SESLOC Credit Union is proud to honor Madison Andrade and Delainee Fernandes as recent SESLOC Young Change Maker award winners. Madison and Delainee are Cal Poly students who founded the popular “Dirty” dirty soda pop-up in San Luis Obispo.
The SESLOC Young Change Maker Award is given to a young person or young professional under 40 doing significant work to benefit their community. Anyone can nominate a young person for the SESLOC Young Change Maker award on the Wild 106 website.
Madison’s first exposure to crafting beverages was working in high school at Dutch Bros. Coffee before enrolling at Cal Poly. That experience inspired her to turn to hometown friend and roommate Delainee with an idea: Bring the viral social media trend of “dirty sodas” to San Luis Obispo.
Made popular from social media posts across the country, “dirty sodas” are soft drinks or energy drinks paired with fruits, flavored syrups and sometimes topped with cream. To open their pop-up shop, the two invested in the drinks, syrups and everything needed to open a stall at the weekly San Luis Obispo Farmer’s Market. Some of their unique, Central Coast-inspired flavors include “The Classic,” featuring Dr. Pepper, vanilla syrup and coconut cream, the “Fruity Fizz” showcasing Sprite with raspberry and strawberry, and “The Squeeze” with Orange Fanta, vanilla and cream.
The concept soon went viral, not only because of how new the concept is in the area but also because of their social media savvy. Posting concepts and appearances on Instagram and TikTok, their business soon ended up being in high demand. In addition to being a regular at the Farmers Market, Madison and Delainee were soon booking private events ranging from Cal Poly sorority socials and bachelorette parties to private get-togethers. The pair have been praised for bringing “a fresh concept to the area while creating a fun, community-focused brand that gives people a place to gather and connect.”
As both Madison and Delainee approach their graduation, they are still focused on investing in San Luis Obispo and growing the Dirty soda shop. Their next goal is to open a physical storefront in addition to their pop-up events, because San Luis Obispo is where it all started and where they want to plant their roots to grow.
SESLOC congratulates Madison and Delainee for being named SESLOC Young Change Makers!