# Griffin Spolansky

> Griffin Spolansky is the New York-based co-founder and CEO of Mezcla, the puff-crispy snack-bar company he developed with Coco Sotelo after meeting her through a University of Virginia entrepreneurship class. A 2019 economics graduate and member of Virginia’s national championship lacrosse team, he helped build the brand from kitchen experiments and Boston store visits into nationwide retail distribution. He was selected for the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 Food & Drink list and also offers founder advisory sessions.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at Mezcla
- **Organizations:** Mezcla, University of Virginia men’s lacrosse, Harlem Lacrosse, MUD\WTR (investor, self-reported on Intro), Orion (investor, self-reported on Intro)
- **Education:** Economics degree, University of Virginia, Colgate University, The Lawrenceville School
- **Known for:** Member of the University of Virginia’s 2019 NCAA national championship men’s lacrosse team., Selected for the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 Food & Drink list., Co-founded Mezcla and built a national U.S. retail business; approximately 9,000 outlets were reported in March 2026.

## Career timeline

- **Age 13** — Sold bottles of his grandmother’s salad dressing at farmers’ markets around New York.
- **Age 16** — Started a men’s clothing line with a friend.
- **2016** — Transferred to the University of Virginia and joined its men’s lacrosse roster as a walk-on during fall practice.
- **2018** — Met Coco Sotelo through Bala Mulloth’s entrepreneurship course; began exploring a food business together.
- **2019** — Graduated with an economics degree; was on Virginia’s NCAA championship lacrosse team; co-founded Mezcla with Sotelo.
- **2020-08** — Mezcla launched commercially.
- **2020-05** — Began serving on Harlem Lacrosse’s advisory board, according to his LinkedIn profile.
- **2023** — Included on Forbes 30 Under 30 Food & Drink; Mezcla became available at Whole Foods nationwide in July.
- **2023-12** — Mezcla’s approximately $4 million Series A was reported; additional trade coverage followed in January 2024.
- **2026-03** — A $9.5 million Series B led by Bluestein Ventures was publicly reported, with Lindsay Levin joining the board.
- **2026-07** — Discussed team culture, investor trust and scaling Mezcla on There Is No Alternative.

## Achievements

- Member of the University of Virginia’s 2019 NCAA national championship men’s lacrosse team.
- Selected for the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 Food & Drink list.
- Co-founded Mezcla and built a national U.S. retail business; approximately 9,000 outlets were reported in March 2026.
- Led Mezcla through a $9.5 million Series B announced in 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Appeared on There Is No Alternative with Tina Bou-Saba to discuss scaling, accountability, capital efficiency and investor relationships.
- **2026-06** — The Mezcla team introduced refreshed packaging and four flavors: Frosted Strawberry, Mint Chocolate, Chocolate Pretzel and Salted Caramel Chocolate; a team post linked Spolansky’s TikTok account.
- **2026-04** — A university profile described his hiring philosophy and working relationship with operations manager Justin Grender; the team was reported as 12 people.
- **2026-03** — Mezcla’s $9.5 million Series B, led by Bluestein Ventures, was reported alongside distribution in approximately 9,000 retail locations.

## Links

- Website: https://eatmezcla.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/griffinspolansky
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@griffinspolansky1

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/griffin-spolansky
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-25