Sophia Collier

Biography

Sophia Collier was 21 years old in 1977 when she created Soho Natural Soda in her Brooklyn kitchen and, with Constance Best, co-founded the American Natural Beverage Corp to get it onto store shelves. She became part of the early wave of women launching startups in the 1980s and was named to the inaugural "40 under 40" list by Crane's New York Business. The soda venture hit $25 million in sales before the partners sold it to Seagram Beverage Company in 1989 for about $15 million.

Before all that, in 1976, she wrote a book called Soul Rush, published two years later, that covers her teenage years, including her spiritual journey, experimentation with drugs, and interest in Eastern mysticism. In 1991, Collier founded Citizens Advisers Inc., a mutual fund management firm where she ran the Citizens Index Fund, which earned a five-star rating from Morningstar and landed in the top 10% of its category. She also managed the E-fund at Citizens, which quickly hit number one in its category according to IBC/Donoghue and was described as "among the more interesting products to emerge from the money fund arena in years."

That fund came with a debit card and gave investors a cut of the fees charged to retailers. Collier also put money into emerging wireless technologies and helped get regulatory approval for a system that boosted wireless data transmission capacity. Citizens Funds was sold to Sentinel Investments in April 2008. Collier said the timing was driven by her worry about a market bubble and her recovery from breast cancer treatment.

While living in New Hampshire, Collier was involved in Democratic politics, serving as Treasurer and Finance Chair of the State Democratic Party from 1994 to 2006. After selling the fund company, she set up an investment office with Chula Reynolds and opened an art studio in Sausalito, California. There, she uses software and large machine tools to create sculptural reliefs of water surfaces. Her artist statement explains the inspiration: "One day I was walking across a bridge and thought I wish I could just reach down into the water and pick up a piece of that shining surface and keep it forever."

Did You Know?

• Sophia Collier wrote a book called Soul Rush in 1976, published in 1978, about her teenage spiritual development, drug experimentation, and Eastern mysticism.
• A signature work, Plank of Water, was exhibited at the Grand Rapids Art Museum in December 2014.