Seth Goldman was thirsty. A distance runner, Goldman was also frustrated. He could never find a drink that was refreshing, tasted good and wasn’t loaded with sweeteners. So he set a simple goal: Make one.
He did. Today, as co-founder of Maryland-based Honest Tea, Goldman is president and “TeaEO” of the fastest-growing organic bottled tea company in the country. And he’s not thirsty anymore.
Honest Tea is distributed through more than 5,000 international outlets, with projected sales of $13.5 million in 2006.
Goldman found a kindred spirit in his Yale School of Management professor Barry Nalebuff, who also had thirst issues. So in 1998, the duo founded Honest Tea using a brew created in Goldman’s kitchen, and selling it from Thermoses and empty Snapple bottles.
Before his startup, Goldman was vice president of Calvert Social Investment Fund, managing the marketing and sales efforts of one of the largest socially responsible mutual funds. His interest in social and environmental causes carried over into every facet of Honest Tea, and it remains the guiding principle for the business.
Goal 1: Make a Meaningful Impact
“The biggest motivator for me is the notion that our business model is making a strong social and environmental impact,” Goldman says. “The key words for us are Authentic, Organic and Healthy.”
In 2004, Honest Tea received full USDA organic certification for all 12 of the bottled teas and tea-bag varieties it sold at the time.
Author: Alice Rhein
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