Born on the Beaches. Built for What's Next.

Tigers Blood Announces Strategic Investment and Leadership Alignment with Entrepreneurs Derek Meadows and Jon Rayner

SAN DIEGO, CA — Big things are brewing on the beaches of San Diego, and Tigers Blood is turning up the volume.

Born from the creative energy, entrepreneurial spirit, and unmistakable lifestyle of America's Finest City, Tigers Blood Hard Seltzer is entering an exciting new chapter following a strategic investment and business alignment involving San Diego entrepreneurs Derek Meadows and Jon Rayner, working in collaboration through AHA! Marketing Consultants.

While the investment amount remains undisclosed, its impact is already taking shape: strengthening the company's commercial foundation, establishing a growing presence in key San Diego accounts, and positioning Tigers Blood for its next phase of expansion.

The alignment brings together two entrepreneurs with complementary backgrounds in consumer product development, operations, finance, and commercialization — united by a shared vision of building an authentic San Diego brand into a sustainable and scalable beverage company.

For a brand born on the beaches of San Diego, the next chapter begins right where it should — at home.

More Than Capital. A Commitment to Growth.

Investment can mean many things to an emerging brand. For Tigers Blood, this new chapter represents something more than a financial milestone. It's an alignment of experience, resources, and entrepreneurial conviction.

Meadows and Rayner share a philosophy that successful consumer brands require more than great products and compelling marketing. They require operational discipline, strategic distribution, financial accountability, and the ability to turn consumer enthusiasm into measurable business performance.

Through their collaboration and the strategic resources of AHA! Marketing Consultants, the partnership brings an integrated approach to business development, market execution, and sustainable growth.

The investment has helped solidify Tigers Blood's foothold in strategically important San Diego accounts, creating a foundation for continued retail distribution, on-premise partnerships, consumer engagement, and brand awareness.

Rather than racing to expand everywhere at once, Tigers Blood is focused on building meaningful market density in its own backyard.

The strategy is straightforward: establish the brand in the right places, introduce the product to consumers, create demand, and grow outward from a strong home-market foundation.

Get on the shelf. Get liquid to lips. Give consumers a reason to come back.

Two Entrepreneurs. Complementary Strengths. One Shared Vision.

At the center of this next phase is the entrepreneurial alignment of Derek Meadows and Jon Rayner, whose combined experience brings both the operational capabilities and commercial strategy necessary to support Tigers Blood's ambitions.

Derek Meadows — Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Meadows brings valuable experience in consumer product innovation, manufacturing, and operational execution. He previously helped build The Wand by PureWine, an innovative wine purification product designed to remove histamines and sulfites from wine.

His experience developing and growing a consumer product business has provided practical expertise in production, supply chain management, inventory, and the operational challenges associated with bringing products to market.

At Tigers Blood, Meadows is focused on the production and operational infrastructure required to support an expanding beverage brand — ensuring the company can consistently deliver on the opportunities created through its growing distribution network.

Jon Rayner — Chief Financial Officer (CFO) & Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

Rayner brings a background in entrepreneurship, behavioral sciences, marketing strategy, business development, and financial planning.

As a partner in AHA! Marketing Consultants, Rayner has focused on helping emerging businesses connect strategic planning with commercialization, revenue development, and measurable execution.

At Tigers Blood, his responsibilities encompass financial strategy, capital planning, business development, revenue growth, and the coordination of commercial programs designed to strengthen the brand's market position.

Together, Meadows and Rayner represent two essential sides of the same growth equation: the ability to produce and deliver a great product, and the ability to build the market that sustains it.

Their alignment reflects a shared commitment to building a business in which operational capacity and commercial opportunity develop together, creating a foundation for disciplined and sustainable expansion.

Working alongside Tigers Blood founder and CEO Marc Gould and the broader leadership team, Meadows and Rayner are helping translate the founders' original vision into a scalable commercial enterprise.

 

San Diego Isn't Just Our Origin Story. It's Our Strategy.

Tigers Blood has never been interested in being just another hard seltzer on the shelf.

With roots in San Diego's music, surf, and beach communities, the brand reflects the personalities and experiences of its founders. Gould's background in music and co-founder Walden Keyes' connection to the local surf culture helped shape a brand that feels distinctly San Diego.

That authenticity is becoming an important part of the company's growth strategy.

From neighborhood liquor stores and local bars to restaurants, community gatherings, and special events, Tigers Blood is building relationships with the businesses and consumers who make San Diego's social scene what it is.

Every new account represents more than another distribution point. It's an opportunity to introduce the brand, support a local business, and create a new connection with consumers.

The objective isn't simply to open doors. It's to build a network of accounts that reinforce one another, where consumers discover Tigers Blood at their favorite bar, recognize it at their neighborhood retailer, and make it part of their own San Diego experience.

The Meadows–Rayner alignment is particularly important to this approach. As new accounts are developed and consumer demand increases, production planning, inventory management, distribution coordination, and revenue strategy must work together.

Growth isn't simply about opening more doors. It's about building the business capable of keeping those doors open.

Building a Brand Worth Believing In

Tigers Blood is bringing a different energy to the hard seltzer category.

With bold flavors including Hawaiian Punch, Black Cherry, Kiwi, and Tangerine, zero sugar, and a formulation featuring vitamins and electrolytes, the brand is designed to deliver flavor and personality without compromising its identity.

But a great product is only part of the equation.

The company's next stage will emphasize account development, strategic partnerships, retail activation, consumer sampling, and coordinated sales and marketing efforts that translate brand enthusiasm into repeat purchases.

Supported by the operational experience of Meadows, the commercialization and financial expertise of Rayner, and the creative vision of its founders, Tigers Blood is assembling the capabilities needed to compete in a demanding beverage market.

The philosophy is simple: build the brand, build the relationships, and build the business behind both.

The Next Wave Starts Here

The strategic investment and Meadows–Rayner alignment mark an important milestone, but for Tigers Blood, the real excitement is what comes next.

More local partnerships. More opportunities to discover the brand. More reasons to celebrate the people and places that make San Diego special.

With an expanded leadership team, a strengthened commercial foundation, and an increasingly focused growth strategy, Tigers Blood is preparing to carry its hometown identity into new markets — without losing sight of where it all began.

It's a story of San Diego entrepreneurs coming together around a San Diego-born brand, combining creativity, experience, and conviction to build something with lasting potential.

Because some brands are simply sold in San Diego.

Others are born here.

TIGERS BLOOD — BORN ON THE BEACHES OF SAN DIEGO.

Follow Tigers Blood as we continue building our presence across San Diego and beyond. Ask for Tigers Blood at your favorite local bar, restaurant, or liquor store — and be part of what's next.