The Best One Yet đ¤ âLIVE with Poppi Co-founders Allison & Stephen Ellsworth â Pepsiâs $2B Power Couple
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Feb 27, 2026 
Allison Ellsworth, co-founder of Poppi and former Shark Tank investor who helped build the prebiotic soda sold to PepsiCo for $1.95B, joins with husband Stephen. They talk signing the Pepsi deal and the emotional fallout. They discuss brand-first marketing, distribution as destiny, late-night spreadsheets at home, sampling strategies, Super Bowl ads, and returning to Shark Tank as Sharks.
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Their Fight The Day The Deal Closed
- Allison and Stephen fought the day they waited for the Pepsi money to hit the bank after signing the deal.
- They then celebrated with a month in Europe with their three boys, calling the exit both freeing and emotionally vulnerable.
Freedom Brings A Purpose Gap
- Allison described the acquisition as freedom that created a new problem: lack of purpose.
- She compares Poppy to a child at college â proud, still advising, but needing space to thrive independently.
Distribution Is Destiny For Scale
- Distribution determines scale more than product once category-product fit exists.
- Allison highlights Pepsi's access unlocked stadiums, Subway, Starbucks, and other venues previously unreachable for Poppy.