STEPHEN ELLSWORTH, CO-FOUNDER OF POPPI, JOINS DROPOUT COMPANIES AS OPERATING PARTNER

NEW YORK, Dec. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- DropOut Companies, a modern consumer products house creating the next wave of perennial food brands, is proud to announce Stephen Ellsworth, co-founder of Poppi, as Operating Partner.

In this role, Ellsworth will provide strategic support across DropOut's growing portfolio, leveraging his expertise in brand building, product innovation, and strategic scaling to support Dropout's mission of reimagining childhood classics for today's families. 

"Stephen brings a rare combination of operational rigor and culturally relevant brand building," said Connor Blakley, Founder of DropOut Companies. "He and Allison established Poppi as the soda the next generation will grow up with. Bringing that level of category transformation to DropOut opens up extraordinary potential across our brands."

Ellsworth is widely recognized for helping transform Poppi alongside his wife from a homemade apple-cider-vinegar refresher into one of the fastest-growing beverage brands in the United States. After gaining early traction at local farmers' markets, Poppi surged in national awareness following its viral Shark Tank appearance in 2019. The brand passed $100 million in annual sales by 2023 and, in 2025, secured a strategic distribution partnership with PepsiCo valued at approximately $2 billion. Poppi is credited with reshaping the modern soda category through its focus on gut health, low sugar, and clean ingredients.

"DropOut is doing what Big Food should've done decades ago," said Ellsworth. "Connor is culture obsessed and has a great pulse on what consumers want. Dropout's taking the foods we know and love and rebuilding them with better ingredients. It's the same playbook that made Poppi explode, and I'm excited to bring that energy to every category we touch."

Ellsworth joins DropOut at a moment of rapid momentum for the company. Its first major launch, JAMS PB&J—hit both Walmart and Target nationwide in its first 4 months. Boosted by cultural heavyweights, Jams is only the beginning: DropOut has multiple category-shifting brands preparing for national rollout before the end of 2025, and in 2026 as it continues rebuilding childhood classics big food left untouched.

"Stephen's track record speaks for itself. Having him in our corner accelerates everything we're building at DropOut. We're reinventing the foods people grew up with, and his experience scaling category-defining brands gives us an edge as we bring modern classics to millions of households," says Dropout Companies cofounder Josh Franko.

About The DropOut Companies

Dropout Companies is a Nashville-based consumer products house founded in 2023 by Connor Blakley and co-founder Josh Franko. Focused on building the next generation of consumer-packaged goods (CPG) brands, Dropout develops innovative, "better for you" products alongside iconic talent.

Learn more at dropoutcompanies.com.

About Jams
Created in 2025 by Nashville based consumer products house The DropOut Companies, Jams is a modern reinvention of the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich - upgraded with ingredients that are designed for today's active lifestyles. Jams delivers 10 grams of protein per sandwich with no seed oils or high-fructose corn syrup. Backed by a roster of top athletes and cultural tastemakers, Jams is redefining snack time with a craveable option that meets the moment. For more information, visit getjams.com or follow @getjams on all social platforms.

SOURCE DropOut Companies