Emma Chamberlain is suiting up and stepping into a new role as the co-CEO of her coffee startup, Chamberlain Coffee. The company sells products like coffee beans, ready-to-drink canned lattes and matcha powder in stores like Target and Whole Foods, and direct-to-consumer online. And in 2023, Forbes estimates that the brand brought in $20 million in revenue.
Over the last five years as cofounder and chief creative officer, Chamberlain has mostly taken on marketing roles, contributing to and creative directing social media campaigns and brand partnerships. But as the company has grown, so too has her role: She’s become more involved in back-end business decisions like retail strategy (which the brand says is a major focus this year) as well as hiring and team building, she told Forbes.
Announced today, Chamberlain and her new co-CEO Gustav Hossy will replace Chamberlain Coffee’s former CEO, Christopher Gallant, who’d held the role since 2021.
“When the company was founded, I was aware that I had a lot to learn before I could step into the position I am in today,” she says. “The knowledge and experience I have gained over the last few years has made me feel confident in my ability to truly step up and co-run this company in a way I was not ready for prior.”
Chamberlain launched the company in 2019, just two years after starting her YouTube channel which now boasts 12 million subscribers. Coffee had always been a passion of hers and a frequent topic of conversation in her YouTube videos, so the venture was a natural extension of her online brand. With nearly 30 million followers across her various social media platforms today, Chamberlain had a loyal group of potential customers. But even with her allure, Chamberlain says she couldn’t run the company completely on her own.
Co-leading Chamberlain Coffee is Gustav Hossy. Originally from Copenhagen, Hossy is a cofounder and former CEO of Danish ecommerce eyewear brand, Christopher Cloos. After running that brand from 2017 to 2019, he helped launch Blazar Capital, a European investment firm that Hossy now co-owns. When Blazar became Chamberlain Coffee’s first investor, Hossy—with his experience building a consumer product—was assigned to Chamberlain Coffee as part of the founding team and was later named COO in 2020.
“I have other career responsibilities that prevent me from being able to dedicate 100% of my time to the brand, which is where Gustav can step in and be available 100% of the time,” Chamberlain says. Plus, “I still have a lot to learn, specifically when it comes to operations.”
Hossy was initially excited by Chamberlain’s ability to tap into the young consumer base. “At the time, most coffee brands were targeting older consumers who had more disposable income and consumed more coffee,” he says. “By focusing on her own generation, we were able to disrupt the coffee category.”
That’s why in this new partnership—even though she’s gaining more responsibility in operations and business development—Chamberlain will continue to lead marketing efforts while Hossy takes on traditional CEO responsibilities. He says he’s particularly focused on profitability and increasing growth through market and retail expansion. With a major focus on retail, the company jumped from being seen in 1,000 storefronts in 2023 to more than 12,000 in 2024, they say. Most recently, Chamberlain Coffee expanded internationally into Circle K stores across Canada. Plus, the startup is continuing to utilize brand partnerships. Earlier this spring, Chamberlain Coffee partnered with Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila and this week they launched a product collection with actress Shay Mitchell’s luggage brand BEIS.
“I have a very clear vision of what this brand will become in the future,” Chamberlain says, “And I have never been more excited.”
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