HOIST Hydration Heavies Up on Seasoned Bev Pros Led by Vitaminwater, Rowdy Vet Lorber as CEO; Woodruff, Keeney Also on Team Now
Cincinnati-based HOIST Hydration, which can claim to be a domestic pioneer of rapid hydration segment but in a decade hasn’t moved much beyond regional status, has recruited Vitaminwater and Rowdy Energy vet Hallie Lorber to serve as CEO. She’s part of a new wave of talent in both staff and board roles to augment talents of cofounders Kelly Heekin and Ben Schmidt that’s been ushered in by Gerry David, the former Celsius CEO who came in as board chmn last Oct (BBI, Oct 14). Hallie has had stops over the years at Ben & Jerry’s, Vitaminwater, Bevyz, Keurig Green Mountain and Rowdy Energy, the brand launched by Suja cofounder Jeff Church with Kyle “Rowdy” Busch. She also runs David Ortiz Children’s Fund and Mariano Rivera Foundation.
Contacted today, Hallie said she wasn’t planning a return to the daily fray but was approached by Hoist board members David and Hal Kravitz, the former Coke exec who oversaw post-acquisition transition of Vitaminwater, about taking board role. As they discussed brand’s assets and challenges, discussions morphed to include CEO job too. She was coaxed into accepting on strength of brand’s careful balance of electrolytes and carbs, its absence of dyes at time consumers are more concerned about issue, its commanding reputation among military users and the patience and persistence its founding team has displayed she told us today in confirming move. Timing was favorable too now that some retailers are considering grouping of rapid-hydration brands like Electrolit, Gatorlyte and Hoist in distinct subset on shelves. She said she’d met David 6-7 years ago and assisted him on marketing and branding on various projects from Unbuzzd detox bev to Olia Olive Leaf Tea, which we’ve recently profiled (BBI, Jun 10). Among tasks David has been charged with is fundraising effort to fortify Hoist for more aggressive push in 2026. Presence of Lorber and her team is likely to enhance that effort.
Among fortified team she’ll be leading are her former Vitaminwater colleague Casey Woodruff, who departed Suja Organic in Jan after a decade, to handle marketing chores. Also just aboard in sales role is Tom Keeney, who had fruitful runs at SoBe, Vitaminwater and Hint Water before exiting bevs 15 years ago for roles on health side at TheraPearl and Reckitt. Plugging in gaps in board’s skill set are new additions Regan Ebert, a vet of Frito-Lay, Keurig Dr Pepper, Celsius and Danone, as well as Brian Killingsworth, comes out of sports world via exec stops at Tampa Bay Rays, LA Rams, Tampa Bay Bucs and Vegas Golden Knights and is currently CMO at F45 training outfit. That brings useful set of experiences and contacts for NSF-certified Hoist.