Bill Shufelt is a seasoned entrepreneur and business leader with a background in finance. He is the CEO of Athletic Brewing Company, a revolutionary brewing company that offers non-alcoholic craft beer for a healthier, more active lifestyle. Despite being rejected by 100 investors, Shufelt’s determination and vision for Athletic led him to raise $175 million and open breweries on both coasts. It is widely considered the leader in the space.

Shufelt was a trader at a hedge fund and an ultramarathon runner who stopped drinking alcohol in 2013. Finding non-alcoholic drinks to be unsatisfactory, he sought out John Walker, a head brewer from Santa Fe, to produce better tasting non-alcohol beers. Athletic launched in 2018 with its Run Wild IPA and Upside Dawn Golden Ale, finding a ready audience with runners, cyclists, and anyone craving a buzz-free cold one. Since then, the bold, true-to-craft flavors of Athletic beers have helped overhaul the non-alcoholic category's reputation, erasing decades-old stigmas one six-pack after another.

In 2020, Athletic's sales increased nearly 500%, and in 2022, the brewery released about 45 different alcohol-free beers, including sour ales, hazy IPAs, and Mexican lagers. In 2021, Wine Enthusiast named Shufelt as one of their 40 Under 40 Tastemakers; the following year, he was included in Food & Wine's Drink Innovators of the Year list.

Food & Beverage, Innovation, Lifestyle Co-founder, Health, Entrepreneurship, Startup,