Spears School of Business senior creates company with purpose

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Since high school, Brandon Young knew he wanted to start his own business, but was unsure what type of business it would be and when it could become a reality. However, it didn’t take long for the entrepreneurship major from Dallas to answer those unknowns for himself.  

Young started Kintsugi Outfitters his junior year at Oklahoma State University with the hopes of selling tangible products while making a difference in people’s lives. His company not only sells American-made hats and canvas flags online, but also shares stories of personal growth and acceptance that are closely tied to the name of his company.

“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 stories, which are posted to the Kintsugi website every Friday at noon, are written by friends or found online and cover wide-ranging topics. Young 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, Young was contacted by alumnus Keith Greer through the Spears School Mentoring Program.

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

The Spears School Mentoring Program provides an opportunity for Spears School graduate and undergraduate students to connect and interact with a mentor. 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.

After graduation in May, Young wants to continue to develop Kintsugi Outfitters so he can reach more people with the 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.”

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

Story by Katie Rosebrook

For more Humans of OSU stories go here.