PRINCETON, N.J. — Bai Brands Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Ben Weiss, has been named a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014 Award in the New Jersey region. Award winners will be announced on Thursday, June 26th at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick.
“I am honored to be one of the finalists, and very proud of the tremendous growth we have accomplished at Bai in just a few short years,” said Weiss, who developed the first recipe for Bai 5-Calorie Antioxidant Infusions in his basement in 2008. “As an entrepreneur, I’ve strived to instill a very positive, creative company culture. It’s our employees, whom we call ‘Bai-lievers,’ that have helped us truly excel. The passion and dedication in each of us is what makes Bai stand out amongst others.”
Indeed, Bai has achieved tremendous growth since its introduction, having secured a national distribution partnership with Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and reporting tremendous sales growth year after year since 2011. Bai 5-Calorie Antioxidant Infusions will celebrate its fifth anniversary this August.
Weiss developed Bai 5-Calorie Antioxidant Infusions following over 20 years in the specialty coffee industry, where he was an innovator in product development, sourcing, and marketing. It was during his travels to coffee-growing regions abroad that he discovered coffee fruit, the fruit surrounding the coffee bean and one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants. After more than a year of intense research, development and testing, he created an antioxidant infusion using the coffeefruit and named it Bai, the Mandarin word for pure.
EY Entrepreneur of the Year™ regional award winners are then candidates for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year National program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced on November 15, 2014, at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California. The awards are the culminating event of the EY Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.
About Bai Brands
Bai 5-Calorie Antioxidant Infusions are innovative beverages that harness the goodness of coffeefruit, one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants. During founder Ben Weiss’ over 20 years in the specialty coffee business, he learned a coffee-grower’s secret: that the fruit surrounding the coffee bean is remarkably rich in antioxidants. After discovering the free-radical fighting potency of coffeefruit he worked to create a delicious, refreshing beverage by combining fresh exotic juices, white tea extract, coffeefruit extract, and sweetened with organic stevia. Every bottle of Bai 5 delivers a thirst-quenching experience that is 100% natural, Kosher, vegan, low glycemic, and gluten- and soy-free. Bai 5 is only 5 calories and 1 gram of sugar per serving. It comes in ten thirst-quenching flavors: Brasilia Blueberry, Congo Pear, Costa Rica Clementine, Ipanema Pomegranate, Malawi Mango, Panama Peach, Sumatra Dragonfruit, Limu Lemon, Molokai Coconut and Tanzania Lemonade Tea.
About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries.