Allison Ellsworth

Who is Allison Ellsworth?

Allison Ellsworth is a Texas native who was working in oil and gas when she began mixing fruit juice, apple cider vinegar and sparkling water in her kitchen. In 2016 she started selling the drink, then called Mother, at a Dallas farmers market; within weeks a Whole Foods buyer offered shelf space, and she and her husband, Stephen Ellsworth, left their jobs to run the business. On Shark Tank in 2018 (Season 10), guest shark Rohan Oza invested $400,000. With Oza's guidance the couple rebranded as Poppi and relaunched in 2020 as a low-sugar prebiotic soda.

Allison led creative and brand marketing, and her TikTok videos became a major sales driver. By 2024 Poppi was reported to bring in more than $500 million in annual revenue and was sold at retailers including Target, Whole Foods and CVS. PepsiCo announced a $1.95 billion acquisition in March 2025 and completed it that May. Allison has stayed on as a creative advisor to the brand and has signed with talent agency WME.

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