Khloé Kardashian’s functional snack brand Khloud has named Jeff Rubenstein chief executive officer.

Rubenstein joins the team with a 24-year career in consumer package goods, most notably in functional beverage, across companies like The Coca-Cola Company, Vita Coco and Health-Ade. Rubenstein was most recently the chief growth officer of better-for-you soda company Poppi, which was sold to PepsiCo for $1.95 billion in March. Khloud, which launched in April, currently offers three varieties of its protein popcorn: white cheddar, which is the brand’s bestseller; sweet and salty kettle corn, and olive oil and sea salt. It is available at Target.

“What Khloé is doing here [and] why I was so attracted to this particular opportunity is that she has found a way to use modern marketing with her enormous reach. She has 301 million followers on her Instagram alone, 5.7 million on TikTok,” said Rubenstein. “She has figured out very precisely how to create a pandemic, essentially, around a particular new idea. Protein was already bubbling up, and so she amplified it in a meaningful way.”

In addition to Rubenstein’s appointment, Khloud has appointed Michael Maya chief supply chain officer.

Khloud is tapping into one of the hottest wellness trends: protein. The high protein diet has been trending across social media and in retail. It reaches 158.6 million average weekly views on TikTok, as more consumers tap in.

“Protein is the number-one nutrient for Gen Z and Millennials,” Rubenstein said. “Protein snack is the number-one most searched snack type on Google, and the concept of protein snacking is growing three times faster than regular snacks. A big part of this is because people are on GLP-1s.”

He continued: “We’re fully satisfying the macro need for this nutrient. We’re doing it in a Gen Z relevant way, and we’re doing it in a more feminine way.”

Khloud is targeting Gen Z and Millennial females, as the protein category has historically been marketed to men. The brand has an additional edge, as it is focused on a smaller protein portion. Instead of a bulky bar with 30 grams of protein, Khloud offers 7 grams of protein in a snackable portion of popcorn.

“We have tapped into functional snacking in a totally different way. Everybody else is playing in the high protein world, and we’re playing in the portion-sized protein world, which is, to me, the future, because we’re bringing in the home category [shoppers], moms. We’re bringing in Millennials. We’re bringing in Gen Z, who have avoided the category because it felt too masculine,” said Rubenstein.

He pointed to the success the brand is already experiencing at Target as an example, noting that 71 percent of Khloud customers have never purchased popcorn from the retailer.

“That’s bringing an entirely new generation of snackers into the franchise,” he said.

In addition to the actual product, Rubenstein said Kardashian’s involvement was a key tenet of the brand’s success, particularly since it aligns well with her own health journey.

“Khloé was a famous snacker… If you’ve seen video coverage of her house, she has a snack closet,“ he said. “She’s honest about how she’s lost weight over the years, and she’s open about the way that snacking in a cleaner way has been a part of her journey.”

Rubenstein equated Kardashian’s opportunity to own the functional snack space to her sisters’ success, particularly Kylie Jenner’s in cosmetics with Kylie Cosmetics and Kim Kardashian’s in shapewear and basics with Skims.

While Rubenstein has worked across a variety of brands, including heritage companies and newer ones that have gone on to have successful exits, he sees the most potential in Khloud.

“When you apply the celebrity component with a credible brand that only has four ingredients and a story that’s as compelling as this one is, the numbers start to go in your direction,” he said, noting that competitors on the market have upward of 40 ingredients due to unnecessary additives.

Rubenstein, who was the first hire at Poppi, said that he is bringing four key learnings from the company to his role at Khloud. First, he is focused on building culture, both internally and externally.

“[Poppi] moved at the speed of culture,” he said. “If Labubus [are] the hot trend at the moment, how does Khloud get into Labubus?”

In addition, Rubenstein emphasized the importance of authenticity, particularly when it comes to product development. Like Poppi, Khloud will stay true to its mission of using whole ingredients and avoiding artificial fillers. Kardashian’s authenticity as a founder is another key element that Rubenstein pointed to. Finally, he said that the brand will maintain its status as a premium product.

“You never see Poppi at the dollar store,” he said. “You’re not going to see Khloud there either.”

Khloud is rolling out at several new retailers this fall, including Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons and Ahold, as the team is currently focused on natural, grocery and mass channels. Eventually, Rubenstein said the brand would look to club and convenience stores.

“We want to be adjacent to other snack brands. We don’t necessarily want to be in a relegated, unique set that’s for just protein,” he said. “We’d like to go in the mainline snack aisle, because that’s where this consumer is looking, and they are making a change.”

In the way of newness, Rubenstein said Khloud will launch additional flavors of its popcorn in December and will expand into new snack varieties in 2026.

“Protein is the focus. It’s not popcorn. Popcorn is the delivery mechanism,” he said, noting that the brand could go into additional functionalities aside from protein in the future. “Within a year, I’m hoping that we’re going to have two-to-three [snack] verticals that are live. Within three years, I’m hoping that we’re going to have five-to-six verticals.”

While the functional snack and beverage space continues to grow, Rubenstein said there is one factor that is crucial.

“Taste is queen,” he said. “Any of the brands I’ve worked on in the past, they all match the original in flavor, but they beat them in function. That’s a big part of the success script.”

As Khloud offers a functional alternative to what’s available on the market, Rubenstein said the brand will also lead with a fashion-forward approach.

“We’re making functionality fashionable. That comes through in the packaging graphics. It comes through in the name. It’s an elevated name,” he said. “You’re not going to see any of the brands within Frito show up at fashion shows. Khloud does, and it authentically fits and doesn’t feel like it’s forced.”