Often dubbed as the new “Asian Ben & Jerry’s,” Boba x Ice Cream is a trailblazing brand in the US ice cream industry. As the first super-premium boba ice cream brand to hit natural grocery chains, it stands as a testament to the founders’ commitment to celebrating Asian-inspired flavors and culture. With a unique line-up of never-before-created flavors, Boba x Ice Cream is revolutionizing the dessert and ice cream world. Each pint is 100% lactose-free and contains boba pearls, providing a one-of-a-kind dessert experience. The brand’s small-batch, artisanal ice creams fall into the ‘super-premium’ quality category, standing shoulder to shoulder with renowned brands like Jeni’s, Salt N’ Straw, and Van Leeuwen. The brand was brought to life by a team of top ice cream veterans from brands including Jeni’s, Ben & Jerry’s, and Halo Top. In a show of support, investors and ambassadors Naomi Osaka and David Grutman joined the team early on, to help the brand grow. Their mission is to deliver happiness through food and desserts while celebrating and empowering the AAPI community. For a taste of their unique offerings, check out their website, where you can send a gift box of Boba x Ice cream to someone you love. Alternatively, you can order via GoPuff for a 30-minute delivery, or through Instacart or Sprouts. Follow their journey on Instagram and TikTok @bobaicecream and be part of the movement to create a more equitable society.
2. VAQIT
VAQIT, the Denver-based vodka soda brand, is revolutionizing outdoor socializing with its exceptional line of premium ready-to-drink beverages, designed to enhance the simple pleasures and meaningful moments in life. Co-founded by Chris Wood and Tuffli Nguyen, VAQIT was born from a longing for a lower-alcohol option that not only delivers remarkable taste but also complements a health-conscious and active lifestyle. Inspired by their shared love for the great outdoors and an active mindset, the founders embarked on a mission to create a beverage that perfectly complemented their activities. Disappointed by the lack of suitable options in the market, they took matters into their own hands. After two years of relentless taste testing, they crafted their signature flavors: Clementine Pineapple, Strawberry Guava, and White Peach Ginger. VAQIT’s mission is to unite people through ordinary moments, forging lasting memories along the way. Crafted with real alcohol and never malt, their vodka sodas boast a clean, invigorating flavor profile. With a modest 4% ABV, VAQIT offers a refreshing departure from conventional high-alcohol alternatives. Looking ahead, VAQIT aspires to reach a wider audience, further enhancing outdoor gatherings with their vibrant libations. Their unwavering commitment to quality, flavor, and an active lifestyle has made VAQIT the go-to choice for those seeking a refreshing and convenient beverage. So, whether you’re conquering the slopes or hosting a backyard get-together, gather your friends, embrace the outdoors, and let VAQIT transform these moments into lasting memories.
Do Good Swimwear, born from an eye-opening surf trip that exposed the harsh reality of ocean pollution, is making waves in the world of sustainable fashion. Founded in 2019 by the incredible Jasmin Suayan-Baykal in Long Beach, California, this women-owned, Filipina-American-run small business is more than just a fashion statement—it’s a movement for the Earth and all its inhabitants. What sets this brand apart is its unwavering commitment to ethical and sustainable practices. Do Good Swimwear creates its one-of-a-kind line of swimwear using recycled materials, offering timeless designs that flatter every body type. These pieces are bursting with vibrant colors, capturing the lively spirit of those who wear them. But the beauty of Do Good Swimwear goes beyond aesthetics. Every purchase contributes to a cause. A portion of the profits goes towards supporting organizations dedicated to ocean conservation, tree planting, and women’s empowerment. Moreover, the brand collaborates with talented minority female artists, ensuring they receive fair wages for their unique designs. By supporting Do Good Swimwear, you’re actively promoting sustainability and social responsibility. Even the packaging reflects their thoughtfulness. Your purchase arrives in compostable packages, symbolizing the brand’s deep-rooted commitment to the environment at every step of the way. Do Good Swimwear isn’t just a brand; it’s an embodiment of conscious consumerism. It allows you to look good, feel good, and, most importantly, do good. It serves as a powerful reminder that each one of us can contribute to preserving our planet, one swimsuit at a time. Join the movement and be a part of this incredible journey toward a brighter and more sustainable future.
