West Peak Spirits Announces Strong Names for Growth

Santa Cruz, California – West Peak Sparkling Spirits, a ready-to-drink (RTD) brand made with sparkling water and real fruit juice, has introduced a strong advisory group to support its growth journey.

Brian Swette is the co-founder and president of Sweet Earth Enlightened Foods. In addition to selling this company to Nestlé in 2017, he has served as COO at eBay and as Marketing Director at PepsiCo. He has also held the presidency of Burger King and has led companies such as Shutterfly, Care.com, and Jamba Juice.

Bridget Firtle is an entrepreneur who left her Wall Street career in 2012 to found Owney's Rum. After successfully selling Owney's in 2017, she founded ROCKAWAY Soda in 2020. She repurchased Owney's in October 2025 and launched a lifestyle podcast called New York Raised Us.

Derek Dodge served as strategy director at BuzzBallz before helping the company get acquired by Sazerac in 2024. Previously, he was CEO at HOYA Vision Care and spent 27 years at Dr Pepper Snapple Group.

Josh Roush is the co-founder and CEO of Movetic, an award-winning brand consultancy. He has collaborated with iconic brands such as Skrewball Whiskey, Celsius Energy, and Lyft since he was 19.

Kelly Swette is the co-founder and CEO of Sweet Earth Enlightened Foods, playing a significant role in innovative product design. She has served as global marketing director at Baxter Labs, PepsiCo, and Calvin Klein. She was named one of the 35 World Changing Women by Conscience Company Magazine.

Leo Ortega is the vice president of the California Agave Council and the founder of Eselo brand. For 13 years, he has created premium spirits with an authentic and additive-free production approach through agave farming. He previously worked as a mechanical engineer.

Shadi Bakour is the co-founder and CEO of PATH, a sustainable bottled water brand. His company has prevented 750 million plastic water bottles from entering the oceans and landfills, with a target of 10 billion in the coming years.

Sharla Ortega is a fourth-generation farmer and co-founder of Eselo. She has extensive experience in agriculture, design, and real estate development.

Taylor Foxman is the founder and CEO of The Industry Collective. She advises 95 founders and CEOs across the beverage, consumer products, and hospitality sectors.

Jamie Sanyal, co-founder of West Peak Sparkling Spirits, said, "The goal of forming this advisory group was to bring together a dynamic team of leaders and mentors with experience in a variety of fields. We are greatly honored to have this team behind us on our growth journey for 2026 and beyond."

West Peak Sparkling Spirits was created to offer the complexity of a cocktail and the refreshment of seltzer. The drinks are made with premium spirits, sparkling water, and real fruit juice, featuring an alcohol content of 6%, 130-140 calories, and no added sugar.