Death Wish Coffee Appoints Sasha Auguste as Chief Marketing Officer to Drive Next Phase of Growth
August 15 - 2026
Coffee Geography Magazine
The "World's Strongest Coffee" brand brings on seasoned marketing executive to lead brand strategy and consumer engagement.
Death Wish Coffee Co., the Fair Trade and Organic coffee brand known for its bold personality and exceptionally high caffeine content, has named Sasha Auguste as its new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). In this role, Auguste will oversee the brand's marketing strategy, positioning, and digital initiatives as the company continues to expand its retail presence and product offerings.
Auguste joins the Saratoga Springs-based company from YumEarth, where she led the better-for-you confectionery brand's strategic repositioning, helping strengthen its differentiation and grow market share in the natural candy category. During her tenure, she developed an innovation pipeline that expanded the brand into new segments while leading an omnichannel strategy that delivered strong growth across direct-to-consumer channels, Amazon, and key retail partners. Prior to YumEarth, Auguste led brand repositioning and launched the direct-to-consumer business at Kidfresh.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sasha to our Death Wish Coffee team," said Steve Gardiner, CEO of Death Wish Coffee. "As we continue to grow, attracting exceptional talent will always be critical. Sasha is a proven leader, and her experience at big and small brands will help us up our game even further and help take this brand to the next level."
As Death Wish Coffee continues to invest in new products, retail expansion, and brand-building initiatives, Auguste will lead integrated marketing, innovation support, and consumer engagement to help guide the company through its next chapter of growth.
"I've long admired Death Wish Coffee for its fearless personality and loyal community," said Auguste. "This is a brand that has never been afraid to challenge convention, and that's exactly what excites me most. With a strong foundation, meaningful opportunities for innovation and an incredibly passionate consumer base, I'm excited to help accelerate the brand's growth and introduce even more consumers to what makes Death Wish Coffee unlike any other coffee brand."
Founded by Mike Brown in 2012, Death Wish Coffee grew from a small basement operation into a massive nationwide commercial success. The brand is marketed as the "World's Strongest Coffee" due to its exceptionally high caffeine content—roughly double the caffeine of a standard cup. A single serving, such as a K-Cup, can pack around 300 milligrams of caffeine.
Despite its intimidating name and skull-and-crossbones branding, the coffee is known for being surprisingly smooth and low in acidity, typically featuring bold notes of dark chocolate and cherry. The Fair Trade and Organic brand is now found in more than 25,000 stores nationwide.
With Auguste at the helm of marketing, the brand aims to build on its loyal consumer base while introducing new audiences to what has made Death Wish Coffee a standout in the competitive coffee market.