2. 01
Wrigley
Founded: 1891
FOUNDER: WILLIAM WRIGLEY JR.
William Wrigley Jr. began giving away free gum to attract customers to his general store.
Realizing that gum was a far sexier product than soap and baking powder, he began
producing his own and aggressively marketing toward young people. Wrigley’s biggest
struggle? Getting young men
to buy his product. Back in
the late 19th century,
chewing gum was
considered a feminine
activity. During the Great
Depression, Wrigley did the unthinkable--he mortgaged everything he had and
launched a massive ad campaign for his new gum brands.
3. 02
Ben & Jerry’s
Founded: 1978
FOUNDERS: BEN COHEN AND
JERRY GREENFIELD
Childhood friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield didn’t have much going on after
college. Jerry found himself unable to get into medical school, and Ben dropped out
after a couple of years. After taking an ice
cream making class together, the two men
scraped together $12,000, renovated an old
gas station, and Ben & Jerry’s was born. The
incredibly unique flavors the brand is known
for is actually a direct result of Cohen’s
aguesia (no sense of taste), allowing him to
only rely on “mouth feel,” which led to the
trademark chunks that are found in the ice
cream. The brand is also well known for their
commitment to social and environmental
responsibility.
4. 03
Whole Foods
Founded: 1978
FOUNDERS: JOHN MACKEY,
RENEE LAWSON HARDY
In 1978, John Mackey and Rene Lawson Hardy decided that the world was ready for
a natural food store in a supermarket format. After borrowing $45,000 from friends
and family, the couple opened a store called Saferway in Austin, Texas. After getting
booted out of their apartment for
storing food products, they
decided to simply live at the
store, showering with the hose
attachment on the Hobart
dishwasher. Not long after,
Mackey and Hardy partnered
with Craig Weller and Mark Skiles, owners of Clarksville Natural Grocery. With a
10,500 sq. feet and a staff of 19, Whole Foods Market was born. In 1981, a terrible
flood devastated the city of Austin, and Whole Foods Market was destroyed. In the
community spirit that Whole Foods still harbors today, the community banded
together and helped rebuild the store, opening just 28 days after the flood. Today,
Whole Foods has a global presence with more than 15 brands under its purview.
5. 04
Mattel
Founded: 1945
FOUNDERS: ELLIOT HANDLER AND
HAROLD MATSON
Today the number one toymaker in America, Mattel was founded in 1945 by Elliot
Handler and Harold Matson. Like many small businesses, Mattel started as a garage
store. They began selling picture
frames, but switched over to exclusively
making toys when Elliot began making
dollhouses from picture frame scraps.
In 1959, Ruth Handler (Elliot’s wife)
noticed her daughter Barbara’s
fascination with cutout paper dolls, as well as her tendency to put the dolls into adult
roles. This was odd, as most dolls during that time were infant representations.
Sensing the gap in the market, Ruth suggested making an adult doll, but the idea
was not initially well received by Elliot and other Mattel higher-ups. After a trip to
Europe and seeing similar dolls, Elliot finally gave the go ahead to start production on
the Barbie Doll. Barbie was an instant hit, and she remains a cultural icon today.
While Mattel has produced many iconic toys, Barbie remains the crown jewel of their
history. Fun fact: three Barbies are sold every second!
6. 05
Amazon
Founded: 1994
FOUNDER: JEFF BEZOS
Founded in 1994 in Jeff Bezos’s garage in Bellevue, Washington, Amazon
had humble beginnings as an online bookstore. Capitalizing on the
internet boom at the time, Bezos decided
to start an online bookstore due to the
demand for literature, the low price point
of books, and the availability of titles in
print. The convenience of having a
“virtual” warehouse and thus creating a
widespread availability of titles led
Amazon to become an instant success,
and eventually becoming the downfall of
brick-and-mortar bookstores. From books, food, clothes, beauty products
to movies, music, and media of all kinds, Amazon is truly a one-stop shop
for the consumer.
