Wentworth Under 30: CEO Pinto is Fueling Athletes and Communities

Felipe Pinto is the CEO and founder of Elite Hydration, as well as the creator of nonprofit Ventura Damon Youth Sports Foundation (Photos by Matthew Conde)

Wentworth Under 30: They are entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders-and they are just getting started. In this new ongoing series, we highlight exceptional alumni under the age of 30 who are redefining what is possible in their fields. Representing every school at the university, these graduates prove that age is no barrier to making a global impact.

"We rise by lifting others." That's not a tagline for one of Felipe Pinto's two businesses. Rather, it's a summation of how the 2025 Wentworth Institute of Technology graduate leads his life, personally and professionally.

Pinto is the CEO and founder of Elite Hydration, whose all-organic, low-calorie beverages are made of plant-based ingredients, have no artificial dyes or preservatives, and are designed to enhance athletic performance and wellness. Five percent of every purchase goes to his other business, the Ventura Damon Youth Sports Foundation (YDYSF), a nonprofit organization that funds uniforms, equipment and safe places to play for underserved youth in New England.

Entrepreneurship in His DNA

Pinto, the child of Brazilian immigrants, is a native of Brockton, Massachusetts. Wentworth's proximity to his home was attractive, but the appeal went deeper than that.

"It's a prestigious school that's really diverse," he said. "And I saw the co-opsas an opportunity to apply fundamental lessons that I learned in classes to real-world scenarios while still obtaining my degree within a four-year timeframe."

Pinto went on to study Business Managementat Wentworth. His mother, who cleaned houses for a living, inspired him to focus on entrepreneurship.

"Growing up, I saw the hustle she put into her work," he said. "As a first-generation college student, I was aware of how much she and my father sacrificed for me and the rest of our family. I didn't take that for granted; even now, I try to prove them right as best I can on a daily basis."

Showing Students That They Matter

In 2022, the same year he made the Wentworth soccer teamfor the first time, Pinto launched Elite Hydration. As a student-athlete, he understood the need for a beverage that would deliver energy and hydration without the excess sugar and unhealthy ingredients commonly found in popular sports drinks.

"A 2019 Harvard study projected that 50% of adults in the U.S. would be obese by 2030," he said. "That's not a healthy society. Trying to change that was my motivation for starting Elite."

Pinto has since built relationships with suppliers of bottles, caps and labels as well as a contract packager, which produces and packages the product. He is initially marketing to collegiate athletic departments, with the hope of moving into middle and high schools in the future.

In 2025, Pinto founded YDYSF and launched a pilot program at his alma mater West Middle School in Brockton to provide the soccer team with new uniforms, training tops and equipment. He plans to scale the pilot to all Brockton middle schools over the next five years.

"The initiative shows students that someone is thinking about them and that they matter," he said. "The uniforms in particular indicate that they're now part of a team - and that comes with a responsibility to your teammates and coaches."

Grateful for His Mentors at Wentworth

For the time being, Pinto runs Elite on his own and YDYSF along with a few colleagues. On any given day, you might find him tackling a variety of tasks, from processing an order from an athletic department to reviewing the paperwork for a proposed mini-soccer pitch in Brockton.

It all makes for busy, hectic workdays. He doesn't mind a bit.

"Being an entrepreneur is an experience I won't ever regret," Pinto said. "I'll be grateful that I had the opportunity to go through it, and hopefully I'll be able to create long-term sustainability for both businesses."

Pinto has established an 18-month operating plan for Elite focused on raising $350,000 in seed funding. His key goals for this period include landing over 100 retail and campus contracts and setting the company up for a $1 million seed round. Meeting these milestones would allow him to scale YDYSF across New England, expand into high schools and, ultimately, build dedicated community facilities.

Reflecting on his time at Wentworth, Pinto is grateful to have found mentors like President Mark A. Thompson, Professors Michael Mozill and Marisha Rawlins, and Ashley Lucas, executive director of Accelerate, Wentworth's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. He urges current students to find their own mentors and other people who have their best interests in mind.

"Lean on those around you at Wentworth, whether it's professors, classmates or lab technicians," he said. "A lot of people there are ready to help you become a successful person, no matter how you define success for yourself."

Read more in the Wentworth Under 30series:

• Leaving the Cubicle to Build a Global Brand