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Jerome Tse ’13 was inspired to found Berri Organics after changing his diet while battling cancer as an undergrad

By Lindsay Lennon

A cancer diagnosis is enough to change anyone’s life, at least in the short term. But for Jerome Tse ’13, who battled and recovered from the disease as an undergrad Hotelie, the experience served as a gateway to an entirely new way of life—as well as the inspiration for a business.

“The diagnosis really made me rethink what I put in my body and how I took care of myself,” says Tse. “I pivoted to an all-organic, plant-based lifestyle that I credited for beating the disease—and staying cancer free for well over 13 years now. The whole experience ended up being a blessing in disguise, because it’s what inspired me to start my company.”

Tse is the founder and CEO of Berri Organics, the first brand of fitness drinks and electrolyte solutions made with 100% plant-based, organic ingredients such as coconut water, raspberry juice, guava, sweet potato, ginseng root, sea salt, and maqui berries.

The whole experience ended up being a blessing in disguise, because it’s what inspired me to start my company.

For every one of its Berri FIT fitness beverages and powders and Berri LYTE electrolyte solutions sold, the company makes a donation to two pediatric cancer-fighting organizations.

The Jimmy Fund supports research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston (where Tse was treated); Wish Upon a Teen runs the Design My Room program, which provides bedding, décor, picture frames, and clothing to make teen cancer patients’ long-term hospital stays more comfortable.

Before his diagnosis at age 19, when he was a freshman on the Hill, Tse was an avid athlete. He was a national and international competitive rower for six years before Cornell, and also played soccer and basketball.

Like many athletes, he says, his diet mostly revolved around carbohydrate- and protein-heavy foods to bulk up his strength, energy, and weight.

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“You just want to fuel your body and eat the nutrition necessary to help you win the next match; it’s not really a long-term outlook,” he says.

“That changed with my diagnosis. It’s not just about winning, it’s about having healthy and sustainable longevity as a performance athlete. I think that’s why, compared to 10 years ago, you’re starting to see a lot of professional athletes think about nutrition in terms of prolonging their careers.”

During his cancer recovery, Tse struggled to find a hydrating, electrolyte- and mineral-rich beverage that aligned with his newly adopted organic diet.

You’re starting to see a lot of professional athletes think about nutrition in terms of prolonging their careers.

He decided to create a prototype in his West Campus dorm kitchen, and eventually—as part of the Cornell Hospitality Business Plan Competition—enlisted fellow students to help create test batches in CALS’ Food Science labs and at Cornell AgriTech’s Geneva campus. Thereafter, he sought the expertise of professional food scientists to bring the product to market.

Initially, Tse says, his products were offered in just three Whole Foods stores in California, after he impressed the chain’s buyer with a business plan and samples at a natural products expo.

Since that initial run, the company has experienced tremendous growth, with its wares now available at 2,000 stores nationwide—including CVS, Target, Wegmans, Sprouts, Stop & Shop, and Whole Foods—as well as online through Amazon and its own website.

Tse, who was named one of Forbes’s 30 Under 30 in 2019, says 2023 was an explosive year for Berri Organics. In particular, its Berri LYTE line of electrolyte drinks and powders outperformed its main competitors for the first time.

Says Tse: “It was a big year for us, to prove that our brand could succeed on the national level.”

All photos provided.

Published January 25, 2024