Blue Stripes Named No.1 in Fast Company's 2025 Most Innovative Companies List in the Small and Mighty Category

The whole cacao brand revolutionizing the chocolate industry with sustainable, innovative products earns top spot in prestigious annual awards ranking

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa, March 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Stripes, the whole cacao brand dedicated to combating the global cacao crisis, has been named No. 1 in the Small and Mighty: 1–50 Employees category on Fast Company's 2025 Most Innovative Companies list. This prestigious recognition highlights Blue Stripes' pioneering work in sustainability, innovation and its transformative impact on the chocolate industry. The award celebrates companies that are making a profound difference through groundbreaking ideas and social responsibility, and Blue Stripes is proud to be recognized at the forefront of these efforts.

Co-founded by Oded Brenner, founder of the renowned Max Brenner chocolate empire, and successful food industry entrepreneur Aviv Schwietzer, Blue Stripes is leading the charge in revolutionizing the chocolate industry by utilizing the entire cacao pod—fruit, shell and beans. The brand's approach of upcycling the whole cacao pod—as opposed to only the 30% that traditional chocolate brands use—to create its products supports the environment, cacao farmers and the overall health of consumers.

"This recognition from Fast Company is an incredible honor and a testament to the hard work we've put into making our vision a reality," said Blue Stripes Co-Founder and CEO Oded Brenner. "Being named No. 1 in Fast Company's Small and Mighty category illustrates our core mission at Blue Stripes–reimagining the chocolate industry by utilizing the entire cacao pod to offer a holistic solution to the global cacao crisis."

This recognition underscores Blue Stripes' commitment to social and environmental change. Every year, 10 million metric tons of cacao pods go to waste, since the chocolate industry traditionally only uses 30% of the entire cacao pod for chocolate-making and the remaining 70% is wasted. Blue Stripes' approach of upcycling the whole cacao pod allows the brand to create a line of environmentally conscious, nutrient-dense and delicious products, including Cacao Water, Superfruit Gummies, whole cacao chocolate bars, beans, trail mix and granola.

"We're not just making cacao products; we're creating solutions for a broken industry," said Blue Stripes Co-Founder and COO Aviv Schwietzer. "By upcycling the whole cacao pod, we are providing a new revenue stream for cacao farmers by boosting their income by 2.5x, as well as reducing cacao-related CO2 emissions. Our business model significantly impacts the future of the cacao industry by fostering environmental and social change."

Alongside the brand's commitment to sustainability, Blue Stripes' line of products also contains powerful antioxidants, electrolytes, dietary fiber and key vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, vitamins B, C & D and more. Cacao is a superfood, and by upcycling the whole cacao pod Blue Stripes is able to optimize all of its superfood properties in the brand's products. These properties may support overall health, including: cardiovascular health, immune function, gut health, boosting mood, reducing inflammation and more (source).

Blue Stripes is available for purchase at Whole Foods Market, Sprouts and on Amazon. For more information on Blue Stripes and its products, or to be connected directly with Co-Founders Oded Brenner and Aviv Schwietzer, please contact [email protected].

About Blue Stripes
Blue Stripes is dedicated to combating the global cacao crisis and transforming the chocolate industry with its range of sustainable whole cacao products. Co-founded by Aviv Schwietzer and Oded Brenner—also the founders of the renowned chocolate brand Max Brenner, with Brenner famously dubbed a real-life Willy Wonka—the company aims to drive both social and environmental change by utilizing the entire cacao fruit. Recently named No. 1 in the Small and Mighty category on Fast Company's 2025 Most Innovative Companies list, Blue Stripes' nutrient-rich collection of whole cacao products includes: Cacao Water, Superfruit Gummies, whole cacao chocolate bars, whole cacao trail mix chocolate-covered cacao beans and whole cacao granola.

Contact Info:
Maddison Cervantes
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[email protected]

SOURCE Blue Stripes