Better Sour Appoints Confectionery Veteran

Edited by The VEGPRENEUR Team

Former Hawaiian Host Group CEO joins fast-growing sour gummy brand amid national Whole Foods expansion.

Better Sour has announced the appointment of Ed Schultz as its new Chief Strategy Officer, marking a major milestone for the Hawai’i-rooted sour candy brand as it accelerates nationwide growth.

The announcement comes just weeks after Better Sour introduced its new Tropical Sour Gummy Shells line and confirmed an upcoming nationwide rollout in Whole Foods Market stores this June.

Founded three years ago by lifelong friends Bella Hughes and Semira Nikou, Better Sour has quickly expanded into more than 4,000 retail locations across the United States. The brand has built its reputation around bold tropical flavors inspired by Hawai’i and a modern approach to confectionery, offering vegan gummies made with plant-sourced dyes and high-fiber ingredients.

The company currently operates a dual-formulation strategy that includes its original low-sugar Sour Gummy Stars sweetened with allulose, alongside the newly launched Tropical Sour Gummy Shells sweetened with fair trade vegan cane sugar. According to the founders, Schultz’s experience growing premium Hawai’i-based consumer brands made him the ideal strategic partner for the company’s next stage of expansion.

“Ed has spent his career building category-defining brands that honor where they come from while reaching consumers everywhere,” Hughes and Nikou shared in a joint statement. “As we expand our portfolio to serve both reduced-sugar and traditional confectionery consumers, having Ed’s hand on strategy is a game changer.”

Schultz brings decades of leadership experience in food, beverage, and consumer packaged goods. Most recently, he served as President and CEO of Hawaiian Host Group, where he led the globally recognized Hawaiian Host and Mauna Loa brands while overseeing thousands of acres of macadamia orchards in Hawai’i.

Before that, Schultz helped grow Honolulu Coffee from a small local operation into an international specialty coffee business with locations across Hawai’i, Tokyo, Vancouver, and Guam. He also founded Parallel 21 Partners, a private equity firm focused on Hawai’i-based businesses.

In addition to his corporate leadership roles, Schultz currently serves as Vice Chair of the National Confectioners Association and is set to become Chair in March 2027. He was named the organization’s Advocate of the Year in 2023 for his industry leadership and advocacy work.

“Better Sour is one of the most exciting brands I’ve seen come out of the confectionery space in years,” Schultz said. “Bella and Semira have built something genuinely differentiated, premium and flavor-led, with a clear point of view on what modern candy can be.”

He also highlighted the company’s recent Tropical Sour Gummy Shells launch as an example of strong category leadership, noting the brand’s ability to cater to both reduced-sugar and traditional candy consumers without compromising on flavor or ingredient quality.

The new Tropical Sour Gummy Shells line features Mango, Watermelon Yuzu, and Lychee flavors inspired by the fruits Hughes and Nikou grew up enjoying in Hawai’i. The products will debut as a limited summer offering in Whole Foods Market stores nationwide this June.

Retail pricing for the new Sour Gummy Shells starts at $2.99 per 1.8 oz bag, while the original Sour Gummy Stars retail for $3.99. Both product lines are vegan and verified by CarbonTag to have up to a 48% lower carbon footprint compared to traditional gelatin-based gummies.

Industry analysts continue to forecast strong growth in the confectionery sector. The National Confectioners Association projects the global sugar confectionery market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5%, reaching $59.53 billion by 2029. Better Sour’s expansion strategy positions the company to compete across multiple consumer preferences as demand for premium and functional candy products continues to rise.

Founded in Hawai’i and now based in Austin, Texas, Better Sour continues to build momentum as a fast-growing player in the modern candy space, combining tropical flavors, sustainability initiatives, and innovative formulations designed for today’s consumers.

For more information, visit Better Sour