Richard Reed CBE (born 1973) is a British entrepreneur and author, best known as the co-founder of Innocent Drinks, a leading smoothie and juice company. After the successful sale of Innocent Drinks, he co-founded JamJar Investments, a venture capital firm.
Early Life and Education Reed was educated at St Paul's School and later studied law at St John's College, Cambridge University.
Career
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Innocent Drinks: In 1998, Richard Reed co-founded Innocent Drinks with his university friends Adam Balon and Jon Wright. They started the company from a small stall at a music festival, selling smoothies with the promise of "100% natural, no concentrates." Innocent Drinks grew rapidly to become one of the UK's most successful beverage brands. In 2009, The Coca-Cola Company acquired a minority stake, gradually increasing its share until it became the majority owner.
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JamJar Investments: Following the success and sale of Innocent Drinks, Reed, Balon, and Wright established JamJar Investments in 2012. JamJar is a venture capital fund that invests in promising consumer brands. Notable investments have included Deliveroo, Oatly, Tails.com, Mindful Chef, and Tony's Chocolonely.
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Other Ventures and Roles:
- Reed served as a board member for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) for London 2012.
- He was also Chairman of Art Everywhere, a project that aimed to turn public advertising spaces into art galleries.
- He co-founded The Happy Pantry, a food company.
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Author: In 2016, Reed published the book "If I Could Tell You Just One Thing...", which compiles advice from over 50 of the world's most successful and interesting people.
Awards and Recognition In 2016, Richard Reed was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to the food industry and to charity.