NCW entrepreneurs collaborate on health drink Orange Toucan
A couple of North Central Washington’s most decorated entrepreneurs are working together to launch a beverage called Orange Toucan that they hope will become a commercial success in what’s called the functional beverage market — beverages that bring positive health benefits.
Sandy Wheeler, who founded Bowflex and Kevin Klock, who as CEO of Talking Rain helped that tiny company compete against global giants Pepsi and Coca Cola, have started 4 Guys Beverage Co. to produce and import four flavors of Orange Toucan from Thailand. Orange Toucan is a beverage based on the moringa tree, which can be found throughout Asia.
Klock is the CEO with a background in chemical engineering and Wheeler has deep experience in marketing and finance.
Wheeler, who said his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam led to becoming diabetic and other health issues, said serendipity had a lot to do with discovering the health benefits of the drink. Wheeler started drinking the beverage regularly and noticed that his insulin numbers stabilized. That got them to thinking that Orange Toucan might fit a niche in the market for health-conscious individuals who wanted a non-sugar-based beverage that might assist them in controlling their blood sugar.
“My insulin dropped by six milliliters, and I hadn’t done anything other than consumed this beverage,” Wheeler told me.
As CEO of Talking Rain, Klock had deep experience with the beverage industry but no experience with the functional beverage category and the distribution channels. He also hadn’t started a company from scratch, which is a far different challenge than repositioning an existing company or product.
Wheeler not only co-founded Nautilus, which produced Bowflex, but also has gone on to launch startups to produce various other products, including most recently a company called Life’s Thoughts, which offers consumers an opportunity to pass along wisdom to family members after they pass away.
Klock said Wheeler’s experience in launching startups was a huge help in getting 4 Guys Beverage Co. off the ground.
Now their challenge is to see if they can get financing for their enterprise. Raising funds for these kinds of startups typically happens with the help of either venture capitalists, an initial public offering or IPA, or through big investments through accredited investors (high net-worth individuals).
Klock, Wheeler and their partners are hoping to launch a crowdfunding campaign this fall to get the company off the ground, using a financing approach called Regulation CF. for crowdfunding. If all goes as planned, they’ll be funding it through the Start Engine website. This approach, they told me, allows individuals to plunk down smaller amounts of cash to help fund the company.
It will be interesting to see how this entrepreneurial venture featuring two recognized individuals from the valley will go. Big ideas come out of North Central Washington and we’ll see if this one strikes a chord with consumers and investors. You can check out the company at https://orangetoucan.com/
