Boulder, Colorado, is a hub for the natural and wellness industry, driven by a culture of healthy living and appreciation for entrepreneurship.
This story is part of CNBC's quarterly Cities of Success series, which explores cities that have transformed into business hubs with an entrepreneurial spirit that has attracted capital, companies and employees. Today, Celestial Seasonings, still headquartered in Boulder, brews over 1.6 billion cups of tea annually, with sales exceeding $150 million. Its success story serves as an inspiration for countless entrepreneurs in the area."It's the people. It's the environment – the entrepreneurial environment and the focus on natural and organic and wellness has allowed us to scale and grow one of our largest and most profitable brands in the company," Davidson said.
But this wasn't enough for Gold — he ultimately leveraged his popularity to convince local retailers to stock his brand on their shelves. Slowly but surely, the business grew, eventually culminating in a landmark deal with Whole Foods. Justin's products can now be found at health stores and coffee shops across the country.
Inspired by Gold's success, Juan Stewart launched his Latin American sparkling fruit drink, Frescos Naturales, at the Boulder County Farmers Market in 2021. "Companies that started here, like a Celestial they had success. So other people started coming here," said Kristine Carey, executive director at Naturally Boulder."Companies are still moving here... there's a resurgence of energy."In 2010, Lewis built her business to $2 million in sales just outside Boston, but to reach the next level, she knew she needed to make a big move.