Honest Tea Co-Founder Seth Goldman '95 Wins Regional Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Seth Goldman '95, president and TeaEO of Honest Tea, the nation's best-selling organic bottled tea, has received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2008 Award in the Retail/Consumer category in Greater Washington.

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards recognize outstanding entrepreneurs who have demonstrated exceptionality in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. As a Greater Washington regional award winner, Goldman is eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2008 national program in November.

"I'm thrilled that this enterprise we created as an engine of social and environmental change also turns out to be a great business," said Goldman.

Goldman founded Honest Tea in 1998 with Barry Nalebuff, the Milton Steinbach Professor of Management at Yale SOM, to fill the void between sugary sweet beverages and water in the bottled drink market. The company produces lightly sweetened teas and juices with a commitment to social responsibility that extends from its all-natural products to initiatives in the environment and creating partnerships with the growers, cultures, and communities behind their teas.

Honest Tea was the first company to market organic bottled tea and Fair Trade Certified tea. This year, the company spearheaded the creation of Bethesda Green, a community-based sustainability initiative in the company's hometown. In February 2008 Honest Tea signed an agreement with The Coca-Cola Company, which acquired a minority interest in the company.

"It's great to know that we can deliver results for our investors as well as our consumers, the environment, and the people who pick the tea leaves," said Goldman.