Simple Modern's 10th Anniversary: A Letter from our Founder

Mike Beckham, Simple Modern co-founder and CEO, reflects on the last 10 years and what the next 10 years might hold for the company. 

When we started Simple Modern in 2015, we had no idea how challenging and rewarding the road ahead would bMe.

The truth is: Most companies never make it to 10 years. In fact, only about one-third of businesses make it to 10 years. Quite simply, Simple Modern has done a hard thing. During hard times. In the middle of the country.

We started from the ground up. With zero outside investors. Survived a pandemic. A distressed supply chain. A disrupted economy. And today, we’re a $200 million company.

So how did we get here? We flipped the script on what drives growth.

For us, it hasn’t been just about profits or products — it’s been about generosity.

We decided on Day One that our mission was to exist generously. And, through thick and thin, we’ve stayed true to that mission. The result: We’ve given more than $10 million to more than 1,000 nonprofit partners locally, nationally and internationally. We’ve developed five giving pillars that drive our generosity based on our employees and customers' passions.  Every order and every story you’ve told about our products has helped fuel not only our growth but also our giving. Together, those millions of dollars to thousands of nonprofits, furthering education, providing clean drinking water, fighting homelessness, supporting marginalized communities,

Looking back, I’ve learned three things from this journey: First, generosity is contagious — when people see it, they want to be part of it. Second, building a business with purpose is hard, but it is far more rewarding than chasing short-term gains. And third, community is everything. Our mission to exist to give generously could never have been realized without the people who believed in it from the start.

As we step into the next decade, our vision is to build on that foundation of generosity with a focus on deeper connections and greater impact. We want to create products that not only serve your everyday life but also care for the world we share. We want to be a brand that doesn’t just sell, but one that brings people together and gives back in ways that truly matter.

To every customer, employee and nonprofit partner, thank you. Thank you for walking with us through the highs and lows, for choosing to support a company that exists to serve others, and for helping us write a story that is bigger than drinkware.

Here’s to the next 10 years. May they be filled with more connection, more impact and more generosity than ever before.