Courtney O'Brien in

Courtney O'Brien

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Mentor & Investor at SKU
📍 San Francisco Bay Area, United States

Courtney OBrien is a brand strategist with over two decades of experience building iconic brands like Coke Zero and Apothic at global companies including Coca-Cola and Gallo. Now, as the Founder of The Outlier Initiative, she helps challenger CPG brands scale. People who have worked with her often describe her as innovative, strategic, and creative.

Based in California with her husband and three children, Courtney leads an active life. Her interests include hiking, biking, playing pickleball, and yoga. She is also a home project enthusiast with a passion for painting and sourdough baking, showcasing a creative and hands-on side outside of her professional work.

Courtney was instrumental in transforming both Coke Zero into a billion-dollar brand and Apothic wine into a $100M+ powerhouse.

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Experience
15 Years
Current Role
Mentor & Investor
Job Level
Leadership
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Personality Overview

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Communication Style
Decision Approach
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Priorities

Topics Courtney cares about

Challenger Brands
Her consultancy, The Outlier Initiative, is dedicated to helping ambitious, growth-stage food and beverage brands compete with industry giants and achieve breakout success.
Brand Storytelling
As a Certified StoryBrand Guide, she emphasizes creating deep emotional connections by making the consumer the hero of the brand's narrative, not just focusing on the product.
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Career

Work history

1-2025
Mentor & Investor
SKU
7-2024
Instructor, Wine Marketing
Washington State University
9-2023
Founder and Managing Director
The Outlier Initiative
9-2023
Founder and Principal
The Outlier Initiative
2-2020 - 7-2023
Senior Director, Premium Wine Portfolio
GALLO
In the press

Media appearances

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Education
Master of Business Administration - MBA
UCLA Anderson School of Management
Bachelor of Arts - BA
Dartmouth College
Social presence
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Behavioral profile

DISC profile (public)

DISC behavioral profile

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