SB meets… Elisabeth Baron, Hello Soju
The CEO of Hello Soju on how the company is putting an American twist on the famed Korean spirit and bringing it to life through partnerships.
*This interview was originally published in the December 2025 issue of The Spirits Business magazine.
How did you come to work for Hello Soju?
I was approached about this position in 2024. They were rebooting the brand they had launched in 2023, and re-evaluating it. The decision was made that it would make sense to bring someone who had some experience in the industry to lead the business into this next chapter.
The brand relaunched this year – what’s next?
We launched in July with the ready-to-drink sparkling soju, and then we just introduced our spirit only weeks ago. So we feel like we’ve only just begun, but we have high aspirations for the coming years. Over the next year, we are going to dive deeper into California and Nevada – our primary markets. We’re still defining the expansion, but we will be opening up additional markets, creeping east across the country. We’re looking at everything for the biggest market opportunities for us, but also following where we believe our consumer is. That’s exciting from a standpoint of looking at both the growth in soju, the growth in RTDs, and how that intersects with the excitement around K[orean] culture in the US.
What are the biggest growth opportunities in terms of markets?
The focus is the US, but globally we have aspirations as we accelerate the growth here in our first few years. Markets like Texas, New York and Illinois are interesting. But some markets make better sense because of the consumer makeup, and some are better because of the opportunity in alcohol beverage in the US.
Having a parent company in the music business, how are you planning to draw on music to activate the brand?
Our sister company, The Hello Group, founded Hello Soju, and they are highly awarded in the K-pop industry, with production and writing of some of the hottest songs out there. We are always looking to integrate into the opportunities and have music be brought to life in the brand. So we are doing many different events and partnerships moving forward.
Are there specific partnerships you’re looking for?
We love all types of music, but as we celebrate K-Cal culture – the intersection of Korean tradition meets this California vibe – we really celebrate K-pop as the core for us. We have been sponsoring iHeartRadio, a nationally syndicated show that features K-pop acts. I love the show because sometimes the acts don’t speak English at all, so it’s a sort of bilingual engagement that’s on mainstream radio and online, which is a true testament to the power of this movement where consumers are learning Korean based on their love of K-pop music.
Hello Soju recently raised US$6.8 million in funding. How will that support the business?
The funds are rooted in accelerating sales and velocity, and driving brand excitement. We have some advertising in K-town in Los Angeles, and we’re exploring opportunities in Nevada and the Bay Area. A lot of our funds are going to accelerate sales and brand awareness within those key channels. We are proud to be with partners in Tao Group, where we have our ready-to-drink product, as well as our spirit there coming soon.
What will you work on in the next year?
We want to be really prudent about how we expand, and make sure that we have the resources to support effectively. We’re also going to be in the market for another fundraiser.
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