For the longest time, there was a belief that mixing personal and professional lives was a recipe for disaster. However, numerous couples have proven time and time again that marriage or a relationship is not an obstacle but only a stepping stone to success. People may tell you that you should not establish a business with your partner, but there are couples who have done just that and rocked their start ups like it’s nobody’s business. Inspired by these couples, we here at The Yellow Sparrow decided to dig deeper into their lives and businesses and bring you 16 super creative couples who bring down that notion with panache.
1. Kris and Kelley Denby
Hemlock & Heather
A young couple from Texas, they were both English majors in college. They have spilled their creativity over in the form of photography and creative writing, however, a new way for them to keep their creative juices going arrived in 2009, when they purchased their first home. They realized they’d have to do up their home in the way they wanted with the money that they really had (who isn’t financially challenged at that point?). They decided to re-purpose and redesign original pieces of furniture and reuse what they could in newer, fresher ways. And this was the inception of Hemlock & Heather, that sees the beauty in the discarded.
Image courtesy – Hemlock & Heather
2. Mrigaen Kapadia and Nupur Kapadia
Mobifolio
Mrigaen and Nupur were collagues in Datamatics in Mumbai, and that is how they met. Romance between them blossomed and they got married in 2008 (although Nupur never got an official marriage proposal, a la Mrigaen going down on one knee for her!). However, that romance hasn’t changed at all through the years, even when they co-found Mobifolio, a creative start-up that enables developers to make mobile apps. They have tasted success and have started making profits after their huge hit, Breakfree, an Android app that makes smartphones users aware of how addicted they are to their phones. They complement each other perfectly, with one handling Android development and the other, iOS.
3. Chantal Aida Gordon and Ryan Benoit
The Horticult
Ryan Benoit and Chantal Aida Gordon met in New York, where Ryan worked as an engineer and Chantal wrote for fashion and interior design magazines. Later in 2007, they moved into a house near a beach and a few travelling experiences were all it took for them to find their love for gardening and horticulture. They have their blog, The Horticult, where they inspire others to do up their gardens and spaces in insane, creative ways, that is, incidentally, also great for Mother Nature. This is one creative couple, who, through their blog, provide ways for others to learn, DIY and do up their own gardens and spaces in their own creative ways.
Image courtesy – The Horticult
4. Jenna Keys and Josh Gillespie
Sugar Knife
What started off as a hobby for Jenna turned into a full blown creative startup. She and her partner Josh began Sugar Knife to carve out their love for whiskey and candy – in one place. Sugar Knife offers marshmallows, hard candies and other sweets, all spiked with alcohol. They’re based in Oakland, California where they make their candies without preservatives, chemical food-dyes and cornstarch. However you see it, this is candy with an edge. Their tag line is, “Sugar Knife is candy for the cool kids, in a world where everyone’s a cool kid.” This creative couple has turned our childhood favourites into sweets we’d love to indulge in as adults – and not feel childish about it. Because deep inside, we’re all cool kids.
Image courtesy – Sugar Knife
5. Jyotveer and Gurshagun Chadha
Eristona
To be honest, their story is something out of a movie. They knew each other since school, but never spoke, each thinking the other was rowdy or snobbish. However, they did exchange numbers before leaving school but went their separate ways – she acted in a Telegu movie and he studied in London. But as it happened, they fell in love and got married. The next year, they began Eristona, an online jewellery shopping portal. Although they did give in later, Jyotveer’s family was initially not in favour of him getting into the business because jewellery is mostly considered feminine. The couple now has several orders coming to them per day and boast of fashionable jewellery for both men and women on their suave website.
Image Courtesy – Tech Story
6. Subhra Chaddha and Vivek Prabhakar
Chumbak
Chumbak has long been our favourite place to buy funky products that the current generation can easily relate to. This, apart from the fact that they’re colourful, lasting and such a gem to have! Started by entrepreneur couple Vivek and Subhra in 2010, they say it was the result of their love for travel. The best part about working together? The time they always end up spending with each other!
Image Courtesy – Tech Story
7. Diana and Dave
Pygmy Cloud
Pygmy Cloud is run by London-based couple and designers, Diana and Dave. They make a range of products including plush toys and coasters. Their products are based on the theme ‘weather’, which is what makes them different from the rest. They aim to splash a dash of joy into the dreary London weather and show it in cute, new ways. Who would have thought elements of humour and fun could be added to weather to make durable household products?
Image Courtesy – Pygmy Cloud
8. Rohan and Swati Bhargava
Cashkaro
Founded by couple Rohan and Swati, Cashkaro, as most of you would know, is a website that offers discounts through coupons and cashback. They offer deals and cashbacks for some of India’s biggest sites; we’re talking Flipkart, Jabong, Amazon and the likes. They started Cashkaro in 2013 and soon established themselves in the sector – and how! The couple says it’s difficult being an entrepreneur, but working together more than makes up for it!
