Huib van Bockel

Huib van Bockel, CEO and founder of Tenzing, shares his journey from Red Bull to creating a natural energy drink brand. He discusses the unique inspiration from ancient Tibetan tea and his emotional pitch to Selfridges that initially seemed to flop. Huib also reveals his innovative marketing strategies, like installing bins in Nepal, and his commitment to sustainability as a B Corp. He advocates for non-hierarchical leadership and reflects on the challenges of introducing a new category in the beverage industry.

Hub van Bockel, founder and CEO of Tenzing and former marketer at Unilever, MTV and Red Bull. He recounts spotting a gap for low-sugar, plant-based energy drinks. He explains bootstrapping, targeting niche communities like climbers and runners, and the quirky tactics that won major retailers. He also covers product development, retail pitches, and international growth lessons.

Huib van Bockel, former marketing head at Red Bull Europe and founder of Tenzing, shares his journey in creating a natural, low-sugar energy drink. He reveals the challenges of launching against big brands, including why he defied traditional sugar norms. Huib discusses the importance of community in building Tenzing, how grassroots engagement helped shape the brand, and his lessons learned about rapid testing and flavor iterations. He also touches on the significance of intuition in decision-making and the pride he takes in balancing work-life priorities.