| Tell us about your company: |
| GOBBi is a savory energy drink for busy professionals who need to energize and nourish— just add hot water for a satisfying energy boost! GOBBi was created to solve a simple problem: how to feel good and stay energized during a long day of work. Our founder, Roma, worked in the tech industry as a product manager leading cybersecurity at a major tech company. Day after day, she saw the same pattern across her colleagues and herself: everyone was tired, yet more coffee or tea wasn’t cutting it, and traditional energy drinks left people feeling worse, not better. People don’t just crave stimulation, they crave something satisfying, grounding, and nourishing. GOBBi combines clean caffeine with comforting, savory flavors to deliver sustained focus and satiety — an entirely new way to energize. In a market saturated with sugary options, GOBBi delivers a bold, disruptive alternative: a hot, savory beverage powered by natural caffeine + L-theanine for smooth, sustained energy. It’s perfect for those moments when you’re a little hungry, a little tired, and need something wholesome to fuel the day. Our single-serve powdered packets make GOBBi convenient, portable, and ready anywhere—ideal for offices, travel, wellness spaces, and on-the-go lifestyles. With clean, functional ingredients and a unique flavor profile, GOBBi taps into the booming functional beverage market while offering customers a point of true differentiation in a high-demand category. |
| What inspired you to start your business? |
| GOBBi was created to solve a simple problem: how to feel good and stay energized during a long day of work. I’m the founder of GOBBi, and before this I worked in the tech industry as a product manager leading cybersecurity at a major tech company. Day after day, I saw the same pattern across my colleagues and myself: everyone was tired, yet more coffee or tea wasn’t cutting it, and traditional energy drinks left people feeling worse, not better. GOBBi was born out of a real need. I reimagined what an energy drink should be — something warm, satisfying, and functional that actually fits into the rhythm of a busy workday. Instead of another can of sugar or caffeine overload, GOBBi gives people a more nourishing and truly satisfying way to recharge and keep moving. |
| What are your proudest achievements so far? |
| My proudest achievement with GOBBI so far has been launching on DoorDash DashMart. Unlike traditional grocery stores, DashMart carries only a few thousand SKUs — they stock high-velocity, high-confidence items because every product has to move quickly. Getting GOBBI accepted into such a curated assortment validated that a savory energy drink has real demand. Seeing something that started as an idea in my notes app become a product chosen for one of the most selective retail channels was the moment I realized: this category is real, and people want it. |
| What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs: |
| Speed > perfection. Move fast, build messy, and collect real-world data. Perfectionism is just procrastination with better branding. The market will teach you more in one week than polishing will teach you in six months! |
| Please share a memory or thought about your alma mater: |
| One of my favorite memories from UC Berkeley was spending countless late nights in the robotics lab with my project team. We’d be exhausted, surrounded by half-assembled hardware and cold coffee, debugging some tiny issue that had derailed us for hours. But then — that moment when the robot finally moved the way we intended, even if it was just a few inches — the whole room would light up. That rush of “we actually made this work” is something I’ve been chasing ever since. It taught me that the best parts of building aren’t glamorous; they’re those small breakthroughs at 2 a.m. when persistence finally pays off. |
Alumni Emporium 