For over two decades, Rohan Oza has quietly shaped the fortunes of some of the world’s biggest celebrities, transforming star power into billion-dollar brands. From helping Jennifer Aniston elevate premium water to cultural currency, to structuring equity deals that earned 50 Cent millions, Oza has built a reputation as both a hitmaker and a strategist.
But in May, he delivered his most defining move yet.
In a landmark transaction, beverage giant PepsiCo acquired prebiotic soda brand Poppi for $1.9 billion, a deal that not only cemented Poppi’s place in the future of consumer beverages but also reaffirmed Oza’s status as one of the most influential dealmakers in modern brand building.
Seated in his Manhattan office, surrounded by vibrant cans of Poppi displayed like artwork, Oza reflects on a two decade pursuit of finding the soda of tomorrow. For him, Poppi is more than a product. It is a generational shift, a reimagining of soda for a health conscious and brand savvy audience.
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“Americans are looking for the brands of tomorrow,” he says. “Thirty years from now, Poppi will be the soda for my kids.”
That vision has defined his career.
As co founder of CAVU Consumer Partners, Oza has repeatedly identified and scaled beverage brands that sit at the intersection of culture, health, and storytelling. His role often goes beyond traditional investing. He builds narratives, orchestrates partnerships, and engineers cultural relevance.
Long before Poppi, he helped shape some of the most lucrative beverage exits in history. His involvement in the rise of Vitaminwater and Smartwater culminated in a $4.1 billion acquisition, while his work with Bai led to another billion dollar sale. In each case, Oza deployed a now famous strategy by aligning celebrities not just as endorsers, but as equity partners.
It was a model that changed the rules.
“When Rohan and I did the Vitaminwater deal, it became the blueprint,” 50 Cent once noted, reflecting on the partnership that turned his involvement into a massive financial win. The idea was simple yet powerful, let celebrities bet on themselves and share in the upside.
That formula would eventually lead Oza to Poppi.
The opportunity emerged during an appearance on Shark Tank in 2018, where he invested $400,000 for a 25 percent stake in a small Austin based brand then known as Mother Beverage. Founded by husband and wife entrepreneurs Stephen and Allison Ellsworth, the company had potential but lacked scale, positioning, and mass appeal.
The name changed to Poppi. The formulation evolved from an apple cider vinegar tonic to a modern prebiotic soda. Glass bottles gave way to colorful cans. The brand identity shifted from niche and artisanal to bold, playful, and millennial driven.
It was not just a rebrand. It was a reinvention.
Under Oza’s guidance, Poppi became a cultural phenomenon, tapping into the rising demand for functional beverages while maintaining the emotional pull of traditional soda. By the time PepsiCo came calling, the brand was not just growing, it was defining a category.
The acquisition, valued at 3.3 times revenue, delivered Oza his biggest exit yet. With an estimated 21 percent personal stake and additional holdings through CAVU, the deal reportedly netted him hundreds of millions, contributing to a net worth approaching $500 million.
Yet behind the numbers lies a deeper story rooted in persistence and reinvention.
Born in Zambia, Oza’s journey to the pinnacle of American business was far from linear. After graduating from the University of Nottingham, he began his career at Mars, working on Snickers. Early setbacks, including being told marketing might not be his strength, forced him to rethink his path.
Instead of retreating, he recalibrated.
An MBA from the University of Michigan opened new doors, eventually leading him to The Coca-Cola Company, where he worked on brands like Sprite and Powerade. There, he engineered a remarkable turnaround, transforming declining sales into rapid growth and establishing himself as a marketing force.
That breakthrough set the stage for everything that followed.
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Today, Oza operates at the intersection of investment, branding, and culture, splitting his time between Miami, Los Angeles, and New York while continuing to identify the next breakout consumer brand.
But even after the Poppi deal, he insists he is far from finished.
For Oza, success is not defined by a single exit, no matter how large. It is about building a legacy of brands that resonate across generations, products that do not just sell, but shape behavior and culture.
In many ways, Poppi is both a culmination and a beginning.
It represents the evolution of an industry, the power of strategic storytelling, and the enduring value of belief in products, in people, and in the possibility of turning bold ideas into billion dollar realities.
And if history is any indication, Rohan Oza is already searching for what comes next.
