Beyond Performance: Fueling Athletes, Communities, and the Planet
August 2025
A Conversation With John Palabrica
Economics of Mutuality Practitioner Stories
For more than half of his life, John Palabrica has been surrounded by the world of endurance sports and the products that fuel athletes. Today, as Vice President of Sales at GU Energy Labs, he oversees the company’s global sales operations, partnering with retailers from local run shops to giants like Amazon and Walmart.
GU is a family-owned business headquartered in Berkeley, California, responsible for bringing the first energy gel to the US in 1993. The company now offers a diverse range of nutrition products tailored for endurance athletes and people with active lifestyles.
“I’ve been with GU for about 10 years now,” he explains. “I started with them just managing the Pacific Northwest territory, so I would get in my car every morning loaded up with GU products, drive around to our local run and bike shops, let people taste what we have, talk about the brand, and get them excited about selling it.”
Those grassroots beginnings gave him an inside view of the endurance industry, a space he has lived and breathed since his days as a competitive runner in high school and college. Before joining GU, John worked in specialty retail, selling shoes and gear — with GU products always close at hand. “More than half of my life has been around GU products in some way, shape, or form,” he says.
The transition from small-shop buyer to corporate sales leader was not without its challenges for John. “It’s definitely different. As a global sales VP now, I have less power than I had as a buyer at a small store. I had the ability to say yes or no to a brand on something. Now, I’m actively seeking ‘yes’ all the time. So it’s a different mindset. But I think it’s helped me in my career to understand both ends of the equation.”
This perspective has also shaped how he leads his team and builds relationships, grounding his work in empathy for both customers and partners.
A New Lens on Purpose
John’s journey recently took a new turn when he participated in the Economics of Mutuality’s Leading with Purpose course. His invitation came through a colleague at GU Gives, the company’s purpose-driven arm that supports community and environmental initiatives, including its membership in 1% for the Planet.
“GU Gives exclusively focuses on purpose, from supporting local community initiatives to national organizations. We have strong commitments that are embedded in our company’s DNA.”
For John, the program offered a fresh lens on his work. One of the biggest takeaways for him was the concept of setting a meaningful challenge and stakeholder mapping.
“You see it mentioned in the training — decentering your business and putting your challenge at the center,” he explained. “That way of shifting your mindset was really helpful for me. We can solve a lot of problems the brand has… but thinking about ‘Who does that benefit?’ was a big light bulb moment for me.”
Success Beyond Performance
For John, the real impact of this learning lies in how GU can extend its influence beyond sales and products. “Instead of saying, ‘How do we make the best widget?’ it’s like, ‘Who are we making things for, and what are we trying to positively affect?’”
That shift in perspective reflects GU’s broader mission: to fuel not only athletes but also the communities and environments that sustain them. With initiatives like GU Gives and its commitment to 1% for the Planet, the company is embedding purpose into its growth strategy.
John’s role is central to this journey — shaping how GU tells its story, partners with retailers, and delivers value. For him, the vision is clear: “We want to make a difference that goes well beyond performance nutrition. If we can leave the planet and our communities better than we found them, that’s real success.”
Are you a leader with a deep conviction that business should be a force for good? Our Leading With Purpose executive education program could for you.
Delivered online over 9-weeks, the course is grounded in the practical Economics of Mutuality operating model, which has been developed with leading companies and universities including Mars and Oxford University’s Saïd Business School.
Since its inception, it has helped over 500 senior business leaders and investors integrate social and environmental impact into their core business strategy.
Program dates: October 1 – December 3
Application deadline: August 27
