting people to tune in to Instagram and Facebook for make at home cocktail recipes that make use of those store cupboard ingredients and spirits that our audience might not know what to do with. If cocktails can’t get us through this strange time, what will!

The UK is one of the latest countries to put its population under the lockdown in Europe. How Double Dutch is operating under these conditions?

It’s been a real change for us, as we generally operate from a central-London office, but luckily we have a great team around us who are all working remotely. It’s been amazing to see how our team has really come together to deal with the current situation, and we are really proud to call them our Double Dutch family.

Celebrities and companies through social media are helping people all around the world to stay positive under quarantine. How Double Dutch has been helping to keep the customer’s spirits up?

I think the key is in the content we are putting out and the image we are projecting. Now more than ever, people need to be reminded that life carries on – even if we are all limited to our four walls, there is still a whole world out there and new people with new stories. We hope that our Tonic Time interview series will go a long way to cheering our audience up, as well as offering lessons and things to consider for the future, when we can finally go outside again!

What advice would you give to other beverage startups?

Establishing a strong on-line presence via e-commerce and social media has been paramount as a result of this crisis, and something for start-ups to make a top priority. I believe the drinks community has really come together during this time.

We don’t look at our competition anymore as competitors but as our peers, as we are all going through this together! At the moment there has been a lot of support groups set up via channels such as LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Slack and Facebook for businesses to seek support and advice.

This quieter time is a great opportunity for businesses to conserve cash flow and build partnerships with other like-minded companies in order to hit the ground running when things return to normalcy.  Start-ups can use this time to develop their business plans, scenario plan and get creative with their ideas as almost everything has moved on-line and virtually.

Keeping a close eye on daily developments and what measurements the government and other large companies are implementing to support small businesses will really have an impact on how businesses and start-ups weather this storm. For example, the government’s Coronavirus job retention scheme, and companies such as Facebook and Google are now offering small businesses relief in the form of ad credits and grants.

For more information visit Double Dutch’s website.

Let’s start from the very beginning. How did the whole story of Humblemaker Coffee Co. start?

Bryan and I have known each other since the early 2000s when we worked together on a startup eyewear brand where he served as creative director and I ran global sales and have been great friends ever since. Bryan stumbled into the cold brew business in 2011 and helped to launch the boutique craft coffee brand, Seaworth Coffee, which had some tangible success back when the cold brew category was just starting to take off.

During this same period, I worked in GM and CFO roles in the fashion lifestyle space with several emerging brands, but always had that entrepreneurial itch to build another brand from the ground up. Being that I was such a huge fan of cold brew along with Bryan’s creative instincts, I suggested that we start a new project that reflected our shared passions for coffee, surfing, music and the outdoors – while leaving a positive legacy that our young sons would be proud of one day.

Neither of us had a deep knowledge of the food & beverage space but felt that we could leverage our combined experience to create a successful lifestyle coffee brand. We started concepting the brand in late 2016 and brought it to market in early 2017 with our original two 7-oz. bottled cold brew products: the Little Victory and our hemp-based Bright White under the brand name Humblemaker.

We often get asked how we came up with the name Humblemaker. For us, it has two meanings. The first is very literal in that we are “humble makers” of product, of creative, of coffee shop retail experiences…this stems from both of our parents raising us to be humble in life. The second is we saw it as a positive play off the old term “widowmaker” – a life experience that shakes you to your core. We wanted to ask the question: What’s your Humblemaker? Or what are the things in this life that make you feel humble and grateful.

For us it might be watching a sunrise illuminate the desert for the first time or surfing off the coast of Maine in mind-numbing 34-degree water. It could be the day you get married, the day a child is born, or, in Bryan’s case, it could be the moment you understand that both of your children might be on the autism spectrum. It’s why we donate 10% of our profits to programs with children with ASD through our Ten For Autism non-profit.

As the brand and our resources grew, we wanted to share this concept with people and encourage others to tell their story with the hope of creating a community of like-minded individuals who appreciate great coffee and life’s simple pleasures.

Can you tell us more about your line of functional cold brew shots and how this innovative product offering came to be?

