Inc. magazine recently revealed its annual Inc. 5000 list, a ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America, which includes Michigan TEENpreneur’s Zolli Candy for the fourth straight year. The September Inc. 5000 issue of Inc. magazine, hits newsstands August 23.
“Zolli Candy still found ways to grow in sales and grow its team during what I’d most certainly call our hardest year yet,”’ said 17-year-old Zolli Candy Founder & CEO Alina Morse. “We even launched new delicious healthy items to keep people all over the world smiling. Our biggest challenges during the pandemic have been juggling supply chain gaps, suppliers closing, and retail clients closing. The tenacity of our team and our will to help others never stopped.”
Zolli Candy first appeared on the list in 2019 with three-year revenue growth of 635% and has landed on a spot on the list ever since (2022, 2021, 2020). In fact, Morse has been the youngest Inc. 5000 CEO each year she has appeared on the list—all before even turning 18.
The companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 have not only been successful, but have also demonstrated resilience amid supply chain woes, labor shortages, and the ongoing impact of COVID-19. Among the top 500, the average median three-year revenue growth rate soared to 2,144 percent. Together, those companies added more than 68,394 jobs over the past three years. The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent businesses. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.
“The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated,” says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. “Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today.”
Morse started Zolli Candy after a trip to the bank with her dad at age 7. Her products are certified sugar-free by Sugarwise, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, non-GMO, and free of the top eight allergens. Zolli Candy is a woman-owned and cause-based company, committed to giving 4-MM products through the “Million Smiles Initiative” to help fight America’s most chronic childhood disease - tooth decay. She delivered a TED Talk, “Why I Eat Candy to Avoid Cavities,” was the youngest ever keynote speaker at Advertising Week, while InStyle Magazine named her one of 50 Badass Women Changing the World alongside First Lady Michelle Obama, who invited her to the White House twice as the exclusive candy for the annual Easter Egg Roll. She is the youngest person to ever appear on the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine, Forbes named her product as one of “Top 10 Emerging Food Trends” while PEOPLE Magazine named it as part of their “PEOPLE Great Ideas”.
To learn more about Zolli’s Inc. magazine 5000 listing, visit https://inc.com/profile/zolli-candy or http://ZolliCandy.com.
