Poppi just popped – big time. But was PepsiCo’s $1.65 billion acquisition driven by TikTok virality, perfect timing, or industry heavyweights like Rohan Oza? (Sorry, prebiotics, this one's not about you.) And now that the first major deal has landed, is the BFY soda space about to see a gold rush – or a bubble burst? The hosts break it all down. 

Plus, we revisit standout interviews from our Miami meetup with Koia’s Chris Hunter, Verlivest’s Ken Sadowsky, and Matriarch Wealth Management’s Stephen Santangelo. 

Show notes:

0:45: Ray, Animated. Talk The Talk. Humble Pie! Zero Function. Founder Tok. The Oza Effect. More To Come? THSee, Puff Corn & NPP. – Ray has a tell or a tic – it’s his signature and shares a reminder to watch OR listen to Elevator Talk. John hands a slice to Ray – who gobbles it up – before opining on the value of Poppi’s prebiotics in its growth and how the company and Olipop cracked the seemingly impenetrable CSD category. Jacqui talks about the impact of Poppi co-founder Allison Ellsworth’s early adoption of TikTok on the brand’s development, Mike discusses how investor Rohan Oza affected its trajectory and John offers a prediction on what’s next for BFY CSDs. Ray shares another kind of “pop,” Mike and John crack open a couple of canna-bevs and Jacqui highlights a “salty” chili jam.

33:12: Interviews: Stephen Santangelo, Founder, Matriarch Wealth Management; Ken Sadowsky, Sr. Advisor, Verlivest; Chris Hunter, Co-Founder, Koia & Four Loko – Stephen and Ken discuss their investment strategies in food and beverage startups, emphasizing founder passion, scalability, and emerging trends like health-conscious drinks. Stephen highlights Matriarch’s focus on private investments in brands such as No Bull and Junkless. Ken shares insights on personal investments in emerging brands Neau Water and Parch, while also noting Miami's growing food and beverage startup ecosystem. Chris reflects on balancing entrepreneurship with family and how his businesses evolved alongside his lifestyle. He also underscores the importance of velocity in CPG success, advocating for strong regional traction before national expansion, along with strategic pricing, in-store promotions, and consumer engagement.

Brands in this episode: Poppi, Olipop, Culture Pop, SmartWater, Vitaminwater, Pop & Bottle, Gorilla, Brez, Pink Salt, Like Air, Neau Water, BodyArmor, No Bull, Junkless, Vive Organic, Parch, Koia, Four Loko