e8: Sandro Roco of Sanzo

"Frankly, you need to go out and hear 'no,' because you can't just got told 'yes' every day of the week."

Sandro Roco is the founder of Sanzo, the first Asian-inspired sparkling water brand. Before embarking on this beverage-world journey, he spent time in nuclear engineering, investment banking, and the apparel startup world. Sanzo has won countless fans for its no-added-sugar approach, bringing traditional Asian flavors like yuzu and calamansi to the American market. They’ve won hearts and minds through collaborations with Pixar, Marvel, and even NBA icon Jeremy Lin. Sandro met Shane on the Brooklyn waterfront to share some Sanzos, discuss the uniquely brutal challenges of solo founder life, and what it means to be ambitious.