Move Over ‘Shark Tank,’ Scots Tank Has Natural Power
HPHS student Brian Rosen developing healthier energy drink
Last year, as a junior, Brian Rosen entered the Design and Leadership class at Highland Park High School and did his final assignment so well that he’s still working on it.
The Moody Advanced Professional Studies (MAPS) course culminated with students creating and pitching business ideas to a panel of five judges in a Shark Tank-style competition called Scots Tank.
Rosen pitched his idea for Natural Power, an all-natural energy drink that would capitalize on the trend toward healthier living.
“One market I identified that was still lacking a healthy alternative was energy drinks,” he said. “I want to get in on that.”
He won the Scots Tank pitch and $1,500 to launch his product.
“The big players like Monster and Red Bull have a lot of sugars and artificial flavors,” Rosen said. “The inspiration for Natural Power came from my own health journey, and I want to create something that will actually help the consumer.”
He created the logo and packaging, then assembled a team for product development. Opting for stevia as a natural sweetener over sucralose (which studies have suggested could cause liver damage), Rosen also plans to use fruits and vegetables for flavor, vitamins, and nutrients, along with natural caffeine as the stimulant.
“We’re also trying to differentiate ourselves based on flavor,” Rosen said, noting many popular energy drinks’ artificial taste and unpleasant aftertaste.
The advertising campaign will include a prototype can and a box featuring a video monitor showing a concise pitch for prospective retailers and potential investors.
“We’re going to approach high-end supermarkets who already prioritize healthier products — Whole Foods, Central Market, Foxtrot near SMU,” he said.
Rosen and his team have conducted taste tests on the stevia sweetener and are working out the molecular kinks of the aftertaste.
“We’re not looking for ‘it tastes great, but,’” Rosen said. “We’re looking for ‘it tastes great.’”
He doesn’t aim to appear on the real Shark Tank television show and said he’s not apprehensive about finding investors.
“I’m very fortunate to know a lot of people who have been helpful to me and can be very helpful in the future, so any of the fundraising that would be necessary for the product would likely be private,” he said. “There’s already been a lot of interest.”
Rosen’s passion and ideas proved a perfect fit for the MAPS program.
“As a junior, I already knew I wanted to major in business in college,” he recalled. “The MAPS program looked very interesting, so I joined it.”
Rosen, already accepted into the University of Indiana’s Kelly School of Business, is hopeful about the University of Pennsylvania and his sports drink.
“What started out as a class project I saw as something that had a lot of potential,” he said. “I could actually make a real difference in people’s lives.”
