Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, and Joey Gonzalez — Executive Chairman of Barry's — have joined PRODA as co-founders, linking the self-described #1 fastest-turning protein soda brand to a trio of celebrity and fitness-industry operators as it pursues national retail scale.
The additions follow PRODA's 2026 launch and an initial rollout at Sprouts Farmers Market, complemented by Amazon and direct-to-consumer sales at drinkproda.com. The expanded founding team joins co-CEOs Matthew Postlethwaite — actor and wellness entrepreneur — and Jeff Church, a nine-time founder and beverage industry veteran who previously co-founded Suja Juice.
The Product Story
PRODA's functional positioning centers on a proprietary clear whey isolate matrix that delivers 10 grams of complete protein per 12-ounce can with zero sugar and all-natural ingredients. The format is engineered to avoid the heavy, chalky mouthfeel that has historically limited mainstream adoption of protein beverages — a persistent category barrier that operators and retailers have watched brands attempt to solve for a decade. The seven-SKU lineup spans nostalgic flavor profiles: Shirley Temple, Strawberry Lemonade, Golden Apple, Cherry Lime, Lemon Lime, Classic Orange, and Root Beer.
The functional-soda segment has become one of the faster-moving shelves in natural and conventional grocery alike, with velocity metrics increasingly driving planogram decisions at chains like Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Target. PRODA's claim to the #1 fastest-turning position in the protein soda subset — if sustained — would represent meaningful leverage in future buyer conversations as the brand pursues club-channel placement and broader grocery distribution.
What the Co-Founders Bring
Timberlake and Biel are positioned to drive creative strategy, flavor innovation, and cultural partnerships rather than operational management. Gonzalez, whose tenure at Barry's has given him direct exposure to premium fitness consumers and the subscription-wellness economy, adds operational credibility relevant to PRODA's core buyer demographic.
"We believe you shouldn't have to choose between what tastes good and what's good for you," Biel and Timberlake said in a joint statement.
Celebrity-backed beverage plays have a checkered track record in foodservice and retail channels — star power generates launch velocity but rarely sustains shelf space without strong repeat rates and retailer margin support. What distinguishes PRODA's approach is pairing celebrity reach with Gonzalez's category-adjacent operator experience and Church's CPG infrastructure background, a combination that addresses the operational gaps that have undermined comparable launches. For grocery and foodservice buyers evaluating functional beverages, velocity data will remain the decisive metric.
The brand's next distribution targets — club and expanded conventional grocery — will test whether the protein-soda format can cross from the natural channel into higher-volume, price-sensitive retail environments where better-for-you beverage brands have historically faced margin compression.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
