organic-nutrition
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The $50,000 Shake Disaster That Built Orgain’s Protein Empire
A teenage cancer survivor became a doctor, launched an organic shake during residency, and nearly lost the business when the product turned solid on the shelf. The repair became a playbook for building trust in a category full of promises.
Will Smelko
Will Smelko is the co-founder and CEO of Ora, an Austin-based maker of organic, plant-based supplements built from real food rather than synthetic chemicals. A UC Berkeley political science grad and former healthcare strategy consultant, he traded the pharma world for the supplement aisle after realizing he had no idea where any of it came from. He launched Ora in 2014 with college friend and chef Ron Chang and partner Erica Bryers, pitched it on Shark Tank in 2017, walked away from Kevin O'Leary's offer, and watched sales jump 400% anyway. Today Ora sells nationwide through Vitamin Shoppe, Amazon and its own site, and even fuels professional pickleball players.