Undergraduate Student Startup Recognized as One of the Most Disruptive of 2026
LÉOA, a functional beverage company co-founded by Leavey student Ari Martin ‘27, has been named to Poets&Quants’ Most Disruptive Undergraduate Startups of 2026 list. The annual recognition highlights student-founded ventures that are redefining their industries through innovation, purpose, and real-world impact.
What began as a homemade tea recipe for Martin and fellow Santa Clara student Gavin Brunsman ‘27 evolved through experimentation into a scalable consumer product that reimagines traditional energy drinks, pairing functional ingredients with familiar flavors to support focus and productivity.
“Our product, Gold Vitality, combines cutting-edge science with familiar flavors to offer a one-of-a-kind functional beverage,” Martin said. “We redesigned energy drinks to align with new-age health and productivity trends, differentiating ourselves in a tired and saturated market of unhealthy and unsustainable options.”
When asked how his coursework has influenced his startup journey, Martin points to Business Ethics as especially formative - challenging him to think more deeply about ownership, responsibility, and impact alongside innovation.
“We talked a lot about the meaning and value of work, and it made me realize how important intentionality is in what you build,” Martin said. “Starting a business isn’t just about creating value for others. It’s also about taking ownership over your own work and the kind of impact you want to have. That mindset has shaped how I approach LÉOA, reminding me that building something from the ground up is one of the most direct ways to create purpose through action.”
Martin credits the Leavey School of Business and its entrepreneurial ecosystem as key drivers of LÉOA’s rapid development, particularly the collaborative culture fostered through its alumni network, mentorship, and experiential learning opportunities.
Through the Ciocca Center’s Bronco Venture Accelerator, a cohort-based program designed to help founders grow for-profit ventures with competence, conscience, and compassion, Martin and his co-founder received intensive mentorship, industry-led programming, and preparation for investment as they refined and scaled their business.
Building on that foundation, LÉOA was selected to collaborate with Professor Charles Byers’ Marketing 186 course, where students contributed to the venture’s brand strategy, positioning, and audience insights as the company prepared to scale.
“That experience has not only sharpened our understanding of how to communicate LÉOA’s value, but has also given us a constructive outside perspective on our business strategy,” Martin said. “The Santa Clara startup community has been huge for us. Through the mentorship, funding, and guidance we’ve received, we’ve been able to turn our idea into a real business.”
That perspective didn’t emerge in isolation - it was shaped by an influence that gave Martin an early, firsthand understanding of what entrepreneurship really demands, long before LÉOA took form.
“My biggest inspiration has been my mom,” he said. “She’s been an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember, showing me firsthand what it takes to build something from the ground up. Growing up around that gave me a behind-the-scenes look at what it really means to run a business - the long hours, problem-solving, and pride that come with making things happen.”