After a chance encounter with two Brazilian women in a New York City bar in 2003 and hearing about the tasty coconut water they missed from back home, Michael Kirban and his friend Ira Liran wanted to introduce coconut water to the U.S. market. The two cofounded Vita Coco the following year. Initially investing $75,000 to launch the product in the U.S., 20 years later, the company has multiple products and is worth over $1 billion.
Produced by: Raffi Paul
Senior Managing Producer: Eric M. Clark
Editor: Marisa Forziati
Animator: Gene Kim
Senior Production Manager: Kathryn Mavrikakis
Reporter: Tom Huddleston Jr.
Additional Footage: The Vita Coco Company, Getty Images
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Vita Coco: My BillionDollar Coconut Water Company