Poppi's Cofounders on Building $2 Billion Business, Navigating Wealth
Business Insider • • business
Key Points:
- Allison and Stephen Ellsworth founded Poppi, a prebiotic soda brand, starting from Allison's home remedy experiments in 2016, and grew it rapidly with early endorsements, a "Shark Tank" investment, and rebranding before selling it to PepsiCo for $1.95 billion in 2023.
- The couple took significant personal and financial risks, including maxing out credit cards, borrowing money, and sacrificing work-life balance, with Allison managing pregnancy and childcare while building the business.
- Despite their wealth, Allison and Stephen remain grounded, focusing on family experiences over extravagance, giving back through direct community support, and raising their children with strong work ethics and financial literacy.
- Post-acquisition, they have stepped back from Poppi, taken time off, and are now planning to start a new company while mentoring other entrepreneurs and managing their investments.