We always had the idea to do a cold brew shot, but did not develop it until the summer of 2018, mainly due to lack of money : ) We always wondered why no one in the cold brew market was doing shots. When we traveled to other countries and cultures, especially in Europe, hot espresso shots were so prevalent in cafes and coffee shops. Funny story actually…when we first launched, we threw the idea of a shot out to a few local distributors and all of them said they were having a hard time selling juice shots and that cold brew shots were a terrible idea! As we all now know, juice shots have done very well since then and the shot category as a whole is a very exciting space to be in, and now the shot serving size is our most sought-after product. A lesson in trusting your gut, I suppose.

The idea to bring function into our shots was totally random. Last year, I attended Founder Made – a trade conference aimed at bringing future-minded, innovative brands and retailers together, with the sole purpose of meeting investors. While I was walking the show the first morning, a total stranger stopped me in the aisle and asked me if I was in the coffee business. He said he could help us add functional ingredients like vitamins and other wellness supplements to our coffee product. Later that afternoon we had a few drinks at the reception discussing how we could work together to incorporate the supplements into our bottled cold brew shots that were in development, and a partnership was born. This felt like the breakthrough differentiator we had been looking for, and I called Bryan right away. We both loved the idea and immediately started developing our new SKU’s to each have a unique functional benefit. After MANY rounds of testing and sampling, we settled on three new functional shot products to launch.

Each of our new functional cold brew shots is infused with various vitamins and minerals for targeted functions that we recently introduced at the New Beverage Showdown at BevNet with incredible support and response from the industry. The Boomtowne is our original, simply-black, triple-strength cold brew shot, with a complex multivitamin to support overall daily health. Inspired by Mexican coffees enjoyed on our surf trips to Baja, the La Fonda is brewed with pure organic cinnamon and cacao that has 20x the Antioxidants of green tea to help boost immunity. We also developed our version of Turkish coffee called the Black Sea brewed with real cardamom and clove packed with L-Theanine and Ginseng for enhanced memory and clarity.

We wanted our shots to serve people who are living an active lifestyle, whether that’s dropping the kids at school before heading to the gym or yoga class or putting in a day in the ocean or on the slopes or maybe even both in the same day, which we sometimes do here in California! They are packaged in a super convenient, wide-mouth, 2-ounce ready-to-drink bottle that’s meant to be consumed full strength, poured over ice or added to your favorite beverage. I love adding a La Fonda to my juice smoothies, too!

The creation of a successful beverage brand is pretty hard. What difficulties did you face during the development process?

Creating a brand is very hard to do and being relatively new to the food and beverage industry we have certainly faced our challenges along the way! It was much harder for us than we’ve been accustomed to due to not having a rolodex of contacts for what we needed, not knowing the right vendors to work with or which partners to choose and trust. It was also difficult to develop products, packaging options and support our retail partners in the early going with limited resources.

Also, for me personally, learning the beverage industry lingo and metrics that retailers and distributors were speaking was definitely a learning curve. In my previous life I had been working with the likes of Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters, Barney’s, etc., and while the fundamentals and business objectives are the same, the terminology is much different. This has been a “Humblemaker” for me, but I’m learning the jargon. : )

All of that said, the single biggest challenge for us was not having the initial capital in place to execute our plan perfectly. We were confident that we could create a brand and products that had a great story behind it that people would want to use and share. It was frustrating knowing what we want to do but not being able to put strategies and ideas in motion as fast as we wanted to. Fortunately, we recently found a few visionary investors that believed in our plan, our mission and shared our vision, which has allowed us to start executing on some of those objectives. We’re excited to watch it all come to life now…2020 should be a breakout year for us.

Can you tell us more about #TENFORAUTISM initiative?

As I mentioned earlier, Bryan has a very real, personal connection to the autism community. He has been an inspiration to watch in how he has so successfully juggled being an engaged dad, caretaker, business partner and creative machine. We decided that we wanted to take the opportunity we had to leverage this brand and business to have a really positive impact on those living with autism…especially kids, teenagers and young adults. We even have a few of the original members of the TOMS Shoes team as investors and advisors, and, as most know, they really set the bar for how to use business to make social impact. So we’ve determined that autism is our cause and we can use the success of Humblemaker to make a real difference.

