Richard is the founder of Innocent Drinks, Europe's number 1 smoothie brand.
When Richard and his two co-founders Adam Balon and Jon Wright were thinking about starting a smoothie business, they went to a music festival in London. The trio sold their drinks from a stall and asked people to put their empty bottles in a 'YES' or 'NO' bin. What was the question? They asked people whether they thought the trio should quit their jobs to make smoothies. At the end of the festival the 'YES' bin was full and there were only three cups in the 'NO' bin.
Today Innocent Drinks has over 70% market share in the UK. In 2009
The Coca-Cola Company acquired a minority stake in
Innocent Drinks and in 2013 the stake was increased to over 90%.
Innocent Drinks gives 10% of its profits to charity.
Richard is known to have implemented a google-like working atmosphere at Innocent Drinks' offices, where people feel at home. He appeared in several high profile TV shows and documentaries, like the
documentary with Peter Jones from Drangon's Den (UK's equivalent of Shark Tank).
He is now a successful investor through his company
JamJar Investments, where they invest in strong teams with an idea that consumers love.