# Greg Steltenpohl

> Greg Steltenpohl was an American beverage entrepreneur who co-founded Odwalla in 1980 and Califia Farms in 2010. A Stanford environmental science graduate and jazz saxophonist, he combined product development, design and an interest in sustainable food systems. He retired as Califia’s CEO in 2020 and died in 2021; an award in his name now supports entrepreneurs.

- **Role:** Founder and former CEO of Califia Farms (deceased, 2021)
- **Organizations:** Califia Farms, Odwalla, Adina for Life, Interra Project
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Environmental Science, Stanford University
- **Known for:** Co-founded Odwalla and Califia Farms., Led Califia from a citrus venture into plant-based milks, coffee and creamers., 2016 Specialty Food Association Business Leadership award recipient.

## Career timeline

- **1980** — Co-founded Odwalla in Santa Cruz with Gerry Percy and Bonnie Bassett.
- **1993** — Odwalla went public.
- **2000** — Co-founded the Interra Project.
- **2001** — Coca-Cola acquired Odwalla for $181 million.
- **2004** — Co-founded Adina for Life.
- **2010** — Founded Califia Farms with citrus growers; initial products included tangerine juice.
- **2012** — Califia introduced almond milk.
- **2016** — Received the Specialty Food Association Business Leadership award.
- **2017** — Califia entered the United Kingdom and Australia.
- **2019** — Califia launched Oat Barista Blend.
- **2020-01** — Califia announced $225 million in Series D financing.
- **2020-09** — Retired as CEO, remaining an executive director as Dave Ritterbush became CEO.
- **2021-03** — Died in March 2021.
- **2022** — The Greg Steltenpohl Pragmatic Visionary Award was announced.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Odwalla and Califia Farms.
- Led Califia from a citrus venture into plant-based milks, coffee and creamers.
- 2016 Specialty Food Association Business Leadership award recipient.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — The award in his name supported three ventures with two $25,000 seed grants and a $50,000 momentum grant; recipients included Just Soup and Roaring Fork Mill.
- **2022-03** — Califia announced the Greg Steltenpohl Pragmatic Visionary Award, an annual $100,000 grant initiative.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregsteltenpohl/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/greg-steltenpohl
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21