As for Ten for Autism, it is a 501c3 non-profit created by Humblemaker to encourage for-profit businesses to donate up to 10% of their annual net profits to enable children with autism the opportunity to experience surfing, music, and the great outdoors. We structured it similar to Patagonia’s 1% for the Planet so that other businesses can join and donate up to 10% of their profits or create training and job opportunities for teenagers and young adults that are on the spectrum.

The organization is designed to raise funds that are distributed directly to a network of autism-based nonprofits and to Humblemaker-sponsored events developed for children on the autism spectrum. These specially tailored events are therapy-based, giving children living with autism the ability to experience a new world: discover the ocean & nature, enjoy music, and interact with peers of “typical” development. These unique peer interactions not only foster positive role modeling for children with autism, but simultaneously build self-confidence and encourage leadership skills with the “typical” children that participate.

So far with very limited resources we’ve been able to support other events hosted by A Walk On Water and plan to get involved with The A.skate Foundation. We’ve also been able to work with a student program through Los Alamitos High, a local high school near our shop in Seal Beach, where students come in a few days a week to learn how the shop operates. We show them everything ranging from folding boxes to making lattes on the espresso bar. It’s beautiful to be able to see their confidence grow from week to week and know that they are part of the Humblemaker crew.

Every milestone is very important. What would you say is Humblemaker Coffee Co.’s biggest achievement so far?

We’ve had good fortune the last 12 months starting with finding and opening our first brick & mortar shop on Main Street in Seal Beach, being selected to the Kroger Innovation Summit, being picked up by great retailers like Erewhon, Rainbow Acres and Co-Opportunity locally here in LA as well as being selected as a semifinalist in the New Beverage Showdown at BevNet. Most recently, we just closed our Pre-Seed round and have a handshake deal on our second location coming soon to the LA area, but I’d have to say our biggest achievement so far has been the opportunity to work with Sprouts on a national level so early in our lifecycle. Thank you for believing in us, Sprouts!

What is the biggest goal set for 2020?

Now that we have the proper resources in place, it will be to grow our wholesale business and support our retailers with marketing initiatives, launch our coffee subscription program through our new website (launching soon), and open that second cafe location in LA this summer. I know that’s more than one, but they are all as equally important to us and the plans we have to grow this year. I guess you could sum them all up as a goal to greatly expand awareness and influence this year.

What advice would you have given yourself before you started out in the beverage business?

We knew this was a different space from our background in the lifestyle-fashion world and knew it was going to present challenges just like any other business we’ve been involved with, but I didn’t fully grasp how much capital is needed to truly compete in the beverage industry. I would have told myself that we’re going to need a bigger boat and to fill it all with working capital. I’m half kidding, but I think the advice would be to surround myself with some industry vets earlier in the process to accelerate building the network, partners and relationships. We have that in place now, and we’re starting to cook. It’s exciting to watch it evolve.

For more information visit Humblemaker’s website.

Every brand has an interesting story to tell. What is the story behind Proud Source Water?

Proud Source Water’s humble beginning began in Mackay, Idaho as an idea to help support the local community.  Mackay is a small town of 500 people and local jobs had been growing more scarce. As a result, community assets like the local high school were in the midst of a possible shut down. The small town, which is nestled at the base of some of Idaho’s tallest mountain has always prided itself on its great tasting, natural spring water.

The initial goal of the business was to create an impact on the local level and bring the community job opportunities. Doing right by the community was essential to the core beginnings of the business. The intention of Proud Source Water began with the idea of giving back while showing future generations it can produce the best tasting bottled water and do it the right way for the right reasons. We like to say “bottled water done right”.

Proud Source Water is an eco-friendly bottled water brand. Can you tell us more about the packaging solution and how it affects the environment?

The brand’s intention is to give back, so as we thought of giving back to our communities and local environment, we truly had to ask ourselves: what was the right thing to do, and how can we create the most impact in our decisions around packaging? After researching the bottling industry, we knew we needed to change the industry from the accepted norms. We knew plastic water bottles were not the answer and shouldn’t be anybody’s long term solution.

We studied the movement away from plastic and the harm it brings to our environment, so our passion quickly grew to find something better for us, and better for the planet. We grew fond of aluminum because we knew the consumer was accustomed to the material and the recyclable nature of the material. Aluminum is the #1 recycled material in the US (and the world).  Putting all this together, we knew we had found our solution for bottles and caps.

