Stepping up to lead Jibby’s crowdfunding round is a genuine honor. Although I've had the privilege of investing in a number of early-stage ventures, taking the lead is a first for me. So why Jibby? I learned about Jibby in the early days, when a friend and fellow early investor connected me with James & Alvo (during the old branding days, before Mr. Jibby was even introduced to the world). Knowing I worked in M&A, he asked me to give my thoughts on the business, and the mission resonated immediately; the idea of improving the daily ritual of 2/3 of Americans (e.g., coffee), and using it as a format for increased functional health & wellness made sense, especially given what I was seeing with consumers increasingly focusing on functional health in food and beverage. The more I studied the market opportunity, the more convinced I became. When I had the opportunity to meet James and Alvaro, I was impressed; their charisma & commitment to coffee was immediately evident, and over time, I saw firsthand they had the skills, savviness, creativity, and humility to be do something big (especially after seeing the rebrand and creating one the best branded products I have ever seen in Mr. Jibby!). It was a venture and a team I could get behind, and so I did—first as a consumer, then as an early investor. Fast forward almost two years and hundreds of thousands of cans later, and James let me know they were raising again—this time to expand their footprint & fuel new products that were better suited for their online customer base. I had been keeping close contact with both James and Alvo, friends of mine at this point, so I was up to date on the successes and milestones they’d been achieving. I loved the idea of leaning more heavily into DTC and profitability, and I have been very impressed by the rockstar advisors they brought in to help nail this strategy. As Jibby gears up for its next chapter, I'm confident this round will amplify their growth and execution to becoming the next big coffee & tea brand. Doubling-down on my initial investment and further supporting the Jibby journey as it changes the beverage world… it’s an opportunity I couldn’t miss out on… and I got a hat for investing 😎