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Ricky Miller is the CEO of Carbonadi Vodka, a company he founded as a result of his entrepreneurial spirit. He was extensively involved in sports as a child, but his love of art and culture inspired him to start his own alcohol company.
He takes pride in being a humble man with an aptitude for entrepreneurship and a thirst for creativity. Miller had already tried and failed at a previous business before establishing his spirit business. However, his own bad experiences with alcohol prompted him to create the luxury spirits brand.
“I decided to create Carbonadi as a pivot after one of my other businesses had to be shelved. It had been a dream of mine since college. I, like many others, had some horrible experiences with alcohol, and after being exposed to the good stuff, I never wanted to go back,” he told Forbes.
“I wanted to create an enjoyable and distinctive luxury spirit of my own. As a person who loves brand building and challenging the status quo, I saw an opportunity to enter the vodka category with a premium taste and offering that rang with the same tone as a Dom Perignon or Armand De Brignac. I felt that if I could create a special liquid, and borrow quality cues from adjacent luxury sectors, all while authentically injecting culture and creativity into the space through dope collaborations, activations, and experiences, then I could make an impact in the industry,” he said.
Miller was also influenced by fashion designer and entrepreneur Virgil Abloh, whose desire to help people achieve their ambitions, as well as his ego-less attitude to everything and love for all cultures, resonated with Miller more than he could have imagined.
Miller is not keeping the skills he utilized to gain success in the spirit realm to himself in this regard. He stated that he wants to offer possibilities for people who look like him to pursue professions in luxury wine and spirits, as well as to inspire the next generation of Black professionals to consider the spirits sector as a career option.
According to Pronghorn study, while Black Americans account for 12% of all alcohol users, they account for only 7.8% of the sector’s labor force and 2% of its executives.
In an attempt to reverse this trend, Miller stated that he built his alcohol brand to appeal to consumers who like the fusion of luxury and culture.
“Carbonadi is for those who, like myself, enjoy a lifestyle at the intersection of luxury and culture. Those who can enjoy a day out on a Riva Yacht on Lake Como sipping ice-cold Carbonadi martinis with Louis Armstrong coming out the speakers, the same they can enjoy a 150-person Kendrick Lamar (as an opening act) show at the Roxy Theater in Hollywood with the aroma of spilled beer filling the room. This is what I enjoy, and when I can have both those vibes in the same place, I’m happy,” he said.