Additionally, our state-of-the-art facility is located at the base of Idaho’s Mt. McCaleb where we source our water deep in the Rocky Mountains using a gravity-fed supply system to reduce energy consumption. As we bottle directly at the source, this means little to no water is lost. We take our mission to heart and are certified B-Corp, so that we can continue to do good by the community.

Even though, the packaging is very important, people buy bottled water for the water itself. Why Proud Source Water is something consumers should drink?

Proud Source Water is fresh, unique, spring water that is bottled right from the source. The water comes out of the spring naturally at an alkaline level of 8.5 pH. This feature makes for a great tasting, drinkable water that is hard to beat. We wanted to rewrite the narrative of what good water bottled water is, and we did just that. We don’t compromise on quality and take a very holistic approach to responsibly sourcing the water. When you have a high quality, natural resource like spring water – sometimes the best thing to do is let mother nature do what she does best. This water is filtered by millions of years of geological activity – it is tough to find water this good in quality.

A clear marketing strategy is one of the keys of success. Who is Proud Source Water’s target market?

Proud Source Water’s target market is vast. We see mainstream consumers looking for quality water, as well as businesses looking for more natural options. The farm to table movement has encouraged natural food shoppers to look for products that are responsibly produced, and ethical businesses. More people are looking for a solution to reduce plastic usage, and we love being a solution to many consumers.

What are the biggest goals set for 2020?

We are looking to deepen our roots in the community by providing additional opportunities to the Mackay residents. It’s a goal of ours to increase jobs in Mackay by 30%. We also want to continue to provide consumers with a plastic-free, natural option, nationwide. In addition, we are always looking to create change and educate consumers as we want to provide accessibility in the best way possible, so making an impact will always be a goal.

We have a current partnership and are 1% for the Planet members. We donate 1% of annual sales to environmental initiatives such as cleaning the ocean. Our long-term goal would be to remove and replace 20 million plastic bottles this year, as we continue to prove that plastic-free is the future. We are here to hydrate more communities the right way.

The beverage industry is changing rapidly these days. In your opinion, what are the biggest trends every beverage startup shouldn’t miss these days? Where the industry is heading?

As my experience is purely in the water space, I would say that the industry is headed to be more mindful when it comes to packaging, which I think is a move in the right direction. I hope to see more businesses move into the space that are interested in others and the planet. I think it speaks volumes when a brand begins their journey with a selfless purpose.

What advice would you have given yourself before you started out in the beverage business?

To be yourself. Authenticity is often discussed in the consumer product goods space and there is no easier way of being authentic than by just being yourself!

For more information visit Proud Source Water’s website.

1. Let’s start from the very beginning. What is the story behind Humm Kombucha?

Two women in a kitchen set out to do business differently with the mission of helping people feel good. When Michelle and I started, we asked ourselves, is it possible to take care of people in business like you take care of friends and family? From the very beginning, we wanted to share this feel-good experience with the world – not just people who shopped at the health food store, but everyone else too.

2. Not long ago your company announced an update on the current line. Can you tell us more about the improved Humm Kombucha?

We don’t really call the new Humm Zero innovation an “improved” kombucha, but instead an exciting addition to our current line. We realize that early adopters and new consumers don’t all want the same thing. That’s why we have our existing line of original flavors, 5g and our new zero-sugar, low-calorie, shelf-stable Humm Zero to satisfy beverage lovers from all walks of life.

3. There is no doubt that the beverage market has many different kombucha brands. What makes Humm Kombucha different in the market?

Humm Kombucha is al ive and raw product that is verified non-alcoholic. But really the main differentiators are that our kombucha tastes amazing and is approachable – mainstream flavors and names, no vinegar bite, refreshing. We have two rules for all of our products: it has to be delicious and it has to be good for you.

4. What difficulties did you face during the process of the current line upgrade?

Anytime you pioneer something that hasn’t been done before, there’s bound to be some challenges! We spent three years working on our process for all of our kombucha (FIP – Fermentation Innovation Process), which made it possible to create Zero – no sugar – shelf-stable – and so good! And we couldn’t have done it without having our process in place. We have a very talented and tenacious innovation team that was committed to figuring it out, and we’re so excited to get it to the consumer!

