BevNET Live Summer 2023: Innovation at Any Size

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Mike Kirban discusses the ways Vita Coco has managed to stay innovative as it has grown, while also addressing the skills and practices he and his leadership team have developed as they have gone from startup to global brand.

Mike Kirban is the Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of The Vita Coco Company, a B Corp Certified Public Benefit Corporation, whose mission is to become the world’s largest “better-for- you” beverage company. Founded in 2004, The Vita Coco Company’s portfolio includes Vita Coco, the largest global coconut water brand, Runa, a plant-based natural energy drink, and PWR LIFT protein-infused water. Today, Vita Coco is available in more than 30 countries worldwide and the company employs more than 300 people globally. Under Kirban’s leadership, Vita Coco established the Vita Coco Project in 2014, the brand’s social impact initiative with a “Give, Grow, Guide” philosophy that supports the economic development of the communities where their products are sourced. The Vita Coco Project empowers coconut farming communities by helping them to innovate farming practices, improve education resources, and scale small businesses with the goal to positively impact the lives of more than one million people. At 19 years old, Kirban co-founded Software Answers Inc., a hospitality technology service provider which he still owns and serves on the board of directors today. Kirban has also served as Executive Chairman of Vita Coco’s board of directors since inception in 2004. Kirban brings a multi-disciplinary background to his work, and his entrepreneurial drive has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNBC, Inc. Magazine, Bloomberg, and ABC News. He currently resides in New York City with his two children and his dog, Coconut.