Own Pain Startups

SOURCE is a hardware company founded by engineering professor Cody Friesen that manufactures solar-powered 'hydropanels' to capture water vapor from the air and convert it into drinking water. The company, based in Arizona, has scaled to serve more than 50 countries worldwide since its 2014 launch. SOURCE aims to become the world's first renewable, fully-digitized drinking water utility.

S'well is a hardware company founded by Sarah Kauss in 2009 that designs insulated water bottles that keep beverages at desired temperatures while maintaining aesthetic appeal. The company achieved $100 million in revenue within six years of launch, and now focuses on sustainability and eliminating plastic waste globally.

Yuga Labs, co-founded by Greg Solano and Wylie Aronow, launched the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection in spring 2021. The collection achieved explosive growth, attracting major celebrities like Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, and Madonna, and rapidly propelling the company to a $4 billion valuation within a year—making it one of the fastest companies to achieve unicorn status. The founders plan to expand their vision into the metaverse.

Men's Wearhouse was founded by George Zimmer in 1973 in Houston as a retail destination for quality men's suits at everyday low prices. The company grew into a multi-billion dollar empire with hundreds of stores across the U.S. by the mid-80s, with Zimmer as the brand's face, until he was forced out in 2013.

Jo Loves is a fragrance company founded by Jo Malone, who built her expertise creating skincare and cosmetics in her mother's clinic in 1970s London. After selling her original Jo Malone London brand to Estée Lauder in 1999, she launched Jo Loves to continue innovating with new scent formulations and presentation methods.

Universal Standard is a size-inclusive clothing brand founded by Polina Veksler and Alex Waldman in 2014 after noticing the stark differences in shopping experiences for different sizes at major retailers. The founders discovered that approximately 70% of U.S. women wear size 14 or larger, yet less than 20% of available clothing is made in those sizes. They created Universal Standard to eliminate size as a barrier and serve the $100 billion opportunity in the size-inclusive market.

Saeju Jeong founded Noom in 2007 with just $5,000 in savings after immigrating from South Korea to the U.S. The app focuses on preventative wellness by tracking eating, sleep, and stress patterns, inspired by his late father's critique of reactive medicine. Noom has become one of the most popular weight loss/wellness apps in the U.S. and is rumored to be preparing for an IPO with a potential valuation of $10 billion.

Quaise Energy, founded by Carlos Araque, is developing advanced drilling technology to unlock geothermal energy by drilling deeper than ever before. With 15 years of oil and gas industry experience and MIT engineering background, Carlos raised over $70 million to pursue this clean energy solution. The company aims to tap into the nearly limitless potential of geothermal energy as part of the global transition away from fossil fuels.

Roam is a premium luggage brand launched by Charlie Clifford, the founder of Tumi, who has spent nearly 50 years in the luggage industry. After building Tumi into a globally recognized brand with stores in airports and shopping malls worldwide, Clifford has leveraged his expertise to create another premium luggage offering. The company represents a continuation of Clifford's mission to build distinctive, durable travel gear for discerning customers.

Twitch started as a pivot from Justin.tv in 2011, transforming into a dedicated video game streaming platform founded by Emmett Shear and Justin Kan. By directly engaging with streamers and providing features they requested—including revenue opportunities, fan clubs, and customizable emoji—Twitch built a thriving community. The platform grew to 31 million daily visitors streaming trillions of minutes annually before being acquired by Amazon in 2014 for just under $1 billion.

TaskRabbit was born from Leah Solivan's personal frustration of running out of dog food—a simple insight that led her to build an online marketplace matching users with taskers for errands and deliveries. She recognized the convergence of mobile, location services, and social media as the perfect moment to launch. The service eventually sold to IKEA in 2017, validating the peer-to-peer economy model she pioneered.

Shazi Visram founded Happy Baby (now Happy Family Organics) while at business school, inspired by a friend's struggle to make healthy meals for her twins. The company pioneered frozen organic baby food as an alternative to jarred options, building initial traction through friends and family investment. Nearly 20 years later, Happy Family Organics reportedly generates over $200 million in annual revenue.

Affirm is a 'buy now, pay later' fintech service founded by Max Levchin, the former CTO of PayPal. After PayPal's sale to eBay in 2002, Levchin rediscovered his passion for solving hard fintech problems and built Affirm into a billion-dollar company that transforms credit purchasing.

Pitchfork started as a passion project when Ryan Schreiber began writing indie music reviews from his parents' house at age 20. A 2000 review of Radiohead's "Kid A" went viral online, attracting tens of thousands of users and building a reputation for influential reviews that could shape careers. The site grew into a prestigious music publication and was acquired by Condé Nast in 2015.

Houzz is a home design and renovation marketplace founded in 2009 by Adi Tartako and her husband. Initially conceived as a lifestyle business, it evolved into a global platform connecting homeowners with design ideas and industry professionals. The company now serves 65 million users worldwide.

Eric Liedtke, former Executive Board Member and Global Brand President at Adidas, left the company after 26 years to launch UNLESS Collective, an apparel brand creating 100% plant-based, biodegradable clothing. The venture is built on Eric's deep commitment to sustainability, which he championed throughout his tenure at Adidas, including pushing for 100% recycled polyester commitments.

Cassey Ho built Blogilates into a multi-million dollar fitness brand through free workout content on YouTube, accumulating over a billion views. She expanded beyond digital content into POPFLEX apparel, Target product lines, and Pilates certification programs, becoming a prominent figure in the creator economy.

Strava is a mobile app that allows athletes to map, monitor, and compete on their fitness activities. Founded by Mark Gainey and Michael Horvath in 2008 after an initial concept in 1995, the platform has grown to serve 100 million athletes across nearly 200 countries through a community-driven model centered on competition and progress tracking.

Florentine Films, founded by Ken Burns 40+ years ago, pioneered a distinctive documentary style combining historical narratives with the visual technique known as the Ken Burns Effect. The company has built one of the most valuable documentary archives in the world, producing acclaimed series including The Civil War, Jazz, Baseball, The Statue of Liberty, and Benjamin Franklin.

Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams founded their furniture company in 1989 in North Carolina, combining Mitchell's decade of industry experience with Bob's graphic design skills. Starting with boldly-patterned upholstered dining chairs and eclectic tables produced through a local factory partnership, they grew into a multi-million dollar brand with hundreds of employees selling across retail locations nationwide.