Adam Kroener | Co-Founder and CEO | Carbliss
Adam Kroener, cofounder and CEO of Carbliss, has a journey shaped by resilience, vision, and teamwork. From serving in the Army National Guard at the age of 17 to becoming a father at 18, Adam’s early life demanded responsibility and grit. After returning from a tour overseas, he entered manufacturing, working in Wisconsin’s cheese industry. Starting as a cheese cutter, he steadily climbed into leadership roles, gaining valuable experience in operations and management. At EliteX, we are proud to have Adam Kroener as part of the edition of Five Trailblazers: CEOs Shaping the Business, 2025.
His wife and cofounder, Amanda, brought her financial expertise from accounting into the mix. Together, they built Carbliss out of a personal need. While following the keto lifestyle, they found themselves hauling ingredients to craft cocktails that fit their diet. What began as a simple idea “someone should put this in a can” quickly turned into “we should put this in a can.” In 2019, they launched Carbliss, just days after getting married. Today, the company is sold in 19 states and has been named the fastest growing privately owned food and beverage company in the nation by the Inc. 5000 list.
“Just start. You don’t need to know everything to begin. Ignorance can be bliss for an entrepreneur.”
For Adam, decision making as a CEO is guided by trust, collaboration, and shared responsibility. He credits Amanda for keeping him grounded and serving as his sounding board. They built Carbliss by taking risks, including mortgaging their home, and they never forget the importance of teamwork. Adam explains that while they seek advice, ultimately, the responsibility rests with them. This sense of accountability has shaped the company’s culture and direction. His advice to young entrepreneurs is simple yet powerful: take the leap. He believes overthinking often holds people back. Instead, he encourages starting small with a minimum marketable product and improving along the way. In his words, waiting for perfection can be the enemy of progress.
Adam’s vision of legacy is about lifting others. He sees Carbliss as a platform to help people live their dreams. As the company succeeds, he wants its benefits to ripple outward to team members, business partners, distributors, and suppliers. This belief is rooted in his philosophy that “a rising tide lifts all ships.” Carbliss has set a precedent in company culture by offering unique rewards, such as gifting every team member a $5,000 vacation voucher on their work anniversary. Knowing that their work often requires travel and time away from loved ones, Adam and Amanda ensure their employees have the chance to recharge and spend meaningful time with family.
“A rising tide lifts all ships as we grow, we want everyone connected to Carbliss to grow too.”
For Adam, success as a leader is not measured by financial milestones alone, but by how team members describe their workplace. When employees call the culture at Carbliss “family,” he considers that the ultimate sign of success. That sense of belonging and appreciation drives motivation and loyalty, creating a strong foundation for growth.
Innovation plays a central role in Carbliss’s expansion. Each year, the company evaluates what works and what doesn’t in the marketplace, balancing consumer demand with internal creativity. Adam hints at exciting innovations on the horizon, especially as 2026 approaches.
Looking ahead, Carbliss has a clear vision: to continue its boots on the ground approach to expansion. The company plans to grow strategically across the United States, with the ambitious goal of becoming the number one selling ready to drink cocktail brand in every market. Adam believes the path to success is rooted in community connections, transparency, and a consistent commitment to quality.
Keeping the team aligned with company goals is another priority for Adam. Culture and transparency guide his leadership style. With a team spread across 19 states, they invest heavily in connection. They host quarterly gatherings tied to state launches, team dinners, and training sessions. The company also organizes a Blissful Bonding trip each year, a companywide vacation fully funded by Carbliss. These efforts, paired with their generous anniversary rewards, highlight a leadership philosophy centered on investing in people as much as the business. Transparency reinforces this bond. Every month, the entire team meets to review performance openly, ensuring no surprises and a shared sense of ownership in results.
“Culture and transparency are everything. If you invest in people, they’ll invest in your mission.”
When asked about inspiration, Adam points to the teachings of Dale Carnegie. His early military experience taught him stern discipline, but he later realized that true leadership is not command and control. Instead, empathy and trust transformed his approach. By embracing Carnegie’s lessons, he fostered an environment where people felt encouraged to contribute ideas and take ownership. This shift has been a cornerstone in shaping both his personal growth and the culture at Carbliss.
Adam Kroener’s story is one of grit, risk taking, and heart. From humble beginnings in the cheese industry to leading a nationally recognized beverage company, he has shown that innovation paired with empathy can transform not just a business, but the lives of everyone connected to it. Carbliss is more than a brand; it is a culture of appreciation, trust, and shared success values that reflect Adam’s vision for leadership and legacy.
