# Richard Laver

> Richard Laver is the Austin-based founder and CEO of Lucky Energy and a co-founder of Kate Farms. A former professional tennis player and survivor of the 1985 crash of Delta Flight 191, he draws on family experiences to build beverage brands. Lucky launched in August 2023 and has expanded into national U.S. retail and energy gummies.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Lucky Energy
- **Organizations:** Lucky Energy / Lucky Beverage Company, Kate Farms, Mr. Lucky Foundation
- **Education:** Skidmore College
- **Known for:** Co-founded Kate Farms in 2012., Founded Lucky Energy in August 2023., Led Lucky Energy as it reported availability in more than 15,000 U.S. retail locations in November 2025.

## Career timeline

- **1985** — Survived the crash of Delta Flight 191 at age 12; his father died in the crash.
- **2012** — Co-founded Kate Farms with his wife Michelle.
- **2023-08** — Launched Lucky F*ck Energy, later renamed Lucky Energy.
- **2024-09** — Lucky Energy announced an $11.75 million Series A.
- **2025-03** — Lucky Energy secured a $14.2 million Series A1 led by Maveron.
- **2025-11** — Lucky Energy announced a $25 million Series B led by Paine Schwartz Partners.
- **2026-01** — Lucky Energy announced its entry into energy gummies.
- **2026-10** — Lucky unveiled a new identity developed with Dayjob at the NACS Show.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Kate Farms in 2012.
- Founded Lucky Energy in August 2023.
- Led Lucky Energy as it reported availability in more than 15,000 U.S. retail locations in November 2025.
- Built a beverage leadership network including former Red Bull North America CEO Dan Ginsberg, a Lucky board member.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — At the NACS Show, Lucky announced a Dayjob-designed black-and-white identity and the mission “Every day is a miracle,” with rollout planned for Q4 2026. The company projected 17,000 retail locations by year-end.
- **2026-04** — Lucky introduced SLUSH flavors in 12-ounce cans and announced energy-gummy retail plans.
- **2026-02** — Lucky announced H-E-B and EG America expansion and senior hires Ray Faust, Dan Zacka and Steve VanWettering.
- **2025-11** — Lucky announced a $25 million Series B led by Paine Schwartz Partners.

## Links

- Website: https://luckybevco.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-laver-38268616

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/richard-laver
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-26