Josh Kesselman eyes alternative methods for public offering without diluting brand identity

  • Josh Kesselman, founder of Raw rolling-papers, wants to take the company public without diluting its culture
  • Kesselman is looking for alternative ways to sell shares of Raw and parent company HBI International to customers
  • He admires companies like Green Bay Packers, Spotify, Ben & Jerry’s, and Dr. Bronner’s as examples for a different approach to IPOs
  • Raw generates $120 million in annual domestic revenue and has celebrity support

Josh Kesselman, founder of Raw rolling-papers, is looking for an innovative way to take his company public while maintaining its unique culture and values. He admires companies like Green Bay Packers, Spotify, Ben & Jerry’s, and Dr. Bronner’s as examples of alternative IPO approaches. Raw generates $120 million in annual domestic revenue and has celebrity support.

Factuality Level: 8
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate information about Josh Kesselman’s plans for taking his company Raw public while maintaining its culture and values. It includes relevant details about the company’s revenue, celebrity endorsements, and potential alternative methods of going public such as direct listing or a community-focused IPO. The article also mentions philanthropic efforts and future plans for brand extensions and innovations.
Noise Level: 3
Noise Justification: The article provides some interesting information about the founder of Raw and his plans for taking the company public while preserving its culture and values, but it also contains some irrelevant details such as Kesselman’s hobbies and personal preferences. It could have been more focused on the business aspect without including unrelated information.
Public Companies: Turning Point Brands Inc. (TPB), Spotify Technology (SPOT), Unilever PLC (UL), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B)
Private Companies: Raw
Key People: Josh Kesselman (Founder of Raw)


Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: Cannabis industry, rolling paper market
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses the founder of Raw, a rolling-paper maker, wanting to take the company public while keeping its culture intact. It mentions the company’s annual revenue and compares it to its rival Turning Point Brands Inc. This impacts the cannabis industry and the rolling paper market as Raw is used in pre-rolled joints sold at legal adult-use cannabis dispensaries.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Extreme Rating Justification: There is no extreme event mentioned in the article.

Reported publicly: www.marketwatch.com