5. Humm Kombucha offers a 7-day challenge. Can you tell us more about it?

The 7-day challenge is to drink one bottle of Humm Kombucha every day for 7 days. Don’t change anything else about what you’re doing. Eat the same things, drink the same things, the same exercise as you normally would do; the only thing you’re changing is drinking one bottle of Humm a day and then tell us how you feel after. Most people say they just feel better! You can follow Humm Instagram and be entered into drawings for cool prizes.

6. What are the biggest goals set for 2020?

Our mission is to help people feel good, and in 2020 we’re excited to help a whole lot more people feel great! We’re thrilled that Humm Zero will enable so many more people to enjoy tasty Humm in many ways they haven’t been able to drink kombucha. Since Humm Zero doesn’t need to be refrigerated and comes in cans, people can keep it in their pantry, bring it to school, to work, take it on a hike, to a beach – all the places! Humm Zero even opens kombucha up to people who have wanted healthy drinks but were staying away from sugar including those on keto, paleo, low carb, and low sugar diet programs.

7. What advice would you have given yourself before you started out in the beverage business?

The same advice as I’d give anyone starting anything new. There’s going to be a lot you don’t know, a lot to learn quickly, a lot of opinions and noise about how things should be done or have been done for the last 100 years. It’s important to ask questions and listen to people who have done it before you, but also listen to your gut. Trust your instincts and go for it. Don’t be afraid to mess up, there’s always an opportunity to try it again a different way.

For more information visit Humm Kombucha’s website.

1. I have read your story on CLEAN Cause’s website. It’s touching and inspiring. Why did you choose the beverage business?

From a branding standpoint, CLEAN is a fantastic name for a beverage. Consumers are increasingly seeking drink options that are “better-for-you”, have organic/NON-GMO ingredients and aren’t over-loaded with sugar. The CLEAN name is well aligned with all of these attributes. Secondly, the total addressable market for beverages is billions upon billions. Being that our mission is to create a sustainable source of funding and that we want to make a meaningful impact, we needed to choose an industry that would give us a real shot at generating significant profits.

2. CLEAN Cause has four different flavors. Can you tell us a little bit about each?

We offer single-flavor profiles including blackberry (our best-seller), raspberry, peach and lemon lime. Each can has only 60 calories, is USDA organic certified and is topped off with 160mg of organic caffeine. The flavors aren’t overpowering, and the sweetness and carbonation balance the product to create a refreshing pick-me-up. Simply put, CLEAN is better caffeine.

3. It is hard to develop a successful beverage brand. What difficulties did you face during the process of development? In your opinion, what are the key elements for a successful beverage brand?

Probably the most difficult aspect of the beverage business is being able to find the funding you need to enable you a long enough time period to find a market foothold with your brand. The beverage business is highly capital intensive. In addition to funding challenges, finding coworkers and building a solid team is extremely challenging. Resumes and reference calls are great, but you really get to see what a person is made of (or not) after they are fully on board.

Photo credit: Sanjay Patel

4. It might be hard to differ in the beverage market. What makes CLEAN Cause stand out?

Three things really set us apart from the rest of the beverage market. Number one is our packaging. It’s true to its name “CLEAN, and has a vibrant color scheme. In short, it’s easy on the eyes and really pops off the shelf. Secondly, the product itself sets us apart from the crowd. Yerba Mate is a new category in the US, but I’m convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that it’s the healthiest form of caffeine in the world. It is packed with minerals and vitamins and doesn’t give you the jitters. In short, the product delivers better performance because it contains better caffeine. Last, but certainly not least, is the most compelling differentiator – our cause and give back. I think the fact that we commit such a large part of our profits to support a mission that affects us all really stands out in the industry. At the end of the day, we’re got CLEAN packaging, a delicious product that delivers better functional benefits, with a purpose that we can all unite behind.

5. The half of the profit goes to support addiction recovery. Can you tell us more about the initiative?

Our giveback initiative is coined “CLEAN Kickstarts”. They are sober living scholarships intended to give folks fresh out of rehab, homelessness, or incarceration the opportunity to focus on getting a job and establishing a recovery support system. We think of it as a bridge between rehab and reintegration. There’s a big gap here in the continuum of care and we aim to fill it as quickly as possible!

