The Build | The Rise of Olipop - Redefining Soda, One Can At A Time + How It Became The Runner’s Soda (With Steven Vigilante)

Imagine this: you're standing inside a trendy L.A. grocery store—maybe it's Erewhon. You've got a cooler full of canned soda that claims to be good for your gut. You're not a celebrity and you're not even the founder of the company. You're just a guy with a vision, a few samples, and the audacity to talk your way into a product launch.

That was Steven Vigilante back in 2018. Today, Olipop—the better-for-you soda brand that he helped bring to life—is in more than 30,000 stores across the country. They've partnered with Barbie, NASCAR, the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, and somehow even made it into a Luke Combs music video.

But it didn't start there. Steven cut his teeth in venture capital, betting early on health forward brands. When he saw the potential in a fiber-packed functional soda, he jumped in—first as an advisor, and then as the architect behind some of the boldest growth and partnership strategies in beverage today.

So how do you build a soda brand that dares to take on the likes of Coke and Pepsi? One that trades sugar for science and still wins hearts and taste buds across America? In addition to all of that, they're also major partners for CITIUS MAG.

This is the latest episode of The Build with Steven Vigilante, Director of Media and Partnerships at Olipop, on staying scrappy, scaling smart, and crafting a new kind of soda, one can at a time.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

Guest: Steven Vigilante | @stevenvigilante on X

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