This story originally appeared in our September 16-29, 2026 print edition. Check out the edition online here and find where you can get a print edition near you here.
When Kick Lee launched his lemonade company two years ago, it wasn’t just about adding another entrepreneurial venture to his (long) resume. For Lee, a music producer, DJ, founder of the Cincinnati Music Accelerator and much more, it was about legacy. After years of working in nonprofit music education and building his brand, Lee realized he wanted something of his own to pass down to his kids.
“I just realized I don’t really have anything I can really use, so to speak,” said Lee. “So it was just like, well, what could I do?”
The story of LemiLee starts and ends with family, with Lee getting the original idea for the business from his cousin. “My cousin just said, ‘Hey, you always talk about lemonade. Maybe try that out as a business and see where that goes.’”
This gave him the push he needed, not only because he can pass the business on to his children, but because lemonade also has a deeper meaning tied to his own childhood. “I grew up in foster care my whole life,” he said. “Unbeknownst to me, lemonade was my go-to comfort beverage. It was subconscious for the longest.” And just two years in, LemiLee has found its way into coffee shops, delis and even businesses far beyond Cincinnati, offering a multitude of flavors and ways to enjoy the beverage.
LemiLee has eight flavors, from a classic and half-and-half to pineapple, mango, peach, watermelon, lavender and strawberry. Its list of local partners is growing, including Deeper Roots Coffee, which was one of the first to carry the brand. The coffee shop even features it on its menu, with a seasonal Summer Breeze drink that combines LemiLee’s watermelon lemonade with Rishi matcha available through the summer. LemiLee was also featured this summer in Cream + Sugar Coffee House’s six-year anniversary latte flight with a Beez Kneez shaken lemonade that used LemiLee’s classic lemonade, honey, lavender and butterfly pea flower. In addition to these shops, the lemonade can also be found at Carl’s Deli, The Pickled Pig in Walnut Hills, all ETC Produce & Provisions locations and at 513 Coffee in Covington, as well as Columbus’ David & Mary’s and Cora’s All Day Café, the new Fidelity Hotel’s coffee shop.
While Lee said that his cousin was behind the initial push to get LemiLee in motion, he adds community is what keeps the business moving forward. “Again, the success of the lemonade is due to the people around me. People recommend these things,” he said. “We all say we can do it on our own. And to some extent, you can. But when you get to the big side of things, you can’t do it all by yourself. And I don’t want to.”
Lee’s approach to LemiLee is rooted in the same community-focused mindset that led him to launch the Cincinnati Music Accelerator. “Everything I do, like I tell people, take a deep dive and realize everything I do does not differ from what I do. It’s all music-focused, even in lemonade, it’s not necessarily music-focused (but) it’s brand-focused. I’m a brand person. I have a marketing degree. It’s not far from what I’m already in.”
This thought process has helped expand the LemiLee company, which has already grown into Dayton, Columbus and even Wisconsin and North Carolina. Packaging has also been upgraded to industry-standard labels after some trial and error. The expansion even extends all the way to buying a lemon orchard and land in Florida. Lee hopes that one day the lemons he’s growing will independently provide the juice for all of the lemonade that they’re manufacturing. For now, they have six lemon trees, being closely watched by friends, as Lee learns more about citrus farming.
Beyond the business, Lee is focused on giving back, fundraising and partnering with local groups for lemonade stands and events. “I want to help others too. And I’m all about alignment. For example, say you have a goal that meets something we do. How can we help you further that goal?”
Overall, Lee is hoping to bring his community along with him on this journey. His goal? To ‘win’ Ohio and become the official lemonade of the state. But of course, Cincinnati is first in line.
“I love Cincinnati. It’s my home; I want to make sure Cincinnati is highlighted in the work that we do. Right now we’re working to be able to meet the demand because it’s growing. It’s all organic. It’s all steady growth.”
This article appears in September 16-29, 2026.