Rick Ippolito’s (Florida State, ‘87) journey began long before a single jar of tomato sauce ever hit the shelf. It started where hard work was the way and family meant everything. Raised with a relentless work ethic instilled by his parents, Ippolito began mowing lawns and delivering newspapers at just 12 years old. By the time he arrived at Florida State University in 1982, he was juggling 40-hour workweeks and 15 credit hours a semester, working as a front desk supervisor at the Hilton just a few blocks from the Lambda Chi house.
As a college student, Ippolito had unwavering inspiration and a thousand things pulling at him. Other fraternities were recruiting him hard, but it was a casual suggestion to check out Lambda Chi Alpha that changed everything.
“The second I stepped in, it was Brotherhood,” Ippolito recalls. “Kind, friendly, inviting. It felt like home right away.”
Although Ippolito’s primary focus may not have always been his class work, he made up for this with his drive and work ethic. By nights, he was working 40-hour weeks at the Hilton front desk. By day, he was House Manager of the Zeta-Rho Zeta of Lambda Chi, finding his rhythm through the structure and responsibility of the Fraternity.
Ippolito didn’t take a traditional path through college. He admits he struggled early on, distracted by many activities, even failing out of FSU at one point during his journey. He re-enrolled through community college and fought his way back, determined to forge a new path. That second chance is where things started to change. He applied himself, got re-involved with Lambda Chi, and was eventually High Beta. Those early leadership roles taught him how to manage people, stay accountable, and communicate effectively. ˇhey were skills that would serve as the foundation of his professional life.
After graduating with a degree in Labor and Industrial Economics and a minor in Business, Ippolito had his sights set on a career in the hotel industry. He had already logged six years of experience at the Ramada Inn, Hilton and Holiday Inn, and during his senior year at FSU, he was a Front Desk Manager at a Holiday Inn. Approaching graduation, he saw an opportunity to break into a career in the hospitality industry when Marriott Hotel Corporation came to campus to conduct interviews at the FSU College of Hospitality. The only catch? He wasn’t in the hospitality program which meant he couldn’t take one of the designated interview slots unless a student from that school failed to show.
So, he waited patiently. He prayed and sat in the hallway of the College of Hospitality with hope in a jar. God willing, an interview slot would open. Then, it happened. A student didn’t show.
Ippolito seized the moment. Clearly communicating his six years of front desk and management experience, he made sure the interviewers knew it. Marriott instantly recognized his customer service skills and perseverance then hired him on the spot.
As Ippolito clearly demonstrated in college, he has always had the ability to adapt and thrive when juggling lots of activities at once.
“I think this is a true testament to my ability to adapt. In one week’s, time, I graduated FSU and moved to Atlanta, got married and started my job with Marriott. I did all that in one week.”
Ippolito thrived over those next five years. He quickly rose through the ranks at Marriott after his initial training at a small Marriott in Smyrna, Georgia. He was then promoted to the Mariott Marquis in Downtown Atlanta before transferring to Marriott’s Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama. In a short time, he was promoted again to the Biscayne Bay Marriott in Miami, where he welcomed his first daughter into the world in 1992. Realizing he didn’t want to raise his child in a big city, he and his wife decided to return to small town Tallahassee and start fresh.
At this point in his career, Ippolito set a long-term goal to one day become a manager of salespeople, but he had yet to uncover his skillset for sales. After leaving Marriott, now back in Tallahassee, Ippolito transitioned into sales with an entry level position at Hughes Electrical Supply Company to determine whether he was any good at selling. To his delight, he quickly proved his ability to sell by winning the company’s top sales Diamond Award within in his first year.
From there, he transitioned to the pharmaceutical world in 1995, landing a sales position with Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, later merging with another company to become Novartis. Years before, as a Lambda Chi Associate Member, Ippolito obtained a branded medical physician pocket notebook to record notes and personal information, and the book was none other than a Sandoz Pharmaceuticals physician pocket notebook.
“I had no idea this was a foreshadowing of my future career in pharmaceuticals” Ippolito said.
After much success in pharmaceutical sales, Ippolito was promoted in 2001 to Sales Manager, reaching what he described as his “longest-term goal” in life at that point. During this time, Brother Ippolito thrived and was thoroughly into his pharmaceutical career.
