On this episode of Inkandescent Radio, we are joined by Seth Goldman co-founder, and president and TEO of Honest Tea — the company he co-founded in 1998 with Professor Barry Nalebuff of the Yale School of Management.
In the last 15 years, the company has thrived with a 66% annual compound growth rate, a statistic he attributed to the fact that consumers have shifted toward healthier and more sustainable diets.
In 2008 The Coca-Cola Company purchased a minority interest in Honest Tea, fueling further growth as Honest becomes the first organic and Fair Trade brand to move into the world’s largest beverage distribution system.
Today, HonestTea is wholly owned by Coke, and Goldman continues to run the company, which will gross more than $90 million this year. With 100 employees working nationwide, HonestTea can be found in hundreds of stores across the country—and it is beginning to get traction in countries worldwide.
A graduate of Harvard College (1987) and the Yale School of Management (1995), Seth holds an honorary Doctorate of Laws from American University. And in 2009, Seth was the recipient of Net Impact’s Member Achievement Award. He is a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute.
We are thrilled to be here at HonestTea headquarters in Bethesda, MD to record our podcast interview with Seth. In this episode you’ll learn:
- About Seth’s background, and why he decided to get into the tea business.
- How and why he started HonestTea with Barry Nalebuff, his professor from the Yale School of Management.
- How HonestTea has community-based partnerships with suppliers in India, South Africa and Argentina—and why that is so important to the growth of the company.
- Why social responsibility is a core value
- Why he created the nonprofit, Bethesda Green
- Why Governor Martin O’Malley appointed Goldman to the Maryland Economic Development Commission, and what he has accomplished in this role.
- Having brought up three sons—two in college, one finishing high school—will they follow in his footsteps?
- Seth Goldman’s 3 Tips for Entrepreneurs
Click here to read our feature on him as our Entrepreneur of the Month in the December issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.
About The Inkandescent Radio Show: What’s Your Story?
Bringing the voices of small business owners to the radio waves is the goal of the Inkandescent Radio Show, which launched in the fall of 2012 on the Entrepreneur Podcast Network.
Hosted by journalist, publicist, author, and entrepreneur Hope Katz Gibbs, the show will spotlight the Entrepreneurs of the Month featured on her monthly business magazine, www.BeInkandescent.com—as well as the Truly Amazing Women she has interviewed for her book project, www.TrulyAmazingWomen.com.
Hope will also be interviewing the bestselling authors, nationally-renowned artists, and expert columnists featured in Be Inkandescent magazine, and on her popular networking website, www.InkandedescentNetworking.com, which lists hundreds of the best networking events—and the professionals—in 7 east coast cities. Plus, she’ll be talking to top restaurateurs, chefs, foodies, and hoteliers that she spotlights in her “From Soup to Nuts” reviews.
Promoting, educating and inspiring entrepreneurs is the mission of the Inkandescent Group, LLC — a PR, marketing, design and publishing company that helps small businesses get the visibility they need to glow and grow, www.theinkandescent.com. So, what’s your story?
If you’d like to be interviewed on The Inkandescent Radio Show, send Hope an email here by clicking here. Be sure to tune in to Hope’s weekly podcast, The Inkandescent Radio Show, which airs every Monday, right here on EPN.
For more information, visit www.InkandescentRadio.com.
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