Other Startups

Famous Dave's is a barbecue restaurant chain founded in 1994 by Dave Anderson in Hayward, Wisconsin, inspired by his childhood memories of South Side Chicago barbecue. The chain grew quickly and has expanded to over 100 locations across the U.S., becoming one of the largest barbecue chains in the country.

Beautyblender is a teardrop-shaped makeup sponge designed by Hollywood makeup artist Rea Ann Silva to solve the problem of makeup touch-ups showing streaks and smudges on HDTV. After generating buzz among actors and makeup artists, Silva cold-called an industry insider and secured partnerships with Hollywood pro shops, Ulta, and Sephora. Today it's a multi-million-dollar beauty brand available in over 50 countries.

I.R.S. Records was founded by music industry mogul Miles Copeland in the early 1970s, initially booking British bands before pivoting to promote punk groups. The label gained prominence after securing a deal with A&M Records to represent The Police (featuring Miles' brother Stewart Copeland), which became one of his most important career moves. Over its lifetime, I.R.S. Records signed and managed some of the 1980s' most popular acts including R.E.M. and The Go-Go's, before dissolving in the mid-1990s.

Kodiak Cakes began as an 8-year-old Joel Clark's door-to-door pancake mix sales operation in a red wagon, which he and his brother scaled into a Mazda sedan business by the mid-90s. After navigating near-bankruptcy from risky decisions, the brand achieved a major turning point by securing distribution in Target. Today, Kodiak Cakes is one of America's best-selling pancake mixes.

Health-Ade is a kombucha brand founded in 2012 by Daina Trout, Justin Trout, and Vanessa Dew. Starting with homemade brewing and local farmer's market sales, the company grew to produce 120,000 bottles daily and achieve close to $200 million in retail sales within seven years.

Our Place is a cookware company co-founded by Shiza Shahid in 2019, marking her pivot from nonprofit work with the Malala Fund to the for-profit sector. The company is described as both profitable and impact-driven, reflecting Shahid's commitment to combining business success with social responsibility.

Tarte Cosmetics was founded by Maureen Kelly, who left her Ph.D. program in clinical psychology to launch a makeup company with no startup capital, experience, or connections. She relied on relentless door-knocking, maxed-out credit cards, and support from friends and family to turn Tarte into a wildly successful brand.

Chef Sean Sherman founded The Sioux Chef to revitalize Native American culinary traditions, moving away from processed foods and European fine dining toward ancestral recipes and indigenous ingredients like bison, wild rice, and foraged plants. Starting with pop-up dinners and a cookbook, he expanded to a food truck and opened Owamni restaurant in 2021, which won the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.

Zumiez is a physical retail retailer specializing in action sports merchandise for teenagers, founded in 1978 by Tom Campion and Gary Haakenson. Starting with a single store called Above the Belt in Seattle, the company grew by creating engaging mall-based spaces that appealed to the youth demographic and capitalized on the boom in surf, skateboard, and snowboard culture. Today, Zumiez operates roughly 750 stores worldwide and is the largest action sports retailer globally.

OpenAI is a nonprofit co-founded by Sam Altman focused on developing artificial intelligence. The company aims to ensure AI technology benefits all of humanity while advancing the field of AI development through machine learning and deep neural networks.

The Confess Project is a social enterprise founded by Lorenzo Lewis to train barbers across the country to become first-line defenders for mental health challenges affecting Black men. Leveraging the historical significance of barbershops as community hubs, the organization is working to equip thousands of barbers with mental health support skills. The initiative draws from Lewis's personal experiences with anxiety, depression, and family incarceration.

Michael Kors is a global fashion brand founded by designer Michael Kors, who began designing dresses as a teenager and had his work displayed on 5th Avenue by age 19. After early success and a period of bankruptcy following a failed partnership, he recovered and successfully expanded into eyewear, fragrances, and handbags. Today, the brand has grown into a massive conglomerate that owns Jimmy Choo and Versace.

Xero Shoes was founded by Steven Sashen in 2007 after he experienced barefoot running and created minimalist sandals. Starting as a DIY sandal kit business driven by word-of-mouth referrals from friends, the company expanded to ready-to-wear sandals and closed-toe shoes despite facing significant obstacles including manufacturing issues, debt, investor pressure, and international trade challenges. Today, Xero Shoes generates nearly $50 million in sales and maintains a devoted global customer base.

Slutty Vegan is a plant-based fast-casual burger chain founded by Pinky in 2017 that has evolved from a ghost kitchen to food trucks and multiple brick-and-mortar locations across the east coast. The brand exemplifies Seth Godin's Purple Cow theory by being a memorable, noticeable product in the vegan food space. With a current valuation of $100 million and expansion into other sectors, the company represents a successful pivot from Pinky's background as a TV producer to restaurateur.

Climeworks is a company founded by Jan Wurzbacher that operates the world's largest direct air capture facility, filtering carbon dioxide from the air and storing it permanently underground. The company addresses a critical climate challenge identified by the IPCC: removing 6 to 10 billion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere annually by 2050.

Ellen Latham founded Orangetheory Fitness after being fired from her spa director job, developing a hybrid strength and cardio workout program for all fitness levels. She partnered with two co-founders to grow the concept into a franchise model, which expanded to over 1,500 locations worldwide, representing a successful second act business venture.

New Culture is a sustainable food company founded by Matt Gibson and Inja Radman that produces real dairy cheese without using cows or animal products, addressing the environmental impact of traditional cheese production. The founders connected on LinkedIn and built the company remotely before meeting in person. They've secured partnerships with major food distributors to launch their product.

Halo Top ice cream became the best-selling pint in America just six years after launch, created by frustrated lawyer Justin Woolverton who developed a low-calorie recipe in his Cuisinart. The product went viral on social media, outselling Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's by 2017, but faced increased competition and declining interest before being sold in 2019.

Suitsupply was founded by Fokke de Jong in the late 1990s as a dorm room side hustle selling luxury suits at affordable prices. By 2000, the business became his full-time focus, leveraging Italian fabrics and production while pioneering online suit sales before e-commerce was mainstream. Today, Suitsupply operates over 150 locations worldwide, having expanded across major cities like London, Milan, and New York through unorthodox marketing and aggressive growth strategies.

Babcock Ranch is a planned community in southwest Florida founded by former NFL player and real estate developer Syd Kitson. The project combines America's first solar-powered town infrastructure with hurricane-resistant design, built on a 91,000 acre parcel with 80% conserved as nature preserve. The community's advanced planning enabled it to survive Hurricane Ian in 2022 with minimal damage.