Co-Founder

Uhuru Design is the Brooklyn-based New American furniture design firm specializing in bespoke residential and high-end commercial furniture. Founded in 2004 by Jason Horvath and Bill Hilgendorf, Uhuru gained attention for its sustainable approach, utilizing reclaimed and found materials through a narrative design process. This design approach generated collections in the Smithsonian and Brooklyn Museums among many others, positioning Uhuru at the forefront of New American Design and contributing to popularizing the “Brooklyn” aesthetic.

Over the years as the Co-Founder, CEO and CCO, Jason Horvath has led the design and brand growth strategies, and continues to cultivate Uhuru’s mission: storytelling through design has the power to shape and change our world.

visit uhurudesign.com

Co-founder

Velvet Hippo is a pet accessories brand committed to creating quality products with sustainability in mind throughout the design and production process.

As Jason & Shalina tried to build and furnish their Brooklyn home around their two pups, they immediately noticed a lack of contemporary, yet functional pet furniture and accessories that matched their modern minimalist style.

With backgrounds in furniture and apparel design & manufacturing, Jason and Shalina knew this was a gap in the market they could help fill and Velvet Hippo was born. With its collection of furniture and home accessories, Velvet Hippo seeks to embrace simplicity and sustainability, create products with the best quality materials, and inspire moments of energy and warmth in the bond between pet and owner.

Visit velvethippo.dog

Founder, Creative Director

Propr Office is the single source resimmercial furniture solution for home and office. Propr Office is pre-built to target home office consumers and 2-100 seat offices demanding turnkey building blocks.

Built on a new model that never sells through traditional wholesale, Propr’s adaptive furniture system works at home, and scales into the flexible office.

visit proproffice.com

Founding Partner

Uhuru’s collection of rings and necklaces are inspired from the same source as Uhuru’s furniture line. The inspiration comes from parallels in furniture & jewelry, and embracing each materiality’s unique qualities: Slabs are like diamonds and no two are the same. Grain, color and natural characteristics will be different making each piece one of a kind.

Founding Partner

During a surf trip through Indonesia, Jason came across a boat that had been washed ashore in a monsoon and was rendered useless. Aellon was inspired by using sustainably sourced and harvested materials to craft contemporary furniture.

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