Mark Rampolla

Entrepreneur, Investor, Author. Mark was the Founder and CEO of ZICO Beverages, one of the trailblazers of today’s $8 B coconut water category. Under Mark’s leadership, ZICO delivered nine years of explosive growth, became one of the fastest growing beverage brands in the world and was acquired by the The Coca Cola Company in 2013. Next, Mark focused on learning to stand-up-paddle surf, got to know the high sierras, wrote his first book High Hanging Fruit, and started investing in and advising dozens of startups addressing important social challenges in the food, beverage, and technology industries. He also co-founded Powerplant Ventures, a fund that aims to remake our global food system to deliver better nutrition in more sustainable and ethical ways by finding, funding and supporting the best food and beverage entrepreneurs in the world. Mark has a BA in business from Marquette University, and an MBA and Masters in Environmental Management from Duke University and has been a dishwasher, landscaper, Peace Corps volunteer and corporate executive but his favorite title so far is Dad.