But life has a way of changing the script. In 2009, Ippolito was diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis, a moment that brought everything to a halt. The long hours, constant travel, and high demands of his role became unsustainable. After years of pushing forward, Ippolito was faced with an early retirement on long-term disability.
“That was the toughest decision I ever made,” he said. “To quit my job and go on disability. I’ve just never been the kind of guy to sit around and do nothing. That was tough.”
The world slowed down in a way he hadn’t anticipated. MS might’ve changed his pace, but it didn’t change his pursuit. He wasn’t built to sit still, and he certainly wasn’t finished. After focusing on his health, he started asking himself what might come next. After reflecting on his years of award-winning sales performances, none of it seemed like the right fit anymore. Then while chatting with his older brother, a seed was planted.
“You know Rick,” his brother said casually, “you oughta sell your tomato sauce.”
For years, Ippolito had been making Italian dishes for every holiday and family gathering. He’s half Sicilian, half Italian, and he learned to cook from just about everyone in his family. His sauce was legendary, and he always made sure friends, and family went home with leftovers and a jar of Ippolito’s tomato sauce. It was a tradition.
In 2019, he decided to turn that tradition into a business. With no background in manufacturing, Ippolito leaned on an unexpected source, a fellow Lambda Chi Brother, who had found success in the same industry. They hadn’t been especially close in college, but this Brother became a key mentor, offering guidance, making introductions, and helping Ippolito navigate the complex world of food manufacturing.
Together, they bonded over cars, business, and their shared passion for sauce. Ippolito learned how to break into new markets, connect with buyers, and streamline his production. He began selling at events like the Sandestin Wine Festival, where he took pre-orders and shipped straight from his home. The kitchen and dining room turned into a shipping department. Boxes were everywhere.
A phone call came midway through our interview. Ippolito paused and glanced at the screen and chuckled. “Sorry, that’s my pharmacy,” he said while brushing it off, but that moment lingered. A quiet reminder of the health battle he faces every day.
When COVID disrupted international shipping from Italy, Ippolito pivoted again, thanks to his Lambda Chi Brother’s support. He found new suppliers during that time and partnered with LSU’s College of Agriculture to manufacture his product himself. Before the shift, Ippolito was battling through his MS and was delivering cases of tomato sauce by hand, loading pallets into his truck, and navigating store deliveries on his mobility scooter.
He was doing everything in his power to keep the dream alive. Ippolito’s ingredients remained the same, the tomatoes imported straight from San Marzano, Naples, Italy. It was a commitment to his authenticity and a family tradition. Now, with a stronger distribution channel in place, the weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he could refine his business.
During that Sandestin Wine Festival years prior, he connected with Diane Breaux, a Louisiana grocery store chain owner with strong roots in the industry. After a year of missed calls and dead ends, she finally responded.
“I said, ‘Hey Diane’, I reminded her who I was, and she goes, ‘I remember you. You got the really good tomato sauce.’”
The rest is history. Ippolito’s sauces are now sold in almost 100 stores all across Florida and Louisiana. After refining his branding, testing new products (including a spicy version inspired by his Lambda Chi Brother), he is now exploring regional and national expansion selling across the USA. However, Ippolito’s Naturally Italian Marinara remains the same as in his Nonna Carmela’s kitchen.
Ippolito’s faith in God and Jesus Christ is at the center of it all. Ippolito credits God for opening the right doors, for bringing the right people in his life, for giving him the strength to keep going, and even inspiration for his branding on the jar of sauce. Ippolito’s “White Horse” logo represents the history of the Ippolito name and the second coming of Jesus found in the Bible in Book of Revelation 19:11.
“Ippolito Foods has become more of a ministry to share the Good News of Jesus Christ than a business” he said.
Ippolito keeps in touch with many Lambda Chi Brothers and still finds the lessons he learned as a House Manager and High Beta relevant to his business today. He built a life from scratch (just like his sauce). Then when that life shifted, he built another.
Today, he’s a man with a purpose, a product, and a passion. And maybe a few secrets in his incredible sauce. A true testament to Brotherhood knowing no bounds and having a drive for the dreams you want to accomplish.
