Please allow me to introduce myself
Mucho Gusto..
Hey, I’m Brian. I am a 3rd generation San Diegan and spent most of my time growing up in the Clairemont and Chula Vista areas. I became a father at 17, had 100% custody by age 19, and raised my daughter in my grandmother’s house, where the means were small but the love was big. Back then, we relied on food stamps, WIC, and community support to make ends meet. There were times when we didn’t have a car, and I’d walk with a stroller and two plastic bags full of groceries just trying to get home in one piece. That kind of struggle stays with you. It humbles you. It sharpens your instincts.
As I grew older, I put myself through college and eventually earned a master’s degree in education. I’ve spent over a decade working in public schools with kids from all across San Diego. From Southeast to City Heights to National City, I saw the same thing over and over again, though: sugary drinks in the backpacks of 8-year-olds, often bought with the only affordable options their families had. That hit home. I knew the cycle, and I knew we deserved better.
SLAPS is my response to all of it. A drink that tastes good, feels cool to carry, and doesn’t wreck your health. A drink inspired by the flavors and culture I grew up around.
I’m funding this brand out of pocket with just the hustle I’ve had since I was a kid selling mixtapes and drawing on T-shirts. Every label, every sticker, every pop-up—this is real grassroots. Built from the alley up, not the top down.
This brand is for the ones who still skate cracked sidewalks, who grew up on Top Ramen and Hot Cheetos but now want something better, who love their culture and crave connection. It’s for the mom buying groceries on EBT who wants to make a better choice for her kid, and it’s for the kid who just wants something that hits without the sugar crash.
I know there's no chance I could ever "out sweet" sugar.. but I can definitely bring something to the table that "out cools" it any time, any day.
So this is my story, but it’s not just mine. It’s all of ours. I'm looking forward to building something meaningul! GkkD