# Kara Goldin

> Kara Goldin is the founder and former CEO of Hint, the San Francisco beverage company she began in 2005 after experimenting with fruit-infused water at home. An Arizona State University graduate whose career crossed Time Inc., CNN, the Apple spinout 2Market and AOL, she brought an e-commerce operator's instincts to an old-line industry, building a national unsweetened flavored-water brand and an early direct-to-consumer beverage business. She is also the author of Undaunted and host of The Kara Goldin Show.

- **Role:** Founder and board member at Hint; host of The Kara Goldin Show
- **Organizations:** Hint Inc., The Kara Goldin Show, AOL, 2Market, CNN, Time Inc.
- **From:** Minneapolis, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BA in Communication; minor in Finance, Arizona State University
- **Known for:** Founded Hint in 2005 and helped establish unsweetened flavored water as a recognized beverage category., Built AOL's shopping and e-commerce partnerships business to about $1 billion in revenue., Named one of Fortune's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs in 2011.

## Career timeline

- **1989** — Graduated from Arizona State University and joined Time Inc. in New York, beginning in circulation.
- **Early 1990s** — Moved into advertising sales at CNN.
- **Mid-1990s** — Joined Apple spinout 2Market in San Francisco as national sales manager.
- **Late 1990s-2001** — Became AOL's vice president of shopping and e-commerce partnerships after AOL acquired 2Market; helped grow the shopping business to about $1 billion in revenue.
- **2005** — Founded Hint in San Francisco and began selling unsweetened flavored water through Bay Area retailers.
- **2011** — Hint introduced Hint Fizz, a carbonated extension of the brand.
- **2012** — Began developing Hint's direct-to-consumer channel after learning how little customer data wholesale platforms shared.
- **2017** — Received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award for Northern California and was named among Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business.
- **2017** — Launched the podcast later renamed The Kara Goldin Show.
- **2020** — Published Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts and Doubters.
- **2023** — Publicly described herself as Hint's founder and former CEO, remaining on the board.
- **2026** — Continued hosting The Kara Goldin Show, which remained active with new founder interviews.

## Achievements

- Founded Hint in 2005 and helped establish unsweetened flavored water as a recognized beverage category.
- Built AOL's shopping and e-commerce partnerships business to about $1 billion in revenue.
- Named one of Fortune's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs in 2011.
- Selected for EY's Entrepreneurial Winning Women program in 2012.
- Won a Gold Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year in 2013.
- Named to Forbes' 40 Women to Watch Over 40 in 2013.
- Named EY Entrepreneur of the Year for Northern California in 2017.
- Named one of Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business in 2017.
- Published the Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestseller Undaunted in 2020.
- Created and hosts The Kara Goldin Show, active since 2017.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — The Kara Goldin Show published an interview with Ron Johnson about his book Shop Different and the creation of the Apple Store.
- **2026-09** — The show featured Milan Martin, founder and CEO of Free Spirits, in a discussion about alcohol-free cocktails.
- **2026-09** — The show featured Lauren Schulte Wang, founder and CEO of The Flex Company, on category innovation and retail growth.
- **2026** — The Kara Goldin Show remained active into its ninth year, with Apple Podcasts listing roughly 800 episodes across 2017-2026.

## Links

- Website: https://karagoldin.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karagoldin
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/karagoldin
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGdgc3KcalWbLTxommrEgYQ
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karagoldin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaraGoldin
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@karagoldin

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/kara-goldin
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-27