How Poppi’s founders built a new soda brand worth $2 billion
Masters of Scale
WaitWhat
4.6 • 4.4K Ratings
🗓️ 30 April 2026
⏱️ 35 minutes
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Summary
Allison and Stephen Ellsworth hyperscaled their healthier soda brand Poppi to a truly gigantic exit to Pepsi – nearly $2 billion – and changed an entire category. The married co-founders talk with host Jeff Berman about what it takes to juggle a growing company and family at the same time, how savvy social media strategy helped them stand out, and what happens when you decide to run a Superbowl ad ... four days before the Big Game.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey folks, Jeff Berman here. Exciting news. Applications are now open for the Masters of Scale Summit. |
| 0:08.7 | It's happening October 20th through October 22nd in San Francisco, and it is a really special event. |
| 0:16.5 | Please join our curated community of founders, innovators, and leaders shaping the future. |
| 0:22.6 | Expect ideas that challenge your assumptions and connections that move your business and maybe even your life forward. |
| 0:30.2 | It's an experience that can change literally everything. |
| 0:34.3 | Apply now at Mastersofscale.com slash apply 26. |
| 0:38.1 | That's Mastersofscale.com |
| 0:40.3 | slash apply 26. |
| 0:44.6 | Humans will never be more intelligent than AI. |
| 0:48.2 | There's going to be two types of companies. |
| 0:49.9 | Those are great at AI and those that went out of business because they weren't. |
| 0:53.1 | How do we build a future that is human-centered? |
| 0:58.1 | I'm Rana El-Caulubi, and on my podcast, Pioneers of AI, we answer that question and so many more. |
| 1:06.0 | As an AI scientist, entrepreneur, and investor, I know what it takes to build AI that works for everyone. |
| 1:13.0 | Every week, I sit down with the pioneers shaping our future, and we take you behind the scenes |
| 1:18.3 | of the AI that's transforming our lives. Find pioneers of AI wherever you tune in. |
| 1:31.1 | I'm saying. I'm standing there on the edge of the bridge. |
| 1:34.8 | I'm just like, should I jump? |
| 1:37.3 | I know I should jump, but there's going to be all of these things that I have to do to |
| 1:42.1 | figure it out. |
| 1:43.2 | There's so much risk in all of this stuff. |
| 1:45.4 | And I donkey kick him off the cliff. So hard. She just kicks me right off. |
... |
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