New Leadership
Protein2o, the Chicago-based clear protein beverage brand, has appointed Mark Rappaport as Chief Executive Officer and board member, pairing the hire with a new undisclosed growth investment intended to accelerate retail penetration and product innovation across the U.S. market.
Rappaport arrives with deep commercial credentials in the better-for-you beverage segment. Most recently, he served as Global Chief Commercial Officer at Congo Brands, where he helped scale a portfolio that includes the fast-growing Alani Nu line. Prior to that, he held senior roles at Red Bull overseeing U.S. business development and distribution during a sustained growth period — experience that speaks directly to the route-to-market and shelf-placement challenges facing an emerging functional beverage brand.
The Category Play
Clear protein — a format that delivers meaningful protein content in a light, water-based drink rather than a milky shake — has been gaining shelf space as consumers seek high-protein options that fit across more dayparts and usage occasions. The segment sits at the intersection of the hydration and performance nutrition categories, competing for placement alongside sports drinks, enhanced waters, and ready-to-drink protein shakes at both specialty and mass retail. For foodservice and grocery buyers, clear protein SKUs have become a credible addition to grab-and-go coolers as operators look to merchandise functional beverages without the refrigerated-shake overhead.
"Clear protein has immense potential," Rappaport said. "Consumers are beginning to realize that getting more protein doesn't have to mean something heavy, milky or filling. It can be refreshing, flavorful and something you genuinely enjoy. Protein2o was early to this opportunity and already makes great-tasting products that consumers love. Now we have the opportunity to build on that foundation — to accelerate growth with our retail partners while creating a more distinctive, surprising and bold brand."
Investment Priorities
The new capital will be directed at four areas: brand building, retail development, organizational hiring, and an expanded innovation pipeline designed to bring clear protein into new formats and occasions. Chris Running, Chairman of the Board, framed the leadership and funding package as foundational to a step-change in scale. "Mark brings a rare combination of brand building and operating experience, along with an instinctive understanding of where consumers are going next," Running said, citing Rappaport's track record of building high-performing commercial teams and cultivating retail and distribution partnerships.
For foodservice and convenience-channel operators, the signal is straightforward: Protein2o is investing in the trade infrastructure — distribution relationships, retail programming, and innovation throughput — that typically precedes a meaningful push into non-traditional channels. The brand's current footprint spans leading U.S. retailers and e-commerce platforms, a dual-channel posture increasingly common among functional beverage brands eyeing foodservice adjacencies.
The clear protein category's growth trajectory mirrors the broader better-for-you beverage trend reshaping center-store sets and grab-and-go coolers at chains and independent operators alike. With a seasoned commercial executive at the helm and fresh capital behind the brand, Protein2o's next retail cycle will be closely watched by category managers and foodservice buyers navigating a crowded but still-expanding functional beverage landscape.
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.
