Suja Life Fuels Next Phase Of Business Growth, Appoints Nicole Portwood As Chief Marketing Officer & Taps Saxon Seay As Chief Strategy Officer

San Diego, Calif. (May 20, 2025) – Suja Life, the leading functional beverage platform committed to delivering nutrition and superior taste, is readying for an aggressive next phase of growth with strategic new hire, Nicole Portwood, as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), alongside appointing Saxon Seay as the first Chief Strategy Officer (CSO). On the heels of one of the company’s most successful years in 2024 and a strong start to 2025, both Portwood and Seay will work alongside Suja Life Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Maria Stipp, to drive momentum for the company’s function-forward portfolio of brands, including Suja Organic, Vive Organic and Slice Healthy Soda.

As a parent company, Suja Life is already a category leader across the three fast-growing segments it plays in: Cold-Pressed Juice, Wellness Shots, and Better-For-You (BFY) Soda. Suja Organic holds a commanding 63 percent share of the Green Cold-Pressed Juice category. Vive Organic is the number one wellness shot brand in the U.S.; when combined with Suja Organic, the brands make up 49 percent of the total wellness shots category and are driving 37 percent year-over-year growth of the category. In early 2025, Suja Life relaunched the iconic Slice brand as a functional, better-for-you soda—and in just a few months, it has already become the number two brand in the BFY soda category at national launch retailers, behind only Olipop, with rapid growth underway.

“Suja Life is driving incredible momentum across the entire business right now, solidifying our position as a market leader for both Suja Organic and Vive Organic and kicking off 2025 with the launch of Slice,” said Stipp. “Because of our success, we knew it was imperative to keep the business moving forward with strategic visionaries that have experience in scaling efficiently. We’re thrilled to bring on Nicole Portwood as CMO and appoint Saxon Seay as CSO to round out our skilled C-Suite of industry veterans who will make a profound impact on the business over the coming years.”

Tasked with fueling Suja Life’s next phase of growth, Portwood and Seay will spearhead strategic initiatives focused on propelling business growth across all Suja Life’s portfolio brands. 

A marketing master with decades of experience and a proven track record in scaling brands, Portwood will oversee all marketing efforts for Suja Organic, Vive Organic, and Slice. Her belief in the power of purpose-driven brands and proven experience as a brand builder has helped strengthen revenue growth in dynamic, fast-paced, and competitive business environments with top companies, including as CMO at Salad and Go, Vice President of Marketing for PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew, and Chief Brand Officer at Live Nation Entertainment. She also served as the Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Tito’s Handmade Vodka for nine years (for which she was recognized as Ad Age Marketer of the Year) and was a driving force behind the launch of Jennifer Lopez’s bottled cocktail brand as the General Manager at House of Delola. 

“With over 20 years in the beverage marketing industry, I’m looking forward to bringing my knowledge and expertise to Suja Life at an incredibly exciting time for the company,” said Portwood. “As a C-Suite, we have big aspirations for Suja’s portfolio of brands and want to maintain our status as a leading functional wellness beverage platform, so I’m excited to be an integral part of this dynamic team of strategic thinkers.”

As Suja Life’s new CSO, Seay will act as the architect of the company’s multi-year strategy, identifying whitespace opportunities, guiding portfolio and innovation strategy, and leading operating rhythms that transform the organization for its next era of growth. She’s stepping into this newly created role after two and a half years as Suja Life’s CMO, during which she drove double-digit growth for Suja Organic and Vive Organic, and relaunched Slice on a national stage. Prior to Suja Life, Seay held senior marketing roles at The Coca-Cola Company, where she helped the Coca-Cola TM become the number one growing non-alcoholic beverage brand in America.  

To learn more about Suja Life and to find a store near you, please visit Suja Life's website.

About Suja Life

Suja Life is the leading, vertically integrated manufacturer and marketer of plant-based, better-for-you cold-pressed juices and related beverages committed to delivering function, nutrition and superior taste to a diverse, national consumer base. Formed in 2022, the parent company holds Suja Organic and Vive Organic, the leading beverage brands harnessing the power of organic, non-GMO, and plant-based ingredients to provide functional products loaded with vital nutrients, and Slice Healthy Soda, the classic soda you know and love, now made better.  In partnership with Paine Schwartz Partners, Suja Life was founded to merge years of CPG industry expertise and propel brands that encompass a shared mission to craft products held to the highest standards of quality and wellness. Today, Suja Life leads the nation in organic and cold-pressed juices and shots, with a growing portfolio of brands. For more information, please visit Suja Life's website.