Other Startups

Jack Black is a premium men's skincare brand founded in 2000 by Curran Dandurand and Emily Dalton, who defied investor skepticism and prevailing market assumptions that men wouldn't use skincare products. The brand gained traction through major department store placements and high-profile endorsements from the Dallas Cowboys and Matthew McConaughey, becoming a leader in the men's skincare category. The company was eventually acquired by Edgewell Personal Care for just under $100 million.

Goodr is a for-profit social enterprise founded in 2017 by Jasmine Crowe-Houston that addresses food waste and food insecurity by connecting businesses with surplus food to local nonprofits. The company has achieved rapid growth by partnering with businesses seeking sustainability solutions, turning a logistical challenge into a model that redirects perfectly safe food from landfills to people in need while reducing harmful methane emissions.

Yolélé is a company co-founded by renowned chef Pierre Thiam to promote fonio, an ancient West African grain that is nutrient-dense and drought-resistant. The company aims to introduce the world to this sustainable food source while addressing vulnerabilities in global food systems caused by colonization.

Amanda Klane and Drew Harrington co-founded Yasso in 2009 to create high-protein, low-calorie frozen Greek yogurt bars. Despite initial skepticism from family and manufacturers, they secured distribution in major retailers like Costco and BJ's, growing the brand to $200 million in valuation before being acquired by a major consumer goods company.

Redefine Meat is a plant-based food company founded in 2018 by Eshchar Ben-Shitrit that uses 3D printing technology to create beef, lamb, and pork alternatives. The company was born from the founder's concerns about the environmental impact of mass beef production and the ethical questions around animal farming. Their 3D-printed meat products are currently available across Israel and Europe with plans to enter the U.S. market.

Vuori is a men's athleisure brand founded by Joe Kudla in 2015 that grew to a $4 billion valuation by identifying an underserved market. After initial struggles with B2B wholesale placement in yoga studios, Kudla pivoted to DTC and discovered men preferred versatile activewear suitable for multiple activities. The company became profitable within two years after committing to a major marketing campaign.

Freshpet, founded in 2006 by Scott Morris, pioneered fresh pet food by creating slice-and-serve meals as an alternative to traditional kibble and cans. The company overcame major retail barriers by providing its own refrigerators, eventually deploying over 30,000 units. Today, Freshpet dominates the fresh pet food market with a 96% share and serves 10 million dog and cat households.

Brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack founded Herschel Supply Co in 2009 to create stylish, simplified bags they couldn't find in the market. With no manufacturing background, they learned by deconstructing existing bags and Googled their way to finding a factory. Today, their products are sold in over 9,000 retail locations globally.

Bumble is a social/dating platform led by founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, who became the youngest female founder to take a company public. The company navigated pandemic challenges when in-person meetups were halted and is currently exploring AI applications in its product.

Dang Foods is a food brand founded by brothers Vincent and Andrew Kitirattragarn, inspired by their family and culture. The company appeared on How I Built This in January 2022, and this episode discusses their departure from the company and how the brand continues after the founders left.

Steve Ells, founder of Chipotle, is launching Kernel, a new chain of small, highly automated, vegan restaurants designed to address climate change concerns. The concept leverages robotic automation to benefit workers, customers, owners, and the environment. This represents Ells' attempt to revolutionize the restaurant industry a second time after pioneering the fast-casual format with Chipotle in 1993.

Brimstone, led by CEO and co-founder Cody Finke, is addressing carbon emissions from cement production by developing a method to swap out a key ingredient in the cement-making process. The company aims to transform cement production from carbon-intensive to carbon-negative, tackling one of the major sources of global CO2 emissions that rivals automotive emissions. No specific traction metrics or financial data were disclosed in this interview excerpt.

Everlane was founded by Michael Preysman, who initially had no fashion background but wanted to test if he could build an online platform that generated buzz. By manufacturing and selling a cotton T-shirt for $15 while transparently showing production costs, he disrupted the fashion industry by exposing how luxury brands marked up prices by up to 7x. The company has since grown into a multi-million dollar business with expanded product lines including sweaters, denim, outerwear, and accessories, though it faced criticism during the Covid era as it shifted focus toward sustainability and social responsibility.

Waymo, led by Co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov, has built the world's first company to operate a fully-autonomous ride-hailing service after more than a decade of development. The company has achieved significant traction in autonomous vehicle technology, with Dolgov confident that Waymo's vehicles outperform human drivers.

Briogeo is a hair care brand founded by Nancy Twine in 2013 after she left Goldman Sachs following a personal tragedy. The company creates shampoos and conditioners for all hair textures without harmful additives, inspired by homemade treatments from her childhood. With an initial $100K investment, Briogeo achieved $100M in annual sales revenue, securing distribution in Sephora.

Wondery is a podcast production and distribution network founded by Hernan Lopez in 2016 during the rise of mainstream podcasts. The company built hit shows like Dirty John across comedy, crime, sports, history, and business categories, eventually selling to Amazon for $300 million. Today, Wondery is one of the largest podcast networks in the world with hundreds of shows in its portfolio.

Warby Parker, co-founded by Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa in 2010, disrupted the eyewear industry by offering stylish glasses at significantly lower prices than legacy manufacturers through a direct-to-consumer model. Despite starting as a DTC brand, the company has since gone public and now operates brick-and-mortar locations while exploring artificial intelligence applications in eyecare.

Aviator Nation is a California-based fashion brand founded by Paige Mycoskie in 2009, known for handmade boldly striped clothing. Starting from street-level word of mouth and direct customer demand, Paige grew it into a multi-million dollar brand by opening retail locations in Venice Beach and beyond using word-of-mouth marketing and shrewd landlord negotiation. The company maintains all manufacturing in California and has become a recognized lifestyle brand despite early operational challenges.

Primary is a children's clothing line founded in 2015 by Christina Carbonell and Galyn Bernard that challenges industry conventions by focusing on gender-neutral, basic building-block pieces in bright colors with minimal branding. Despite early struggles, the company grew to become profitable with annual sales exceeding $50 million within eight years.

Liquid Death is an edgy water brand launched by former ad-man Mike Cessario that packages spring water in aluminum cans designed to look like beer or poison. The brand's entertainment-focused, irreverent marketing approach built a strong moat and attracted customers outside the typical bottled water demographic. Seven years after launch, Liquid Death has grown into both a water and entertainment company with annual revenue well above $100M.