Forktales · 2026-05-14 · 35 min
Pete Olander is the founder of Happie, a plant medicine beverage company focused on cannabis-infused and functional mushroom drinks. Before launching Happie, he worked in private banking at J.P. Morgan and later in the nutrition and consumer packaged goods space, experiences that helped shape his entrepreneurial mindset and understanding of beverage formulation, distribution and scaling a brand. Happie is a functional beverage company producing hemp-derived THC drinks and mushroom-based wellness beverages under its Fungi Fusion line. The company focuses on approachable, wellness-oriented products designed to provide consumers with alternatives to alcohol and traditional energy drinks while emphasizing quality, transparency and consumer trust. Olander built Happie as a vertically integrated business, overseeing cultivation, extraction, formulation and finished products. He initially launched the company as a CBD beverage brand in 2019 before expanding into THC beverages and functional mushroom drinks.
Season 10 highlights51 / 100
Jenny Mehlman - Dairy marketing leader and champion of all things cheese and butter
Mike DiBeneditto - CEO of Golden Waffles and Champion of Bold Brand Reinvention
Madelyn Alfano - Restaurateur, hospitality leader and steward of Italian comfort food
Chuck Meehan - Super Bowl creative veteran and champion of big ideas