6. What are the biggest goals set for 2020?

From a business perspective, increasing our national footprint, securing more major retailers and focusing on really winning in the markets we’re given the opportunity would be our top three goals. On the cause front, our goal is to generate an additional 1,000 sober living scholarships by the end of 2020.

7. What advice would you have given yourself before you started out in the beverage business?

Plan your work. Work your plan.

For more information visit CLEAN Cause’s website.

1. How did you come up with the idea of creating The Plug?

Raised in an entrepreneurial household, we were inherently curious and always coming up with new business ventures. From a young age, we were always together and still do everything together, challenging and improving each other in sports or in school. With a background in playing collegiate baseball, and with a work hard, play hard mentality, we began to seek a healthier alternative to boost productivity to support our lifestyle choices. Three years ago, we saw that there was a growing demand for a hangover solution, but a limited supply of truly effective hangover recovery products available in the U.S. This imbalance was an opportunity to bring a proven alternative from Korea and share it with the U.S. consumers. Together, we created The Plug.

This is where the mission of creating the perfect recovery drink began, and how The Plug evolved from concept to reality. From interviewing manufacturers, to tasting 50+ different iterations of the drink, to partnering up with a marketing agency to create our brand identity and website build, to successfully launching our product on Indiegogo, to going live on our website.  We are truly thankful for what we have accomplished in 2019, and are excited to see what 2020 holds for us as a team and a company.

2. The Plug consists of 13 different herb plants. Can you tell us more about the mixture and benefits of these ingredients?

The Plug is an all-natural recovery drink that helps detox your liver and boost your productivity the following day after a night of drinking. Our unique formula contains a superior mix with 13 natural herbal ingredients that help restore, recover, and recharge your body. These ingredients were carefully selected after years of research and development and millions of dollars invested not only in the proprietary formula, but also in the proprietary state-of-the-art distillation process.

Utilizing South Korea’s expansive ecological area, The Plug sources pure bedrock water from the foot of the Unak Mountain in Pocheon. The ingredient list includes DHM (oriental raisin tree), dandelion, chrysanthemum, and honeysuckle, which work together to support the breakdown of alcohol in the body and help your liver to flush toxins in a speedy fashion. In clinical research trials, The Plug was shown to significantly reduce specific hangover symptoms including sleepiness, headaches, vomiting, dizziness, and nausea.

3. I have to admit, there is a little resemble of Soylent when it comes to packaging design. Do you think consumers may mix up your product with Soylent’s line?

We do not believe consumers will mix up The Plug with Soylent since we are in different beverage spaces to begin with. Soylent is in the meal replacement category; whereas, The Plug is in the anti-hangover recovery drink category. We target a different customer base that might actually overlap, which is a net positive to our Company.

4. The creation of a good-tasting beverage isn’t easy. What difficulties did you face during the development process?

For The Plug’s fantastic flavor, we honed down the taste for 8 months going back and forth with our manufacturer in Korea to make sure it would be the best in the market. The main root of our superior taste actually boils down to our proprietary formula and proprietary state-of-the-art distillation process. Narrowing down the taste to one light, crisp, and tropical flavor that would resonate well with the consumer. This was a top priority of ours since we were introducing a new product into an emerging industry. From our own personal experiences as a consumer, we knew that the first impression would be reflected in our packaging design and taste of The Plug.

5. Every milestone is very important. What would you say is The Plug’s biggest achievement so far?

As a company, we are most proud of turning an idea on a whiteboard into a company with 10 employees and we are continuing to grow each month. We are also very proud to have companies like Amazon, Alibaba, and Google personally reach out to have our product on their platform or to offer services to assist us better.

6. What is the biggest goals set for 2020?

The biggest goals set for The Plug in 2020 would be scaling online and offline both domestically and internationally. We would ultimately like to secure a national big retailer contract by the end of 2020. Our ultimate goal this year is to get The Plug into the hands of as many consumers as we can, so that every consumer or potential consumer can enhance their productivity in whatever form that may be, and eventually become an essential part of our customers’ lifestyle.

7. What advice would you have given yourself before you started out in the beverage business?

If we had to start over, what we would have done differently is to A/B test more within our pre-launch stage on what worked and what didn’t work. We realized the more you A/B test the quicker you are able to find out the benefits of certain ads vs others. Also, one of us should have had a Computer Science degree that would have helped a lot as well.

For more information visit The Plug’s website.