Dallas native creates company with purpose

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Senior entrepreneurship major flourishes at Oklahoma State University

A native of Dallas, Brandon Young’s lifelong dream has been to start his own business. But he had no idea his dream would become a reality when he attended Oklahoma State University.

The entrepreneurship major began Kintsugi Outfitters during his junior year at Oklahoma State. The main focus of Kintsugi Outfitters is to sell tangible products while also making a difference in people’s lives. Young’s company sells American-made hats and canvas flags, but also shares stories of personal growth and acceptance.

“Kintsugi is a Japanese form of art that uses gold lacquer to repair broken pottery so your eyes are drawn to the part that had been broken,” Young said. “Why can’t we look at people that way?

“We’ve all been through things in our lives, and we tend to judge people based on that brokenness, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual,” Young said. “I want to use these online stories to show we can look at people no matter what they’ve been through and be friends with them.”

The inspiring stories are written by friends or found online, cover a wide range of topics and are posted to the Kintsugi website every Friday at noon. Young said he wants to use these stories to create a community that encourages people to get through dark times by telling them it’s OK to not be OK.

After being featured in Humans of OSU, a social media project that highlights stories of students and employees on campus, Young was contacted by alumnus Keith Greer through the Spears School of Business Mentoring Program. Traditionally, students create a profile in order to be matched with a mentor, but the mentorship program reached out to Young after Greer personally requested him.

This provided Young an opportunity of a lifetime to connect and interact with an experienced entrepreneur.

“He has experience with consumer products, manufacturing and marketing, so Keith’s mentorship will definitely be beneficial,” Young said.

After graduation in May, Young wants to continue what started as a college business and turn it into a thriving business that influences more people with stories of growth and community.

“Ultimately, I want Kintsugi to allow people to embrace their trials,” Young said. “One of my favorite quotes from C.S. Lewis talks about how hardships prepare us for an extraordinary destiny, and I hope that’s what Kintsugi helps people realize.”

Schedule your visit to OSU and learn more about life on campus at admissions.okstate.edu/visit.

Read more on Brandon Young on Humans of OSU.

For more information on Kintsugi Outfitters, visit www.kintsugioutfitters.com.

PHOTO: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ostatenews/albums/72157673038924110