4. Boba POPS
Unifying Spirits, a Pittsburgh-based company, is transforming the way we enjoy our cocktails with their innovative product, Boba POPS. Created as a unique ingredient for mixed drinks, this alcoholic popping boba is designed to make mixology accessible and fun for everyone, from professional bartenders to casual drinkers. Launched in August 2021, Boba POPS is the first step in Unifying Spirits’ mission of inspiring fun yet responsible drinking. The brand caters to those who enjoy social drinking and occasional mixology at home. As summer heats up, Boba POPS is here to make your mixed drinks more enjoyable. It serves as a unique main ingredient to create easy-to-make and exciting summer beverages such as popping fruit-flavored hard lemonade, popping hard seltzer, and hard-popping boba tea. But the fun doesn’t stop there. Boba POPS is more than just a beverage product; it’s a way to express your creativity and add a twist of joy to your social gatherings. It allows you to experiment with different combinations, creating personalized flavorful popping drinks to enjoy with friends. Whether you’re planning a BBQ party or a quiet evening on the porch, Boba POPS is sure to add a pop of flavor and fun to your drink. And here’s the best part: they are easily accessible. Boba POPS is available online and in liquor stores and bars nationwide. What sets Boba POPS apart is not just their uniqueness as the only alcoholic popping boba available and produced in the U.S., but also their award-winning packaging. The product’s design, which has been recognized by the 2023 Package Design Awards, adds another layer of appeal to this innovative alcoholic beverage product. With Boba POPS, Unifying Spirits is stirring up the mixology scene, offering a fun, creative, and easy way for everyone to enjoy their drinks. For more information about Boba POPS, visit their website.
Viva Tequila Seltzer, a company that redefines indulgence, was founded in July 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts by Stephen Thurston, Chris Pronchik, and Morgan Lockwood. The shared passion this group had for spending time with friends on the golf course while enjoying a refreshing drink, gave rise to the creation of a healthier tequila-based seltzer. These founders have created a product that marries their love for a balanced lifestyle with a refreshing drink. With its ethos rooted in health and wellness, Viva Tequila Seltzer offers a range of flavors including Huckleberry, Elderberry, Watermelon, and Grapefruit. Each can contains just 88 calories, zero carbs, and zero sugar, making it the perfect choice for health-conscious consumers. Gluten-free, keto-friendly, vegan, paleo, non-GMO, and kosher, Viva is truly a ‘better for you’ option, without compromising on taste. Viva’s founders, who come from a background in the beer industry, saw their taste preferences and lifestyles evolving. They desired something more refreshing, drinkable, and aligned with their changing preferences. The result is a premium product that doesn’t make you sacrifice your diet while being awesomely refreshing. The company’s journey from a golf course to the shelves of liquor stores, bars, concert venues, and ultimately back to the golf courses in clubhouses as a drink option, is a testament to their growth and commitment to being a dominant seltzer brand in the industry. They are making extraordinary moves towards accomplishing this goal. For example, winning the title of #1 Hard Seltzer in the world in 2022 at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is a major milestone for Viva in becoming THE household tequila seltzer. Viva Tequila Seltzer continues to deliver on its promise of a balanced lifestyle, one can at a time.
6. GLO24K
GLO24K, a global skincare brand, is revolutionizing the beauty industry by providing high-end skincare products infused with 24K gold and innovative LED beauty devices at accessible prices. Their mission is to help everyone enhance their appearance and combat the signs of aging, such as wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging skin. What makes GLO24K truly exceptional is their perfect blend of affordable luxury and innovation throughout their skincare range. They firmly believe that indulging in high-end skincare shouldn’t be limited to the rich and famous, but should be accessible to anyone who values their beauty. With this vision in mind, they developed the Express Facelift Cream—a remarkable formula that produces a visible facelift effect within minutes, offering a safe and non-invasive alternative to injections. Each of GLO24K’s award-winning products is meticulously crafted in the USA, ensuring top-notch quality from start to finish. Produced in an FDA-registered laboratory, their skincare line incorporates the finest anti-aging ingredients, including collagen, hyaluronic acid, antioxidant vitamins, and potent peptides. This unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation enables GLO24K to provide exclusive, upscale products that are of the utmost quality, yet remain affordable for all those seeking to look and feel their absolute best. GLO24K isn’t simply a skincare brand; it represents an emblem of accessible luxury within the beauty industry. Their exceptional offerings, including the LED beauty devices and the gold-infused skincare collection, epitomize their dedication to delivering superior quality, innovation, and accessibility. With GLO24K, you get more than your money’s worth—an authentic experience of affordable luxury that will leave you feeling radiant and rejuvenated.
