Alumna Mrs. Maddie Cron Voge ‘12 launched a unique sparkling water brand, Aura Bora, in 2020 alongside her husband, Mr. Paul Voge. While the brand first began as a hypothetical business concept, Mrs. Voge used her confidence and creative passion to transform Aura Bora into the growing company it is today. Following the lessons of Sacred Heart Greenwich educators and past work experiences, Mrs. Voge discovered the importance of creativity in the workspace, ultimately crafting the bright future of her brand.
After graduating from Sacred Heart in 2012, Mrs. Voge pursued her degree in Creative Writing and Spanish Literature at the University of Colorado Boulder. She later began her career as a copywriter at a small craft gin company in Boulder, Colorado. There, she learned how to write blogs and market beverages. At her office, the fun snacks and refreshments inspired her to realize that there was room in the sparkling water market for a more curated experience. From there, Mrs. Voge and her husband started small with support from family and friends to produce a limited quantity of their product to see how it would go.
In 2020, Aura Bora officially launched with a slow, unsure start consisting of a website and a small canning facility in Boulder. Starting with little experience, Mrs. Voge sought advice from other beverage-makers about often overlooked details such as nutrition labels, barcodes, and trademarks. She began to expand her brand by offering samples of the waters at farmers markets and soliciting shelf space from local grocers with her first five flavors: Strawberry Basil, Cactus Rose, Lemongrass Coconut, Lavender Cucumber, and Peppermint Watermelon.
At Sacred Heart, Mrs. Voge discovered the power of her own voice. From her first time publicly speaking during a run for student council, she can now confidently speak in front of Aura Bora’s team. Through the kindness that Mrs. Voge experienced in the Sacred Heart community, not only was she able to grow closer with her peers, but she also uncovered the confidence that she now applies to running her company. Mrs. Voge discussed how Sacred Heart helped prepare her for her career.
“Sacred Heart has the space to create really confident students,” Mrs. Voge said. “Getting to be creative, getting to be in small classes, it was really valuable to not be afraid of sharing my creative writing. There is something about small classes where you are encouraged to talk in front of others, encouraged to debate without getting personal, and encouraged to work closely with other students. I felt like my confidence was really built up at Sacred Heart. That still helps me to this day, feeling like my voice matters.”
While Aura Bora first began as an idea for making sparkling waters more unique and engaging, Mrs. Voge continued to expand her brand by introducing distinctive flavors to the industry. The brand stands out against its competitors due to the creativity that it presents. Mrs. Voge first fell in love with creativity through writing at Sacred Heart, and she continued to take creative writing courses throughout her college career. During her first job as a copywriter and beverage marketer, Mrs. Voge determined that she wanted to stay in the creative space for her career. Mrs. Voge explained the importance of originality and innovation.
“Being creative is one of life’s greatest joys,” Mrs. Voge said. “It can be easy to forget to let yourself enjoy creativity because there is so much value to it. If something brings you joy but it doesn’t necessarily bring you success, you should definitely still pursue it.”
The last two years have marked a pivotal point for Aura Bora and Mrs. Voge. The brand has made the shift from its beginnings in a couple of small stores to its current presence at grocery stores in every state, as Mrs. Voge’s friends reach out to her more often to share that they have seen Aura Bora in their local stores or delis. Mrs. Voge expressed her future hopes for her brand.
“My hope would be that it can be a delightful little experience for those who try it,” Mrs. Voge said. “As a brand, we are so recognizable, so I hope people see us everywhere they go and highly regard it. It’s sparkling water, it’s not that serious. I’m not a surgeon, it’s not life or death, but what would make me the happiest would be that people associate it with community, feeling healthy, and little moments of delight.”
Featured Image by Camila Oliva ’24
