In Conversation with Allison Ellsworth | From Kitchen Experiment to a $2B Exit to PepsiCo: How Poppi Stayed Relevant at Every Stage
In this conversation, Allison Ellsworth, Founder and CEO of Poppi, will take the audience inside her journey of building a category-defining beverage brand from a homemade kitchen experiment into a multi-billion dollar company acquired by PepsiCo. In just nine years, she scaled Poppi from zero to a $2B exit, redefining what modern consumer brand growth can look like.
What began as a simple solution to a personal health problem evolved into a brand that reshaped how consumers think about soda, combining wellness, culture, and bold branding to stand out in a category dominated by global incumbents.
Allison will explore:
What early traction actually looked like, from farmers’ markets to national retail
The key inflection points that drove Poppi’s growth at each stage
How Poppi stayed culturally and commercially relevant as it scaled
Balancing product, brand, and distribution to sustain momentum
Lessons from building, scaling, and ultimately exiting a modern consumer brand
This is the story of a founder who didn’t just build a fast-growing company, but consistently evolved it - using early adoption of platforms like TikTok to accelerate growth - proving that staying relevant is what truly drives long-term success.
Speaker Bio
Allison Ellsworth is the Founder and CEO of Poppi, a modern beverage brand that has redefined soda for a new generation of consumers. Originally created in her kitchen, Poppi quickly gained traction through its unique positioning at the intersection of wellness and culture, and is now stocked in major retailers across the United States. The company was acquired by PepsiCo in a deal valued at approximately $2B. Allison is widely recognised for her ability to build a culturally relevant brand in a highly competitive category, combining product innovation with bold, community-driven marketing. She is also a guest shark on Shark Tank USA!