Amanda’s Fine Jewels, an online luxury jewelry boutique, has been shining bright ever since its inception. Its founder, Amanda Totaro, turned her love for gemstones and fine jewelry into a thriving business during the pandemic lockdown. She has created a haven for those seeking the allure of bespoke jewelry, offering unique pieces crafted from 14K and 18K gold, platinum, and natural gemstones. Amanda’s collections offer an array of exquisite bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings, and watches. However, the true standout factor of Amanda’s Fine Jewels is not just the diverse range but also the boutique’s commitment to customization. Each pre-set piece can be tailored to reflect clients’ distinctive styles, making them expressions of their individuality. For customers wanting styles and pieces that are entirely unique to them, Amanda’s Fine Jewels offers anyone the opportunity to have their own completely custom pieces made. Quality and customer satisfaction are the cornerstones of Amanda’s brand. She personally ensures the high quality of her products, from classic designs to on-trend styles, all radiating a distinctive flair. The brand offers luxury at varying price points, making it accessible to a wide range of customers. Amanda’s Fine Jewels aims to exceed customer expectations in quality, value, and service. The brand goes above and beyond to provide a highly personalized experience, offering services like free shipping, 30-day free returns, and even virtual try-ons. Amanda’s Fine Jewels is more than just a jewelry boutique; it’s a testament to the transformative power of passion, creativity, and resilience, and a beacon of luxury in the world of fine jewelry.
8. PRESS
PRESS Premium Alcohol Seltzer, founded in 2015 by Amy Walberg, has made large strides as one of the top national seltzer brands, despite the obstacles it has faced. Amy’s journey began when she couldn’t find a premium alcohol seltzer on the market that matched her luxurious aesthetic and global culinary experiences. Thus, she created PRESS, crafting unique fruit, flower, and spice flavor profiles that quickly accumulated nationwide votes for “best-tasting seltzer.” Amy’s passion as a consumer advocate has driven her to persist, even in an industry where distribution and retail access are tightly controlled. Smaller alcohol seltzers have often been tucked away on bottom shelves, lacking the in-store display advantages of the largest competitors. PRESS has been able to shine through these challenges with its phenomenal customer testimonials which speak to its value in the consumer’s eyes. Amy and her team at PRESS remain firm believers that all people deserve an array of premium choices. PRESS’s popularity proves the market’s appetite for quality innovation. The brand continues its mission to offer consumers incredible options, letting them decide what intrigues them the most. Despite hurdles, PRESS thrives due to its consumers persistently seeking it out.
9. Oakcha
Oakcha Fragrances, founded in 2020 by a family of six co-founders, was born out of a deep love for fragrances and a desire to make luxury fragrances more accessible and affordable. The company saw an opportunity to enhance the strength and longevity of perfumes, surpassing the limitations of traditional eau de parfum formulations by creating a parfum extrait with an oil concentration of 30-40%. The result was a collection of high-quality, long-lasting parfum extraits that offered unparalleled intensity and endurance, transforming the way people experienced fragrance. Not just replicating existing fragrances, Oakcha’s creative vision extended beyond dupe perfumes, inspiring them to create their original house collections such as the Oud Collection, Tonic Collection, and Oakcha Signatures. The brand’s Jewel Collection stands as a testament to their commitment. Each number on their bottles in the Jewel collection is a nod to the value of these rare items on the market, offering impressions of some of the world’s most expensive fragrances typically ranging between $6,000 to $1.5 million. Determined to redefine the fragrance landscape, Oakcha Fragrances continues to immerse itself in the art of perfumery, exploring the science behind scent composition and pushing the boundaries of olfactory experiences. The company’s mission is to change the perception that perfumes are a luxury only a privileged few can afford and to give everyone the chance to find a signature scent that represents their individuality without having to spend hundreds of dollars.
10. HempHera
Harnessing the power of nature and technology, Ashley Brooke Osborne positioned HempHera to shake up the skincare industry with its unique range of CBD-infused products. The brand’s innovative offerings cater to both men and women, providing solutions for sensitive, dry, irritated, mature, and troubled skin. Their product lineup includes indulgent bath bombs, rejuvenating body butters, soothing herbal teas, and effective pain creams, all of which are formulated, produced, packaged, and shipped by Ashley herself. The brand sets itself apart with its pioneering use of nanotechnology. Unlike other brands, HempHera’s products are supercharged with nano-amplified organic hemp CBD, enabling more efficient absorption and thus, faster and longer-lasting results. This means less product is needed, making HempHera not only effective but also economical. HempHera’s target market comprises mainly women over the age of 30. However, the brand’s ethos is universal, appealing to anyone seeking ethically sourced, all-natural products that bring a healthy glow to the skin. The brand’s dedication to excellence has not gone unnoticed. Some of their accolades include being named the 2021 Best in Show CBD Cosmetic at the Original CBD EXPO, a finalist at the 2022 Beauty Creator’s Awards, and a winner at the 2022 Beauty Innovation Awards. With a vision to conquer the skincare industry in the UK, EU, and UAE next, HempHera is truly a skincare brand with a difference, blending luxury, efficacy, and sustainability in every product.
