Start-Up Food Production

He created a business to support his music passion.

FAMILY BACKGROUND

GS was born in Homestead, Florida; his mother was a culinary entrepreneur and chef; his father was a civil engineer.

EDUCATION

He graduated from Stanford U in 1977, majoring in environmental sciences. 

SIDE HUSTLE LED TO A NEW CAREER

hoped to earn a living playing in a jazz band; to support his passion for playing music, bought a juicer with some friends for $250 in 1980, to squeeze fresh orange juice, which they sold out of the back of his VW van to support his real passion: playing jazz; delivered juice to restaurants in the morning, attended college classes and studied schoolwork in the afternoon, then played jazz clubs at  night. 

GAINING SOME BUSINESS EXPERIENCE LEADS TO STARTING A NEW BUSINESS

GS began a company called Odwalla (named for a song poem), which became a pioneer in the premium fresh juice sector of the national US economy. 

CHALLENGE – PRODUCT CAUSES DEATH TO CONSUMERS

Sales climbed to $59,000,000 but freshness – without full sterilization – caused a fatal problem for a toddler and sickened others so sales crashed overnight. GS left the company because he was personally devastated by the harm caused. 

ACCEPT BUSINESS FAILURE AS A CHALLENGE

GS spoke with a mentor (Steve Jobs, who created Apple) who advised him to not look at his first effort as a failure but as an opportunity for progressive thinking and innovation based on his experience to date.

CAREER SATISFACTION

Later GS tasted an energy drink that “tasted awful” so he created a company to make non-dairy products involving cold-brewed coffee in distinctive bottles, now one of the most successful brands in the nearly $20 billion plant-based beverage industry while being socially responsible, promoting wellness and protecting the environment.

(from NYT obit)