Alyse Borkan – Co-Founder of Rocco on Building the Ultimate Smart Fridge

On this episode of The Casey Adams Show, Alyse Borkan, co-founder of Rocco—the viral drinks fridge that won Domino's Groundbreaking Product of 2024—shares how she’s redefining the beverage industry. With a background in scaling high-growth consumer brands like Our Place, Coterie, and Billie (acquired by Edgewell), Alyse brings deep expertise in brand-building, creative marketing, and product launches. She discusses the challenges of launching a hardware product, the power of strategic brand partnerships, and how Rocco is designed to seamlessly blend into any space while enhancing social experiences. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Rocko and Elise Borkan 03:05 The Design Philosophy Behind Rocko 06:01 The Beverage Landscape and Consumer Trends 09:06 Innovative Partnerships with Beverage Brands 11:56 Challenges in Hardware Development 14:58 The Iterative Design Process 18:08 Elise's Journey into Business and Marketing 23:40 From Journalism to Startups 25:03 Building Brands at Casper and Billie 28:05 Creating a Unique Brand Perspective 31:01 Marketing Tactics for Early Stage Brands 32:30 The Power of Limited Inventory 35:22 White Glove Delivery Experience 37:34 Evolving Brand Mission and Perspective 39:30 Innovative Features of the Rocco Fridge 41:40 Future Vision for Rocco 43:00 Advice to My Younger Self