John Salley. Tom Brady. Chris Paul. Ed McCaffrey. Mike Tyson. What do they all have in common?
On top of being professional athletes, they’ve also invested in plant-based foodservice concepts and/or food retail brands in recent years – or launched plant-based brands of their own.
Let’s take a look at a few of these business ventures – and some of the motivators that are driving them.
From MVP to CPG
In June, football legend Tom Brady launched GOAT Gummies in collaboration with Gopuff. The gummies are organic, vegan, and made of real fruit. They’re also free from artificial sweeteners, dyes, and flavors.
Brady has partnered with other food brands in the past, including a 2017 collab with meal-kit manufacturer Purple Carrot on TB12 Performance Meals. Named after his strict diet regimen, TB12, the convenience-friendly meals are gluten-free, protein-rich, and free from ingredients like dairy and processed meats.
Back in March, retired NFL receiver Ed McCaffrey launched McCaffrey Protein Bites, a plant-based and gluten-free snack, via his company, McCaffrey Brands.
And on June 28, NBA star Chris Paul’s plant-based snack brand Good Eat’n hit Walmart shelves in more than 1,000 stores nationwide.
Thinking Outside the Boxing Ring
The trend extends into the foodservice sector as well.
Last fall, boxer turned entrepreneur Mike Tyson unveiled his plans to invest in Mr. Charlie’s Told Me So, a QSR chain playfully dubbed the “vegan McDonald’s” on social media, through his holding company, Carma HoldCo.
The former heavyweight champ is a longtime advocate of plant-based eating, and he’s also a big fan of the brand’s humanitarian efforts, stating that, “Mr. Charlie’s mission to help and hire those from the homeless community is something that I am truly passionate about, and I look forward to helping many people and communities with its expansion across the globe.”
Mr. Charlie’s not only partners with organizations like The Dream Center, a resource center in LA’s Echo Park that provides support to those affected by homelessness, hunger, and a lack of education. The brand exists because of The Dream Center’s investment – in both Mr. Charlie’s itself, as well as its co-founder, Taylor McKinnon, on a personal level.
After experiencing childhood trauma and homelessness, McKinnon wound up at The Dream Center in his early twenties.
“It was a good resting place for me to find my grounding. And from that came a lot of support and ambition to want to give back and do something,” McKinnon told FI.
And that “something” ended up being Mr. Charlie’s, which he co-founded with Aaron Haxton in 2022.
“The guy from The Dream Center gave me a check for $1,000, and everything you see today came from that check, which is why I’ve stayed so humble. I could make a billion dollars in my lifetime, and I’d still find a way to give it all away. Because it’s not about how much you have; it’s about how rich you are in your heart.”
Putting Their Money Where Their Mouths Are
According to McKinnon, the majority of the aforementioned pro athletes are investing in plant-based concepts because they align with their own lifestyles and core values.
“Who is Mike Tyson, when he’s not Mike Tyson? He’s a dad, and a husband, who sits on the couch and watches TV like a normal person – and he’s somebody who’s experienced easier digestion and better skin, better everything, from eating plants,” McKinnon told FI.
“A lot of people don’t realize that many of these athletes have been plant-based for a long time. One of the first guys I ever met was John Salley. He’s hilarious. He’s also an actor – and one of the greatest pro vegan athletes I’ve ever met.”
The former NBA star has invested in a wide variety of plant-based brands, including The Vegan Vine, Beyond Meat, Cafe Organix, and Maya’s Cookies, since going vegan in the early 2000s.
The Food Institute Podcast
It’s a big world out there – what trends are percolating on the global scene? JP Hartmann, director of Anuga, joined The Food Institute Podcast to discuss the intersection of U.S. and international trends and how the Anuga show is one not to miss.
