Honey, salt, and magnesium. These were the ingredients chosen to create HNY+, a new type of performance gel that landed its Austin-raised founder on the latest Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
Ross Cooley, a 23-year-old lifelong Austinite, met his cofounders, Liam Brogan + Luke Smialowicz, while studying entrepreneurship at Texas Christian University. Tired of taking pre-workout that was full of artificial ingredients, the trio began making their own at home.
“We started researching and found out the benefits of organic honey as a carbohydrate source and as an energy source,” Cooley told ATXtoday. “Taking a spoonful of honey, putting a bunch of powders on it, drinking coffee — it was just like a mess, and it was super complex.”
So, to dose it and make it portable, they ordered pouches and began giving out gels to runners and athletes on campus to get feedback. After graduating, the team took HNY+ to Austin, raised some capital, and began working with a manufacturer to get their first official round of inventory.
In the summer of 2024, Cooley packed his car with HNY+ and met up with two run clubs per day to get people to test the product.
“I was able to get the best customer feedback possible just from being in Austin surrounded by this health and wellness scene,” Cooley said. “Everybody wants to help everyone too, which is what I love the most about Austin.”
The trio was nominated by fellow entrepreneur and 30 Under 30 alum Austin Patry, founder of food company Realsy. They didn’t expect to make the cut in the first nomination, and shared their surprise on social media when they found out after the list was published.
“Luke was the first person to realize — he was actually in the airport in Portugal — reading the list and then as he was scrolling down, all the sudden, like, boom, our names and faces were there,” Cooley said. “He was like, jumping up and down in the terminal at the airport.”
Now that they’ve got that achievement under their belts, Cooley said they’re planning to tour the apiary where HNY+ sources its organic honey from the Yucatán Peninsula, release a few new flavors and functions, and pursue a spot on “Shark Tank.”
In the meantime, you can find HNY+ at Sunlife Organics, Squatch Frontier Fitness, or online. While you’re at it, meet some of the other local movers + shakers in the most recent 30 Under 30 class.
