Allison Ellsworth, co‑founder of sparkling‑water brand Poppi, sat down with The Wall Street Journal’s Money Interview to dissect the forces behind a multi‑billion‑dollar exit. She recounted the company’s growth from a college‑room startup to a $1.95 billion enterprise that PepsiCo acquired earlier this year, and argued the deal gives the soda maker a foothold in the emerging functional drink segment.

Ellsworth argued that partnerships and influencer marketing formed the backbone of Poppi’s brand equity. She pointed to collaborations with TikTok creators and fitness personalities that turned a niche soda into a shelf‑ready staple, accelerating distribution deals with retailers. Those relationships, she said, were engineered rather than accidental, shaping the valuation PepsiCo paid. Data on taste preferences guided rapid product tweaks, boosting consumer adoption.

The interview underscores how founders can steer outcomes through deliberate brand building, yet acknowledges the role of timing and market appetite. For investors, Poppi’s sale signals that large consumer giants remain eager to absorb agile, digitally native brands, rewarding entrepreneurs who can fuse data‑driven outreach with product innovation. The deal signals private‑equity investors may chase similar exits as strategic buyers target niche brands.