Stephen Ellsworth

Ellsworth’s public professional profile lists the University of Utah. His career included serving as chief operating officer of Mother Beverage and later as chief executive of Poppi.⁠[1]

He co-founded Mother Beverage, later renamed Poppi, with his wife, Allison Ellsworth, initially selling through farmers’ markets.⁠[2]

Mother Beverage won BevNET’s 12th New Beverage Showdown, receiving $10,000 in cash and prizes. Ellsworth said they planned to improve small-batch production equipment and bottling efficiency.⁠[3]

He and Allison established a production facility but later closed it. In a Taste Radio interview, they reflected on that experiment and how early mistakes shaped subsequent expansion decisions.⁠[4]

The couple pitched Mother Beverage on Shark Tank and secured $400,000 from Rohan Oza for a 25% stake.⁠[5]

The business relaunched as Poppi in brightly colored cans, replacing glass bottles and targeting a broader soda audience. A December industry interview identified Stephen as CEO and explained that Mother’s trademark difficulties and weak shelf visibility had prompted the change.⁠[6]

Poppi raised $13.5 million in a round led by CAVU Ventures. The founders said funding would support inventory and hiring, including securing aluminum cans amid supply constraints. The team had grown from two to 50 people in about 18 months.⁠[7]

When Taste Radio interviewed the couple again, the host identified Stephen’s transition from CEO to chief product officer, with Allison leading brand work and Chris Hall serving as CEO. The division allowed the founders to concentrate more on their respective strengths.⁠[8]

Poppi ran its first Super Bowl commercial in 2024, marking a national advertising milestone in its expansion.⁠[2]

PepsiCo completed its acquisition of Poppi for $1.95 billion, including $300 million in anticipated cash tax benefits, giving a $1.65 billion net purchase price. This corporate value does not establish Ellsworth’s personal proceeds or net worth.⁠[9]

He and Allison received the Consumer Products and Retail category award in EY’s U.S. Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 program, a national category honor rather than the overall award.⁠[10][11]

School of Hard Knocks published a 56-minute interview with him and Allison, covering entrepreneurial risk, product validation, brand expansion and building a business as a married couple.⁠[12]

Consumers sued Poppi operator VNGR Beverage, LLC over gut-health marketing; the company denied the allegations. The court approved an $8.9 million settlement on April 14 and entered judgment on June 15, retaining enforcement jurisdiction. The documents do not find Ellsworth personally liable.⁠[13][14][15]

On Masters of Scale, he recalled difficulty adjusting after losing the daily focus of leading a team and solving problems. The couple said they remained advisers and were developing another beverage, whose name had not been announced.⁠[16]

He appeared on episode 347 of Fitt Insider to discuss learning from farmers’ market feedback, the differences between starting and scaling a business, and life after a sale. Consumer experience was a central theme in the episode description.⁠[17]

In a Wellworthy interview, he discussed long-term strength training and balancing work, family and exercise. He emphasized sustainable routines over extreme regimens, describing his personal approach to daily life.⁠[18]

He recalled initially doubting the product before committing to the venture. The couple invested their savings and faced pressure over mortgage payments; he described complementary strengths and persistent problem-solving as central to the early business.⁠[16]

Poppi’s website is https://www.drinkpoppi.com/ (opens in a new window). His public professional profile is https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenellsworth (opens in a new window). Fitt Insider identifies his Instagram account as https://www.instagram.com/stephenellsworth_/ (opens in a new window).⁠[2][1][17]