What happens when two former Northeastern University students recall their favorite childhood beverage but are no longer able to consume it due to lactose intolerance? They turn it into Slate – a high-protein, low sugar lactose free line of milk and coffee designed to provide strength and energy to health conscious customers. With financial backing from IDEA (NEU’s student venture accelerator) and branding collaboration from Scout (the school’s in-house design studio), these entrepreneurs have generated millions in retail sales.

Slate offers an adult version of Yoo-Hoo, with less sugar, more nutrition, and delicious taste: classic chocolate milk with 20 grams of protein; dark chocolate milk with 25 grams; and mocha lattes with 175 milligrams of caffeine – their canned drinks boasting reduced sugar and more nutrition with delicious tastes that has seen exponential sales growth year over year on e-commerce sales platforms.

To expand its national distribution, the company has raised $25 million from athletes and institutional investors as well as UFC. Their products will soon be found at Walmart, CVS, Wegmans, Stop & Shop and Market Basket stores; in 2022 two new flavors of their canned high-protein iced coffees will debut. Each Kosher certified product carries the OU symbol to provide assurance to consumers who value safe ingredients for their families.