Inspired by less-traditional sports, like skateboarding, snowboarding and the X-Games, as well as the personality of energy drink brands, Roly Nesi, founder and chief executive officer of Huntington, N.Y.-based ROAR Beverages, was dedicated to changing the game in sports drinks in order to speak to a new generation of consumers.
A lineup of coconut water-based isotonic sports drinks boasting B vitamins and electrolytes, ROAR Beverages launched in 2013 and has seen high triple-digit growth quarter after quarter, Nesi says. “When I set out with ROAR, I didn’t want to convert life-long Gatorade and Powerade drinkers, it’s too much of an uphill battle,” he explains. “What I wanted to do was make a product that was young, fun, cool, in-the-moment, and on-trend with street wear and sportswear and sneaker culture, which has become even more viral due to social media.