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For the 91���� alumni founders of SOSS Bros, it wasn’t necessarily love at first sight—but it was lunch.  

In their first year, Hesham Hafez, BS Community Health ’09, and Lance Ahmadian, BS Finance, Management ’12, went head-to-head in an eating competition at the Taco Bell in the Johnson Center. “We had a competition for who could eat the most chalupas. And we both ate, like, eight, and then we died,” Lance said, laughing.  

Despite the pain, the experience cemented their friendship, which grew to include Hesham’s brother Karim Hafez, BS Civil and Infrastructure Engineering ’12, MS ’13. Along with being fraternity brothers at George Mason’s Pi Kappa Alpha chapter, the three bonded over food.  

“We’re all foodies,” Hesham said. “When we sit and eat a meal, we see it as kind of a sacred moment.” 

That pursuit of a perfect meal—and the perfect accompanying sauce—was the initial spark behind SOSS Bros. The recipe for SOSS—which stands for smoked original secret sauce—originated with Hesham, who’d perfected it over the years and would often share it with family and friends. Lance was immediately hooked: “It was unhateable.” 

It took a few more years to convince Hesham to take the product commercial, but once he and Lance committed, they were all in—and they leaned on Karim to corral and guide their creativity.  

“I’m the part of the business that is more coming from an engineering background,” Karim said. “I put all the operational and logistics stuff together.” 
 
Still, challenges awaited, especially as the trio looked for partners to scale up production. “Ninety-nine of them said ‘No, we can’t do this the way that you guys want to do it. It’s not going to �ɴǰ���,’�ĝ Karim said. But the trio refused to compromise on ingredients or their recipe. Their grit and persistence paid off when they at last found a bottler willing to do it their way. 
 
Their first public event was in May 2025 in Richmond, Virginia. “We did over 2,000 samples,” Lance said. “And I can count on one hand how many people said they didn’t like it.” 

And they gained even more fans when they brought the sauce along to a Patriots men’s basketball game at EagleBank Arena. Fast forward six months and many conversations with George Mason’s Intercollegiate Athletics and David Atkins, executive director of brand development and licensing at George Mason’s Office of University Branding, and the Brave & Bold blend of SOSS was born. An official collaboration between SOSS Bros and 91����, the blend can be found and at on-campus convenience stores. A percentage of sales go back to the university.  

SOSS Bros couldn’t be more homegrown. All three grew up in Northern Virginia, and their existing roots in the area played a major role in their decision to come to George Mason. They also cite the university’s ample and diverse social opportunities. “I wanted to be part of a community,” Lance said. 

Karim credits opportunities through the Volgenau School of Engineering for his career after graduation. “I spent about seven years with Turner Construction, and I think George Mason really set me up,” he said, mentioning hands-on experiences like concrete testing and bridge design that gave him the skills he needed as a civil engineer. 

He continues to use these skills as a consultant while working for SOSS part-time. Lance works full time in commercial real estate as a senior investment associate for the Greysteel Company, where he’s worked since graduating from George Mason, and Hesham works for SOSS full time. 

Asked about their advice for current Patriots, all three mention patience and determination. “You have to give a minimum of six months…to what you’re doing,” Lance says. “You can't just do something and give up and try something else, because you haven't given it time.” 

As for the secret sauce that makes up SOSS Bros? “We're a team that has a ton of fun,” Karim said. “I think we're truly the definition of work hard, play hard, but we really do play first—I mean, eat first.”