Image Courtesy – Tech Story
9. Stephanie Housley and Chris Lacinak
Coral And Tusk
Coral and Tusk is the brainchild of Stephanie Housley with her husband Chris Lacinak. It “celebrates the theme of adornment as expressed through the craft, creativity and incredible resourcefulness of native cultures everywhere.” They make pillows, covers, dolls and much more with their creative skills that blend stitching, embroidery and machine work. Housley is a descendant of a long line of Appalachian women who have always created and made things by themselves. With Stephanie’s natural talent that she has polished at RISD, Coral and Tusk creates designs that are whimsical and elegant.
10. Ari Weiswasser and Erinn Benziger-Weiswasser
Glen Ellen Star
When Ari and Ellen opened their petite restaurant Glen Ellen Star, they said it was their dream “create an inviting, neighborhood-friendly restaurant that consistently exceeds expectations.”. They have successfully fulfilled that dream and so much more. It is a small restaurant with just 24 diners, but the simplicity and warmth of the place is what attracts patrons, apart from the food, of course. Most of the ingredients are sourced locally and while Ari handles the food, Erinn is responsible for the wine section (she comes from the Benziger family line).
Image courtesy – Ari and Erinn Weiswasser
11. Shilarna Vaze and Christophe Perrin
Gaia Gourmet
Their story is something like a movie! Food has featured very prominently in their lives, even before they met and fell in love. Both of them being professional chefs, they had their very own sea-facing restaurant in Goa but had much larger dreams to achieve than that so set out to Mumbai, where they now have a professional catering service Gaia Gourmet, that boasts of testimonials by the likes of Ranbir Kapoor, Imran Khan, Zyoa Akhtar etc!
Image Courtesy – Gaia Gourmet
12. Jay Yousuf and Gauri Devidayal
The Table
Jay was a computer engineer in USA and after working with various companies, he began his own firm while Gauri was across the continent in London, a Chartered Accountant with a law degree in her hands. However they were meant to be and met in Mumbai, halfway across the world from where they lived. It didn’t take much time for them to fall for each other and very soon, Gauri was with him on his journey to start his dream restaurant. Jay had lived in San Francisco for a long time and wanted to bring a feel of the city to the table and with the help of other famous chefs, they began The Table (no pun intended). Their USP is professionalism, simplicity, friendliness and delicious food meant for sharing.
Image Courtesy – Mid Day
13. Sana Rezwan and Nihar Sait
Indelust
Sana has always been passionate about high fashion and has worked with brands like Stella McCartney and Giorgio Armani to name a few while Nihar has tons of investment banking experience and boasts of an MBA degree from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. When the minds got together, the result was Indelust, a creative online store that has its foundation based on ethical production processes and sustainability of small artisans in theIndian subcontinent. This is creativity with a social impact, spread across continents.
Image courtesy – The Brocade Sutra
14. J. S Fletcher and Kathy Newbern
YourNovel.com
Ever turned to the last page of a romance wishfully thinking if you could have your own love story told by someone else? We got good news for you – you can. Fletcher and Newbern, a couple very much in love with each other, founded yournovel.com in 1992, a website through which you can personalise novels for yourself. The couple says it was inspired by their relationship, which has also survived the test of time. Honestly, with books that you and your partner can be the protagonists in, we think personalised cups and shirts are so passé!
Image Courtesy – Entrepreneur
15. Sandeep and Sarah S. Gonsalves
SS Homme
Sandeep and Sarah got dating way before they started their business, SS HOMME. However, it was during Sarah’s time working at GQ that she realized how the fashion industry did not cater to Indian men’s fashion and body type at all. With Sandeep’s experience of working with an MNC, she started her menswear label. They have similar beliefs and passions, although there is a clean division of their work, which helps them in working together.
Image courtesy – Verve Magazine
16. Lindsay and Bjork
Pinch Of Yum
Pinch Of Yum was started by Lindsay, who used to be a 4th grade school teacher by day and blogger at night. She quitting teaching for good back in 2014 and now concentrates on her blog, which focuses on simple but delicious recipes. Her husband, Bjork, handles the technical part of the blog as well as the income generated from it while she takes care of the creative side of it.
Image Courtesy – Elevating Couples
These couples have broken stereotypes and proven to others that love and work can really co-exist. There are advantages as well as disadvantages to working with your partner, but as these couples suggest, there is nothing you can’t do when you’re with your other half! With their well balanced life of love and work, we’re sure they’ll find much more success than ever!
