As a kid growing up in Villanova, Cooper Neel’s love for beverages was sparked by his dad’s ever-present jug of iced tea. At gas station stops, Neel would also grab different drinks to try, always turning the can around to check out the ingredients. That early fascination eventually fueled his dream of creating a brand of his own.
His recently launched COOP NeuroRefreshers line — Regress the Stress (blueberry lavender chamomile), Dare to Not Compare (strawberry jalapeño rooibos), Dump the Slump (raspberry lemon green tea), and Hocus Pocus Now Focus (mango yerba mate) — are fruit-forward sparkling teas that everyone can enjoy.
But for Neel, these beverages are about more than just another drink on the shelf. They’re about impact.
Diagnosed with several learning differences, Neel knows firsthand how crucial the right support can be. In the U.S., roughly one in five people face similar challenges in a system where they “don’t fit the mold.” To help build more awareness and understanding, 20% of COOP NeuroRefreshers profits support programs that give these individuals opportunities to thrive, including scholarships at AIM Academy, the school that shaped Neel’s own path.
Neel recently sat down with Metro to discuss how his curiosity turned into creating his own mission-driven business, the determination it took to get COOP onto shelves, and where he hopes to take the brand next.
Where does your lifelong passion for soft beverages come from and do you have any all-time favorites?
I think this love comes from my Dad. He almost always has a jug of unsweetened iced tea in his hand. Over the years, we’ve stopped by so many gas stations and I would always grab a different beverage to taste. I would find myself turning the can around to look at the ingredients and learn about the story behind the brand. My question was always: ‘Why did you create this brand?’
After trying all those drinks, I learned a lot about the flavor profiles people want and refined my palate. This also inspired me to embark on this beverage journey.
COOP NeuroRefreshers have a sparkling tea base. What made tea the right choice for your recipes?
I chose a sparkling tea base because I love tea. It has a built-in function that pairs well with the eight herbs in the COOP Brain Boost. Using tea allowed me to use some of my favorite beverage ingredients like Yerba Mate and Rooibos.
The product names are great. How did you match them with their flavors?
The names are actually paired to anecdotal stories, “Coop-isms”, on every can of COOP. Each story is based on an experience from my learning differences growing up. We also paired each drink to one of my learning differences: Dare To Not Compare (Dysgraphia), Dump The Slump (Dyspraxia), Hocus Pocus Now Focus (Dyslexia), Regress The Stress (Dyscalculia).
Can you talk about your experience navigating learning differences and how that shaped the idea behind COOP NeuroRefreshers?
Learning differences have had a profound impact on my life. They made it very difficult for me to perform certain tasks and as a result, had an impact on my self-esteem. There have been many moments when I felt less than. I will never forget sitting in gym class watching kids tie shoelaces while I had to wear velcro shoes. Looking back, my parents and the great teachers at AIM Academy [in Conshohocken] made sure I had a shot at succeeding by teaching me in a way that worked for me and making me feel valued.
I have a positive outlook on myself, and I firmly believe these learning differences are assets. They helped me see the world differently, which gives me a unique perspective and the ability to go 50-for-50 on remembering US state capitals! I would not be me without my learning disabilities.
The profound impact of having great parents and attending a great institution inspired me to create this mission-driven sparkling tea. We use a portion of proceeds to help fund great programs like what gave me a fighting chance. I want to use COOP NeuroRefreshers to show anybody who learns differently that there is nothing they can’t do without the right support. Unfortunately, that support is not widely available, so I want to do my part to help us get there.
Twenty percent of profits go to the Coop Learning Differences Fund. Can you share how those funds will be used and the impact you hope to see?
We have pledged 20% of our profits to raise awareness of learning differences so every kid who has a learning difference has a chance to succeed. The fund was created in partnership with organizations, including AIM Academy, to help provide resources to others in similar situations. Our long-term goal is to create scholarships for children with learning differences, particularly for families who need financial assistance in order for their children to attend AIM, and also to bolster AIM’s ability to bring their innovative teaching aids to schools everywhere.
What was the biggest challenge in taking COOP NeuroRefreshers from an idea into a product on shelves?
The most challenging part was actually convincing stores to put it on their shelves. There have also been so many rejections that I have lost count. To me, no just means not yet.
Your product is launching right around back-to-school season. How do you see students, parents, or teachers fitting NeuroRefreshers into their day?
NeuroRefreshers can be enjoyed from dawn to dusk. Dare To Not Compare is a caffeine free confidence boost, Dump the Slump is a mid-day pick me up, Hocus Pocus Now Focus is an everyday energy drink, and Regress The Stress is a calm relaxation drink.
What’s your long-term vision for the brand? What’s in store for 2026?
I feel the sky is the limit. My long-term vision is to be able to donate money to the institutions that have helped me learn to live with my learning disabilities. The ultimate achievement would be to help create meaningful initiatives to help students learn that their disabilities are a gift with the right tools. Our retail footprint is slowly expanding, and we’re going to keep at it.
To learn more about COOP NeuroRefreshers and its support for programs that empower individuals with learning differences, visit coopneurorefreshers.com.
