# 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.

- **Role:** Co-founder & CEO at Ora
- **Organizations:** Ora (Ora Organic)
- **From:** San Diego, California, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Political Science (Global Poverty and Practice focus), University of California, Berkeley
- **Known for:** Co-founded and scaled Ora into a nationally distributed plant-based supplement brand, Landed products in Vitamin Shoppe locations nationwide, plus Amazon and direct-to-consumer, Pitched on Shark Tank and turned a no-deal outcome into a 400% sales surge

## Career timeline

- **2011** — Graduated UC Berkeley and began strategy consulting for Fortune 500 healthcare and pharmaceutical companies
- **2014** — Co-founded Ora (Ora Organic) with Ron Chang and Erica Bryers
- **2017** — Pitched Ora Organic on Shark Tank Season 8, Episode 18; declined Kevin O'Leary's offer
- **2017** — Saw roughly a 400% sales increase following the Shark Tank airing
- **2024** — Ora named official nutrition partner of the Association of Pickleball Players (APP) Tour; ~$2.5M annual revenue

## Achievements

- Co-founded and scaled Ora into a nationally distributed plant-based supplement brand
- Landed products in Vitamin Shoppe locations nationwide, plus Amazon and direct-to-consumer
- Pitched on Shark Tank and turned a no-deal outcome into a 400% sales surge
- Secured Ora as the first plant-based nutrition partner of professional pickleball (APP Tour, 2024)
- Built Ora to roughly $2.5M in annual revenue

## Latest updates

- **2024-05** — Ora named official nutrition partner of the APP pro pickleball tour, with a co-branded line of protein, supplements and vitamins.
- **2024-06** — Ora reported roughly $2.5M in annual revenue with continued retail expansion.

## Links

- Website: https://ora.organic
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willsmelko/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ora_organic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ora.organic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ora.organic

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/will-smelko
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-20