Dave Colina, O2 founder and CEO, is leading one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. with a community-first business approach.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (PRWEB)
August 17, 2021

Today independent functional beverage brand O2 announces its first appearance on the Inc. 5000 list of 5,000 fastest-growing U.S. companies.

O2, launched by Ohio State University alumni Dave Colina and OSU physician Dan Kim in 2014, makes high-performance hydration beverages for pro athletes and everyday workout warriors, according to its founder.

“O2 is a great drink made even greater by an amazing group of people,” Colina said. “Our roots are deep in the gym and CrossFit community, and we know we wouldn’t be here without our extended fitness family.”

O2 made headlines last year when it won the U.S. beverage industry’s award for best marketing campaign for an initiative in which the company donated 50% of its online profits to gyms struggling to survive in the face of COVID-19.

Colina admits he didn’t know if the plan would work, but he did know it was the right thing to do.

“It probably sounds like a cliche, but our core values are ‘Honesty, Humility, and Hustle,’ and we live by that. We knew we had to try and help, but it was scary.”

O2’s campaign-wide contribution to local gyms totaled $14 million in member-retention incentives, $177,000 in cash and gifts to gym owners, and $30,000 in community donations, a significant portion of which came from O2 partnerships.

Now, Colina and his team are working to keep the momentum going, and they feel the Inc. 5000 milestone is proof that putting people first is a viable business model – and a good example to set.

“No one can do it alone,” Colina said. “There’s so much hurt in the world right now, but we believe we can still make a difference if we work together.”

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