A host of NFL, NBA, and MLB stars have teamed to promote what they feel is truly – as Adam Sandler’s Bobby Boucher character might say – “high-quality H2O.” Pro football phenom Tetairoa McMillan has joined forces with MLB all-star Devin Williams and NBA veteran Jerami Grant to invest in Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Beverages.
The sports stars share a common belief that purpose-driven partnerships can make a significant impact. The pro athletes appreciate Waiākea’s overarching focus: putting people and plants first.
“Waiākea represents the pride of Hawai’i and the power of doing things the right way,” said McMillan, a Carolina Panthers standout who was raised in Waimānalo, Hawai’i.
“Investing in a brand that puts culture and purpose first means a lot,” said the former top-10 NFL draft choice.
“I’m excited to join the Waiākea team,” said Williams, a two-time MLB All-Star and newly acquired pitcher with the New York Mets. “They have built something special.”
Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Beverages is a public benefit corporation founded in 2012 in Hilo, Hawai’i. Waiākea’s beverages are the result of natural filtration through 14,000 feet of porous volcanic rock, making it naturally alkaline and rich in electrolytes.
The brand was one of the first in the U.S. to commit to 100% post-consumer recycled packaging, in 2012.
“Our water originates at the top of Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on Earth,” Ryan Emmons, CEO of Waiākea, told The Food Institute. The water “is drawn from a renewable aquifer with a natural recharge rate of more than 898 million gallons each day. Along the way … the water absorbs minerals like silica, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium.
“Many waters on the market are, unfortunately, artificially alkalized or have minerals added back in for taste,” the CEO added. “Waiākea’s electrolytes and alkalinity are naturally present from the source itself.”
Emmons said his team focuses on partnering “with impact leaders who truly believe in our mission.”
McMillan, Williams, and Grant join Waiākea’s partners alongside a long list of world-renowned athletes: three-time MLB MVP and New York Yankees icon Aaron Judge, NFL sack king Myles Garrett, four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson, and a number of high-profile Hawai’i-born athletes, including Heisman Trophy-winning QB and NFL veteran Marcus Mariota.
The athletes are committed to their craft in a multitude of different sports, yet they share the belief that companies can be a catalyst for positive change.
“As I’ve gotten to know the [Waiākea] team better, it’s clear that their focus on family, their philanthropic core, and care for the environment make them the perfect partner,” Grant said.
Above all else, the brand’s leaders believe in being responsible stewards of their community and the environment.
“We don’t separate product quality from environmental or social responsibility; they’re interconnected,” Emmons said.
Food for Thought Leadership
It’s undeniable that restaurants were challenged heavily in 2025, but what does that mean for 2026? Foodservice industry veteran John Inwright discusses the prospects for a new year, what’s working for successful operators, and the headwinds and tailwinds that could define the year.
