Introduction
Kombucha is a fizzy, fermented, tea-based drink that is around 2,000 years old, but it’s looking really good for its age. Lots of health-conscious consumers have been flocking to kombucha for the list of health benefits it’s said to carry: better digestion, weight loss, and a stronger immune system, among others. Whether it’s because consumers want to be healthier or they just enjoy the sweet-and-sour taste, kombucha’s recent surge in popularity shows no sign of slowing down.
Babe Kombucha answered that enthusiasm with a kombucha line of its own. Customers can visit the company’s tasting room in San Diego, California or pick up a can (or 12) of its kombucha in stores or online. We reached out to co-founder and CEO Vinnie Pavan to hear about his greatest passions and how his past experiences have helped Babe Kombucha.
Note: This interview was conducted over phone and email. It has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Olivia Strobl
What inspired you to take the leap and start this company?
Vinnie Pavan
For the first time in my life, I heard my inner voice and understood that my three passions were water sports, music, and healthy foods. So seven years ago, I started producing a local reggae band, worked briefly for a water sport company, and started Babe Kombucha with zero knowledge in the business — just a desire to make a difference in the world.
Olivia Strobl
Where can we find Babe Kombucha outside of San Diego? Will you open more tasting rooms in the future?
Vinnie Pavan
You can find Babe Kombucha at Sprouts nationwide and Grocery Outlet in California. Also, you can find our products at Mother’s Market & Kitchen in Orange County and Los Angeles, Central Market in Texas, Market of Choice in Oregon, and Mollie Stone’s Markets in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Wall Street has Morningstar, S&P, and Bloomberg
The equity crowdfunding market has KingsCrowd.
Olivia Strobl
Are you planning to expand beyond kombucha or keep to one focus?
Vinnie Pavan
We are launching a shelf-stable yerba mate line this summer. Formulas are ready, and it will be a line extension not too far from our core, which is healthy beverages.
Olivia Strobl
You already have a successful exit! Can you tell us about your last venture?
Vinnie Pavan
I was a licensing agent, and my company represented brands like Iron Maiden, One Direction, Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Milan in Latin America. I believe my previous expertise in branding helped Babe tremendously in launching our product.
Olivia Strobl
What does the competitive landscape look like, and how do you differentiate?
Vinnie Pavan
There are the kombucha giants GT’s and Health-Ade selling hundreds of millions of dollars and then the more craft and up-and-coming brands. Our kombucha is unique in flavor in that we mix the best fruits, mostly local, from San Diego, creating a final product that is second to none.
Wall Street has Morningstar, S&P, and Bloomberg
The equity crowdfunding market has KingsCrowd.
Olivia Strobl
Who is on your team and how did you come together?
Vinnie Pavan
We are a friends-and-family business. My sister Carol, a successful architect, is the president of the company. Marco, a lawyer by trade, is my brother-in-law and Babe’s chief operations officer. Travis, our brewmaster and partner, was a supermodel in his “previous life,” with decades of kombucha experience now.
I think what brought us together was our passion for kombucha and our desire to work on something meaningful that can make a difference in people’s lives.
Olivia Strobl
Have you set any future goals for the company?
Vinnie Pavan
Our short-term goals are to succeed at Sprouts and close the two deals we have in the pipeline with other large accounts. Plus, we plan to launch our shelf-stable yerba mate line this summer.
Our long-term goal is to become a powerhouse brand in the healthy beverage category.
We look forward to seeing where Vinnie and his team take the company. Babe Kombucha is currently raising on Wefunder.
About: Olivia Strobl
Olivia comes to KingsCrowd with a background in venture capital and technology. She spent time at Glasswing Ventures, an AI-focused venture fund in Boston, before joining the KingsCrowd team. There she helped develop machine learning algorithms for the opportunity qualification of preseed and seed-stage startup companies. Prior to her time at Glasswing, Olivia worked in a lab studying the neural correlates of attention. She holds a degree in Neuroscience from Wellesley College.