About The Grommet

We launch undiscovered products and help them succeed; we call them Grommets. Grommets aren't just things. Grommets are products with a purpose invented by people with stories. Buy differently.

Above is a video we made in 2008. Since then, we've dropped the word "Daily" from our name, but our mission remains the same and the video is still surprisingly accurate. That’s probably because there is an enduring and growing demand for what we do.

The Grommet is a product launch platform. This means we find unique, undiscovered products and help them succeed. Our goal is to level the playing field so the best companies can win. Until The Grommet came along in 2008, that was simply not always the case. We have attracted a powerful community of Makers, Retailers and Consumers whose enthusiasm for suggesting, sharing, and buying Grommets ensures the survival and growth of the ground-breaking companies behind them. In the summer of 2014 we launched a new Wholesale Platform at the White House Maker Faire to connect these independent Makers with Main Street Retailers, supporting both and ensuring their success. Our end goal is that within five years 10% of all products flowing through U.S. retail will be originating from independent small-scale Makers, creating vibrant jobs and innovative products in every corner of our country.

How do we decide which products and companies are “best?”  First, they must be true innovators. Second, they must have rich stories to share (often full of blood, sweat and tears). Third, they must be built on strong values.  Those values can include preserving a handcraft, solving a problem in a fresh way, creating jobs in a struggling or developing region, building a social or green enterprise, manufacturing in the USA, or inventing new technologies. 

We believe business is meaningful.  As businesspeople, we have the responsibility to shape the world with care and thought.  As consumers, we also have tremendous power.  We get to decide which businesses to support.  We can Buy Differently.

Building The Grommet has had many ups and downs. We launched during the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes. Yet, even in 2008, our business was optimistic and forward-thinking…which put us really out of step with collapsing financial markets and the gloom and doom of big institutions. But we were not out of step with real people, who wanted to be able to trust business leaders and believe in the future. So we kept going.

This “housewarming” video was made on the happy occasion of moving the Grommet team to Somerville, MA. This is “Boston’s Brooklyn”: A dense four square miles of blue collar workers mixed with hipsters, hackers and DIY-ers. We occupy a 1921 bricks and beam factory where we are helping modern-day manufacturers build exciting and thoughtful businesses.

This short video gives you a glimpse of how we built our own office space, working directly with a talented sculptor and woodworker to create a unique environment that represents who we are and what we believe in at The Grommet.