Inspiring Conversations with Mel Bozzo of Utopia Borealis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mel Bozzo.

Hi Mel, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Before launching Utopia Borealis, I spent over a decade in the fashion industry — designing my own line Common Cloth and later serving as a Director of PR and Branding in Paris for an American luxury brand. After fashion, I transitioned into hospitality as a Marketing Manager for Soho House, where I curated and hosted events, booked talent, and produced intimate “in conversation” series. It was an incredible experience that deepened my love for community, creativity, and connection.

From there, my path naturally evolved toward wellness. I founded The Plant Mia in Miami — a plant-based food and lifestyle company focused on clean, nourishing ingredients. The brand grew to include shop-in-shop placements with Saks Fifth Avenue, featured in their gourmet commissaries across Toronto and Ontario, Canada. That chapter taught me how to scale a mission-driven brand with authenticity and artistry.

All of that experience ultimately led to Utopia Borealis, a Minnesota-based functional beverage company rooted in sustainability and design. We developed a hemp-derived maple electrolyte beverage — proudly made from seed to sip — highlighting clean ingredients, northern nature, and the purity of Minnesota’s water sources.

Since launching, we’ve partnered with The Wine Co. as our Minnesota distributor and are now expanding into Florida, Wisconsin, and Chicago markets. It’s been an evolution — seeing behind the veil of industries that often create unsustainable outputs — and my passion now drives me to build solutions that champion lean, sustainable manufacturing and empower others as educators and innovators in this space.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not always — especially personally. I think the biggest thing I used to struggle with was imposter syndrome. I’ve had the opportunity to work on some pretty big stages — from activating at Art Basel to developing products for Whole Foods — and for a long time, I couldn’t fully believe it. I was always waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under me.

But as I’ve matured and learned to put real intention behind my work, I’ve come to trust myself more deeply. I can feel in my body now that I’m absolutely capable — that I’ve done the work to be in the rooms I’m in, and that I belong there.

The biggest secret I’ve learned is that everyone has the ability to do the things they truly want — but it starts with the inner world. When you stop looking outside yourself for the answers and start giving your inner voice the space to breathe, that’s when everything begins to align.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I come from a long line of farming and food manufacturing — I’m the fourth generation working in food — developing products for national grocery chains and franchises. Creating something from the land and bringing it to people has always been in my DNA. My business partner has been a successful native nursery owner and permaculture farmer for 50 years, so when we came together, it felt like the perfect marriage of land cultivation and product development — rooted in heritage and growing toward a more sustainable future.

Utopia Borealis officially launched in June 2023 with a simple mission: to create clean, functional beverages made from the land we live on. Our first product was a nano-emulsified, two-ingredient electrolyte soda, locally sourced and proudly made in Minnesota. Like our tagline says, it’s from seed to sip.

We began with a hemp-derived version called MN SODA, and our NA counterpart UB SODA. Both are centered on wellness, transparency, and sustainability — designed to nourish people while celebrating local agriculture.

We’ve been fortunate to receive several grants, including from the University of Minnesota’s Nano Explore program and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, which have supported our research and development. We have new nano-formulations using ingredients grown right on our farm. That collaboration between science, sustainability, and local farming has been one of the most rewarding parts of our journey.

Now, we’re building our own production facility, where we’ll begin NA beverage manufacturing next spring — bringing us full circle to being fully vertically integrated again, truly from seed to sip. Our goal is to use this nano-footprint facility as a model to help other small farmers learn how to scale their existing land and production sustainably.

It’s been such a positive experience opening and growing a business here in Minnesota — the support for local innovation, agriculture, and sustainability has been incredible. At its heart, Utopia Borealis is about wellness, innovation, and community — showing that mindful, local manufacturing can create a more connected and regenerative future.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that everything takes time — and that it requires less pushing and more openness to wait and receive.

At the beginning of my career, everything was about speed — how fast I could build, create, and achieve. Now, I really enjoy the process itself. I’ve learned to give things space, to let the work inform me of its own direction. It’s a fascinating dance — learning to listen, to wait for the messages of how to move forward, and to trust that timing is a part of creation.

Patience, I’ve realized, is not passive — it’s an active state of faith.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.utopiaborealis.com
• Instagram: @utopiaborealis
• Facebook: @ioncewasacrocodile
• Twitter: www.hammarlundnursery,com