Koios adds Keef Brands President and COO Travis Tharp to its Advisory Board

Following an announcement on July 18, 2019 stating that Koios would use CBD supplied by Colorado-based Keef Brands in its Fit Soda™ line of beverages, the Company has added Keef Brands President and COO Travis Tharp to its advisory board. Mr. Tharp has held growth-oriented roles in operations-intensive firms including home services marketplace Handy, which ANGI Homeservices Inc. later acquired. Tharp’s role as an advisor to Koios will complement the Company’s relationship with Keef Brands as a supplier of CBD. Test batch production for Fit Soda™ beverages with CBD from Keef Brands has commenced as of July 19, 2019, with user trials to follow. 

VANCOUVER, Aug. 7, 2019 /CNW/ – Koios Beverage Corp. (CSE: KBEV; OTC: KBEVF) (the “Company” or “Koios”) announces that it has added Travis Tharp, an accomplished growth-focused executive, to the Koios advisory board. Mr. Tharp is currently the President and Chief Operating Officer of Colorado-based Keef Brands (https://keefbrands.com/), which purveys a pioneering line of cannabis-infused beverages, edibles, concentrates, vapes, and oils. Cannabis products under the Keef Brands label are available in over 800 dispensaries across Colorado, California, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Puerto Rico. As detailed in Koios’ July 18, 2019 press release, the Company has partnered with Keef Brands to supply crystallized, water-soluble CBD for infusion into Koios’ existing Fit Soda™ line of functional beverages. Test batch production for Fit Soda™ with CBD supplied by Keef Brands began on July 19, 2019, with user trials to begin shortly following the completion of this production.

From 2013 to 2016, Mr. Tharp was Head of City Operations for peer-to-peer home services marketplace Handy (http://handy.com), with responsibility for 32 different markets. In this role, Tharp built operations teams and workflows that were capable of handling hundreds of thousands of bookings per month, and recruiting thousands of workers per week. Tharp also led the integration of two acquired competitors (from the United States and the United Kingdom) into Handy’s operations. Following Tharp’s tenure, Handy was acquired in 2018 by Denver-based ANGI Homeservices Inc. (NASDAQ: ANGI), parent company of other home services marketplaces such as Angie’s List and HomeStars. 

Prior to joining Keef Brands in 2017, Tharp served as Vice President of Marketplace Growth at HopSkipDrive (rideshare marketplace for children’s rides), leading teams for marketing, inside sales, and driver operations. Tharp holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Northwestern University, and an MBA with an entrepreneurship concentration from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.

Mr. Tharp’s addition to the Koios advisory board complements the Company’s current relationship with Keef Brands, in which Keef Brands supplies crystalized, water-soluble CBD for Koios beverage products. With visibility into Koios’ day-to-day affairs as an advisory board member, Tharp will be able to provide unique insights with respect to the Company’s operations and long-term growth plans. As Tharp has primarily worked with operations-intensive companies, this experience aligns well with Koios’ business model. Tharp’s insights will therefore stand to play an invaluable role as Koios expands its operations in response to growing demand for its products. 

Travis Tharp commented, “In such a short period of time, Koios has seen outstanding growth, landing placement on the shelves of some of the nation’s largest retailers with its innovative line of beverages. I was impressed with how our CBD was infused into Koios’ Fit Soda™ line, and I believe this will make for an excellent product once it is released to the public. As a new member of the Koios advisory board, I am very excited to be providing insights and recommendations to the Company to help propel its growth. I foresee a very productive 2019, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for us as we work together.”

Koios Chief Executive Officer Chris Miller added, “We have worked with Mr. Tharp previously in our dealings with Keef Brands, and we know he is not just highly knowledgeable about cannabis products, but he is also vastly experienced with building out companies through upward scaling of teams and operations, expanding distribution channels, and facilitating acquisitions. Mr. Tharp’s experience with M&A is a positive for us at Koios, as we want to be fully prepared for all possible opportunities that may arise in the future. We are excited to work with Mr. Tharp as an advisor, as we integrate CBD into our existing beverages, and as we continue to place our products in more stores and in more markets.” 

Disclaimer: All references to CBD (cannabidiol) in this release refer specifically to broad-spectrum hemp extract cannabidiol.

About Koios Beverage Corp.

The Company is an emerging functional beverage company which has an available distribution network of more than 4,300 retail locations across the United States in which to sell its products. Koios has relationships with some of the largest and most reputable retailers in the United States, including GNC, Walmart Inc., and Wishing-U-Well. Together these retailers represent over 50,000 brick and mortar locations across the United States from sports nutrition stores to large natural grocery chains. Through its partnership with Wishing-U-Well, Koios also enjoys a significant presence online, including being an “Amazon’s Choice” product on Amazon.

Koios is also the sole owner of Cannavated Beverage Corp., a subsidiary that develops beverage products and formulas for the growing CBD market. Koios uses a proprietary blend of nootropics and natural, organic compounds to enhance human productivity without using harmful chemicals or stimulants. Koios products have been shown to enhance focus, concentration, mental capacity, memory retention, cognitive function, alertness, and brain capacity, as well as creating all-day mental clarity. Its ingredients are specifically designed to target brain function by increasing blood flow, oxygen levels and neural connections in the brain.

Koios produces one of the only drinks in the world infused with MCT oil.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding: statements with respect to the growth and size of the functional beverage and CBD infused beverage markets; the statement that CBD infused beverage markets will become legal in the US and Canada ; statements with respect to our relationship with Keef Brands to produce a CBD infused line of Fit Soda^TM; statements with respect to the distribution from the test batch to select existing clients for trial purposes and consumer trials planned with individuals in the local community; and statements regarding the business of the Company. The forward-looking statements reflect management’s current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to their inherent uncertainty. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse market conditions; (ii) changes to the growth and size of the functional and CBD infused beverage markets; (iii) consumer acceptance and adoption of functional beverages and CBD infused beverages as compared to other beverages; and (iv) changes which may affect the legalization of markets in the US and Canada ; and (v) other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

Neither Koios nor Keef Brands have conducted any scientific studies on the effects of Koios’ products or the water-soluble CBD which have been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As each individual is different, the benefits, if any, of taking Koios’ products will vary from person to person. No claims or guarantees can be made as to the effects of Koios’ products on an individual’s health and wellbeing.

SOURCE Koios Beverage Corp.

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