As they head into their second year of supporting Boulder Startup Week, PopSockets continues to be an exciting Boulder success story.
David Barnett is the inventor, founder, and CEO of PopSockets. His leap from CU-Boulder Philosophy Professor to the head of a company selling over 35 million products in 40 countries is an inspiration to all entrepreneurs. He is proof that a good idea coupled with drive and determination really can turn into a success story.
It’s that drive that took this Boulder-based startup from selling out of a garage to a 150+ person company headquartered in Boulder, with offices in San Francisco and internationally. Forbes recently ran an article chronically this journey, you can read it here, “PopSockets: The Story Behind How It Went From A Simple Concept To Selling Tens Of Millions Of Units.”
For BSW 18, PopSockets is sponsoring the Culture Track—which is fitting, as PopSockets boasts a culture that encourages giving back, community engagement, and personal development.
When talking with Brittany Kloss, HR Manager and head of culture for PopSockets, it was clear just how important community is to the company as a whole. “We are proud of our Boulder roots and love being based here,” she said, “we embrace the entrepreneurial spirit in Boulder and feel that supporting BSW is one way to stay connected with the exciting and innovative things going on around town. We have the opportunity to learn just as much from our fellow entrepreneurs as we can share through our experiences.”
Other ways PopSockets is giving back through their Do Good initiative:
- To date, they have raised over half a million dollars for people with Parkinson’s disease and arthritis—both conditions that can affect mobility in the hands.
- They recently kicked off a partnership with Craig Hospital and will be donating 10% of profits to help the hospital treat spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries.
- Their team spent time with Wish for Wheels to build bikes for kids in Boulder who couldn’t afford a bike of their own, offering the first bike for many of the kids in the program.
- They work with Boulder County Parks and Open Space on trail building and clean up.
- Every employee is given 2 paid days to volunteer each year as well as 100 PopSockets Grips to donate to a charity of their choice (PopSockets have proven to be a great fundraiser for many non-profits).
- Pop For Purpose: Each department at PopSockets is sponsoring a charity through sales of a unique PopSockets design. 50% of these sales will go to the department’s designated charity. This initiative benefits seven non-profit organizations.
Boulder Startup Week is thrilled to have the continued support of PopSockets—Thank you!
See a full listing of the Culture Track Events.
