The Bouqs story starts long before the company appeared on . Co‑founders John Tabis and Juan Pablo "JP" Montúfar met at Notre Dame, connecting around a shared frustration with the traditional floral industry. The two founded The Bouqs in 2012 and designed the company to ship bouquets directly from farms to customers' doors. The choice cut out middlemen and pushed against legacy models, where orders bounce from website to wholesalers to local florists.
"This year was supposed to be the year of retail. Unfortunately, things kind of took a turn with the tariffs," Kinoshita said on the DTC podcast this summer. "That's just the nature of when you manufacture something overseas. You don't fully control your supply chain, you don't fully control your costs. It's not expected, but it's part of the game."
The memorable team matched their T-shirts to the bright colors of the coolers and tried to keep their pitch as light as the material used to make their one-of-a-kind product. The reason for their invention is simple: After working for other cooler brands, Kittle and Lee saw a market for a much simpler design that wasn't made to keep things cold for days on end, citing that most people don't need heavy-duty "bear-proof" coolers that tend to be more expensive.
Biglary's journey to create plant-based fish alternatives stems from her personal experiences, reflecting a broader trend towards healthier, sustainable eating that resonates with many today.
