Courtney Reum
Courtney Reum | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Nationality | American |
Education | Columbia University, Harvard Business School |
Occupation | Entrepreneur |
Courtney Reum is an American entrepreneur, product developer and the co-founder of the Los Angeles based investment firm M13[1]. He was a former investment banker at Goldman Sachs who worked with companies including Under Armor, Vitaminwater and Procter & Gamble [2]. At Goldman Sachs he worked on the merger of Allied Domecq and Pernod Ricard[1], an experience that led to the creation of his own alcohol company, VeeV, which he launched in late 2007 with his brother, M13 co-owner, Carter Reum [3][4][5]. VeeV became a national best selling brand [6][7][8] available in bars, restaurants, national chains and retailers like Walmart, Target and Kroger stores. VeeV is also available on Virgin America flights and hotel chains like Hyatt and Marriott[9].
Early Life
Courtney Reum grew up in a rural suburb of Chicago called Wayne, Illinois, where he was raised by his mother, Sherry, and his father Robert Reum. The former CEO of Amsted Industries, Robert was also a member of the Yale Bulldogs basketball team during its infamous 1962 season that ended at the final game of that years NCAA championships[10][11]. Reum studied economics and philosophy and graduated with distinction from Columbia University, where he was a member of the Varsity Men's Soccer Team. He is also an alumnus of Harvard Business School[12].
He has been featured on the Forbes “30 Under 30” list, the Inc “500 fastest growing private companies in America,” Richard Branson’s best-selling book “Screw Business as Usual”, and most recently the Goldman Sachs Builders + Innovators 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs [13][14][15][16][17][18]. He is a columnist for Inc Magazine, and an occasional media personality appearing on the television series, Hatched which appears on a variety of networks including FOX and CBS[19]. Reum was added to the board of directors of Los Angeles Opera in September 2015. He also serves as commissioner of the Los Angeles Convention Center & Tourism Authority.[12][5]
VEEV
In May 2007, Reum launched his first company called VEEV Spirits with a vodka brand that was both the first liquor made with acai and the first to be created in a sustainable facility [20][21][22][23][24]. The product, which was an açaí-infused wheat based grain alcohol liquor, initially sold in high end bars, nightclubs and high-profile celebrity events out of the back of his car before becoming a national success with a product portfolio that eventually including the first line of certified organic RTD cocktails called VitaFrute [25][26]. VeeV Spirits products were available in major retail chains, specialty shops, bodegas and independent liquor and retail stores, as well as bars, nightclubs, public and private event spaces, hospitality suites and Virgin America airlines. Veev was featured on CNBC's "How I Made My Millions" in August 2011.[27]
Before selling the brand in 2016. the Reum’s VEEV Spirits was honored as an Inc 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America, named one of Beverage Information’s Rising Stars and recipient of the Technomic Fast 50 Award [28].
M13
Courtney Reum launched the investment and brand development firm M13 with his partner/brother Carter Reum in 2016 after the sale of VeeV Spirits to alcohol distributor Luxco out of St Louis[29][1][30][31]. The investment firm focused on start-up consumer product companies whose intention and brand messaging appeal to the trends that interest Millennials in health, environmental concerns and achievements. In April 2016 it was reported that M13 would be syndicating $100 million in investments into dozens of start up companies [32].
The name M13 comes from M13 "Messier 13"[33] the brightest cluster of stars in the galaxy whereby the collection of stars shines brighter than the sum of its individual parts.
References
- ^ a b c Garrett Reim (April 24, 2016). "Brothers Aim to Launch New Families of Products". Los Angeles Business Journal. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ "Courtney Reum on how he and his brother went from Goldman Sachs bankers to makers of a high-end liquor brand". nichegeek.com.
- ^ Courtney Comstock (December 30, 2010). "Courtney And Carter Reum Say Jobs At Goldman Sachs Did Not Prepare Them for Entrepreneurship". Business Insider. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ Robert K. Elder. "Courtney Reum". Crain's Los Angeles. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ a b David Ng (September 21, 2015). "L.A. Opera board adds Keith Leonard, Courtney Reum". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ "Something new on the top shelf: Acai". dailyherald.com.
- ^ "About VEEV Spirit". dailyherald.com.
- ^ "We drink. We live. We Give Back". chilledmagazine.com.
- ^ Gwen Moran (November 23, 2010). "The Giving Spirit". Entrepreneur. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ "For Yale basketball's 1962 NCAA tourney team, 'it feels like a curse has been lifted'". nhregister.com.
- ^ "Robert Reum, sparked Amsted Industries turnaround, dies". chicagotribune.com.
- ^ a b "LA Opera to Appoint Keith R. Leonard, Jr., and Courtney Reum to Board of Directors". Broadway World. September 23, 2015. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ "Courtney Reum Appointed New Commissioner for the Los Angeles Convention Center Authority by Mayor Garcetti". businesswire.com.
- ^ "Inc. 5000 Applicant of the Week: VeeV". inc.com.
- ^ "M13 Founders on Running A Business With Family". businessrockstars.com.
- ^ "Keith Leonard and Courtney Reum join LA Opera Board of Directors". laopera.org.
- ^ "Courtney Reum Appointed New Commissioner for the Los Angeles Convention Center Authority by Mayor Garcetti". lamayor.org.
- ^ "Screw Business As Usual Hardcover – December 8, 2011". amazon.com.
- ^ "Shark Tank-Wannabe 'Hatched' Hunting For The Next Spanx". Forbes. November 19, 2016.
- ^ "Yet a New Way to Say 'To Your Health'". nytimes.com.
- ^ "VeeV Açai Spirit – A better way to drink". opportunitygreen.com.
- ^ "Veev Acai Spirit". wegmans.com.
- ^ "Raise Your Glass: The Veev Mule, Gordon Biersch Brewery". baltimoresun.com.
- ^ "Third Annual SBC Industry Achievement Awards". sustainablebc.org.
- ^ "VitaFrute Cocktails Introduces First Organic RTD Mule". nightclub.com.
- ^ "Entrepreneurs Hit Up Family, but Payback Is Slow". wsj.com.
- ^ Erin Kitzie (July 21, 2011). "Four New "How I Made My Millions" Will Premiere In August on CNBC". CNBC. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ "VEEV Founders Among 100 Top Entrepreneurs". barbizmag.com.
- ^ "Courtney Reum". simonandschuster.com.
- ^ "Angel Investors Carter and Courtney Reum launch new start up studio and syndicate "M13"". Innovation Italy. April 25, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ Erin Griffith (May 5, 2017). "ClassPass Raising New Funds from Temasek, M13". Fortune. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
- ^ "ClassPass Raising New Funds from Temasek, M13". fortune.com.
- ^ "Messier 13 (M13) – The Great Hercules Cluster". universetoday.com.