# Hudson Davis-Ross

> Hudson Davis-Ross (also published as Hudson Gaines-Ross) is the co-founder and CEO of Plant People, the Austin-based functional wellness brand whose gummies rank as the #1 best-selling supplement at Whole Foods Market, Sprouts and Erewhon. A Brooklyn-born, Brown-educated serial entrepreneur, he previously co-founded nitro cold brew company RISE Brewing Co. and branding consultancy Crosby Advisory, was COO of wellness brand ALOHA, and launched divisions at Gilt Groupe. He started Plant People in his apartment after he and co-founder Gabe Kennedy bonded over recovery from spinal surgeries, and in November 2025 raised a roughly $7.9M Series A led by private-equity firm Manna Tree.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at Plant People
- **Organizations:** Plant People, RISE Brewing Co., Crosby Advisory, ALOHA, Gilt Groupe, Manna Tree (investor partner)
- **From:** Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A., East Asian Studies & Entrepreneurship, Brown University
- **Known for:** Built Plant People into the #1 best-selling supplement brand at Whole Foods Market, Sprouts and Erewhon, Grew the company profitably for seven years with minimal outside capital before raising a Series A, Delivered roughly 117% gross revenue growth year-over-year (2023-2024)

## Career timeline

- **2009** — Joins Gilt Groupe; helps launch the Home and Food & Wine divisions and international expansion to 120+ countries
- **2014** — Co-founds RISE Brewing Co., a nitro cold brew coffee company; later serves as Board Director
- **2015** — Founds Crosby Advisory, a branding and strategy consultancy (clients include A24, Chobani, adidas, TULA, Ritual)
- **2016** — Meets Gabe Kennedy on a hike; the two bond over recovering from spinal surgeries and begin blending herbal formulas in Hudson's apartment
- **2017** — Co-founds Plant People with Gabe Kennedy
- **2018** — Plant People officially launches; featured in The New York Times, Forbes and Vogue
- **2020** — Pandemic wipes out ~70% of business as retail closes; company pivots product line and survives
- **2023** — Achieves national distribution via Target, Whole Foods, Sprouts and REI; ~117% gross revenue growth into 2024
- **2025** — Launches in 820+ Target stores; closes a ~$7.9M Series A led by Manna Tree with Unilever Ventures participating

## Achievements

- Built Plant People into the #1 best-selling supplement brand at Whole Foods Market, Sprouts and Erewhon
- Grew the company profitably for seven years with minimal outside capital before raising a Series A
- Delivered roughly 117% gross revenue growth year-over-year (2023-2024)
- Expanded into 820+ Target stores nationwide in a single rollout
- Co-founded RISE Brewing Co., a fast-scaling national nitro cold brew brand
- Founded Crosby Advisory, advising brands including A24, Chobani, adidas and Ritual
- Closed a ~$7.9M Series A led by Manna Tree (Nov 2025)

## Latest updates

- **2025-11** — Closed a roughly $7.9M Series A led by private-equity firm Manna Tree, with Unilever Ventures participating.
- **2025-10** — Launched Plant People in 820+ Target stores nationwide.
- **2026-01** — Outlined post-investment growth strategy in NutraIngredients, citing ~120% projected 2025 growth.

## Links

- Website: https://plantpeople.co
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hudsongr/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/plantpeople
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrSqh-tK5o4
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hudsongainesross/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plantpeoples/

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/hudson-davis-ross
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-12