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Stephen and Ayesha Curry are globally famous and could probably get, well, pretty much anyone to pick up the phone. But when they needed just the right audience to taste test whether a nutritious sports drink they were considering backing was going to be a hit, they turned to the most discerning audience they knew: Their own kids.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, just try this,\u201d Stephen recalled saying to them. \u201cAnd their faces lit up as soon as they tried it for the first time. They said: \u2018Can we make sure we have those in the house?’\u201d That consumer signal was enough to advance the idea to the next round.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Currys, who serve as co-founders and brand ambassadors for Plezi Hydration, sat down with Fortune ahead of today\u2019s relaunch of the sports drink line from Plezi\u00a0Nutrition, a public benefit company co-founded by former First Lady Michelle Obama. The product, which aims to reach teens and adults, with a primary focus on Gen Z and young millennials, first debuted in March 2025. <\/p>\n
The relaunch adds a new flavor, Berry Boom, refreshes packaging with a design inspired by the swish of a basketball net, and signals a more deliberate push into the competitive $26 billion global sports drink market.\u00a0Plezi Hydration also offers the flavors orange mango, fruit punch, and lemon lime.<\/p>\n
Ayesha Curry. Courtesy of Plezi Hydration. <\/p>\n
The business case behind the partnership<\/p>\n
The Currys say they approached the deal with a business mindset. \u201cEven though we had this exciting, jaw-dropping opportunity to work with Mrs. Obama, we still approached it with a strong business focus,\u201d Ayesha said. \u201cWe really had to enjoy the product, and our kids had to enjoy it as well.\u201d Their children were the initial driving force behind their decision, but Stephen\u2019s sports background and his understanding of what athletes specifically need, combined with her food expertise, ultimately sealed the deal, she said.<\/p>\n
That discipline matters in a category increasingly crowded with better-for-you challengers. Plezi Hydration\u2019s pitch to retailers and consumers rests on a nutritional profile, no added sugar, just fruit juice, compared to legacy sports drinks. A 16.9 oz serving contains 9g of sugar and 560mg of potassium. By comparison, leading conventional sports drinks typically contain upward of 30g of sugar and fewer than 100mg of potassium per 16.9 oz serving. The potassium-to-sodium ratio is a meaningful differentiator for athletes like Stephen, since potassium drives muscle function and cellular hydration in ways sodium alone cannot.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could tell the passion around what was put in the bottle, and what it was meant to do\u2014be a great option for families,\u201d Stephen said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shared vision<\/p>\n
Ayesha, founder and CEO of lifestyle company Sweet July, an actress, a cookbook author, television host, and restaurateur, owns product development and flavor strategy for Plezi Hydration. \u201cI really love being able to use that creative arm and ideate on what\u2019s next, or how we can make something better,\u201d she said. She described the new Berry Boom flavor with a chef\u2019s precision: \u201cIt tastes like melted popsicles in the best way\u2014very nostalgic of childhood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flavor authenticity is non-negotiable for her. \u201cMaking sure that what it says is actually what it tastes like is very important to me,\u201d she said.\u201dThere\u2019s nothing artificial in these Plezi drinks, but you also don\u2019t want it to taste artificial. You can be using the purest of ingredients and still, for whatever reason, have something that gives an artificial taste.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That quality-control instinct extends to how she evaluates the working relationship itself. She noted that Plezi\u2019s team incorporated her feedback. \u201cIt\u2019s not often you get involved and people will actually listen to you and take that feedback to heart,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
Stephen, a four-time NBA champion with the Warriors, is also the founder and CEO of Thirty Ink, a business conglomerate that generated $173.5 million in revenue in 2024, according to CNBC. He points to distribution and growth pacing as priorities with Plezi Hydration. \u201cYou want to make sure you have your finger on the pulse,\u201d he said. \u201cNot growing too fast, but making sure we have that stickiness we need, that sell-through we need.\u201d It\u2019s a disciplined approach that prioritizes sustainable retail velocity, he said.<\/p>\n
Plezi Hydration is sold\u00a0in select Walmart, Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Ralphs and Fred Meyer locations, and available nationwide on Amazon or Walmart.com.<\/p>\n
Stephen Curry. Courtesy of Plezi Hydration. <\/p>\n
Leadership lessons<\/p>\n
Beyond Plezi Hydration, the Currys co-founded Eat. Learn. Play., a nonprofit launched in 2019 to support children in Oakland, California, which is a philanthropic thread that runs parallel to their commercial ventures and informs their brand selection.<\/p>\n
Asked how to find success in both business and philanthropy, Stephen said: \u201cYou want to be as authentic to your core beliefs and mission values as you can.\u201d It may look different for everyone based on their interests, he said. Eat. Learn. Play. was \u201cbuilt off of a heart of service, but then realizing how we can leverage the resources and the platform that we both have for a meaningful impact in a community,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Stephen said it\u2019s helpful to understand what value you can bring to opportunities, also \u201csticking to it, because there isn\u2019t a straight line to success.\u201d He added, \u201cThere\u2019s all types of ups and downs, and a lot of no\u2019s before you get a yes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ayesha\u2019s take: \u201cI think the success comes in how much you\u2019re willing to listen rather than to speak.\u201d Many people are quick to give their opinions and lend their ideas without taking enough time to hear what people actually want, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think for us, it\u2019s really important to ask the questions: What do you enjoy? What do you like? What do you want to hear? What do you need to see change within your environment?\u201d she explained. \u201cI think we do a pretty good job of just being quiet and listening to what people have to say.\u201d<\/p>\n
#Stephen #Ayesha #Curry #coming #sports #drink #marketand #kids #focus #group<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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