I started my company, Lovesac, way back in 1998 after I made a giant Durafoam-filled beanbag. We bootstrapped it, grew it, raised money, and have since grown it to 60 brick-and-mortar stores across the U.S. with our largest outlet being lovesac.com. We’ve since invented and patented the world’s most adaptable couch called Sactionals–the only internet friendly couch that packs small for shipping, but is also totally changeable, rearrangeable, and machine washable. Sactionals are the best example of our design ethos that we are very proud of: Designed for Life. Not only are they built to last a lifetime, but they are designed to evolve as your life does. Add to them, grow them, change them, upgrade them…but most importantly you will never have a need to put them in a landfill.

Lovesac was a high-growth company before I entered the Master’s program at Parsons. But my final research project, which involved testing prototype methods to communicate Sactionals benefits in an interactive way at the front of my stores, led to a complete re-branding of the company and very successful new retail store and website design. What’s more, our design philosophy, “Designed For Life,” evolved directly out of the materials and class-work I was exposed to throughout the MSDM Program. It will soon be published as a book, and I hope will influence other designers and entrepreneurs to create designed-for-life products in their industries…to achieve true sustainability, and develop even more competitive products.

List any awards, recognitions, etc. that you’ve received since leaving Parsons.