9 years ago today, I would wake up, go race a Freedom 5K in downtown Beaverton, Oregon and then head home and launch some website that went by ArtiKen.com 

I had no idea what the future would entail but wasn't too worried about it. I just knew I wanted to help get these awesome bracelets made in Kenya in the hands of whomever wanted one.

At the time, I had a full-time job so July 4th was the perfect day to launch. July 2nd and the 3rd were Saturday and Sunday and that gave me the weekend to prepare for the launch. At the same time, the 2016 Olympic Trials were July 1-10 so I had also put some USA flag bracelets on some friends wrists who were competing and figured July 4th was the perfect day to launch!

And just like you could imagine, the first day would go the same as anyone just starting anything. ArtiKen would end the day with no sales. I was sightly bummed but didn't dwell on it. The next day - also no sales.

The first order came on July 6th for a custom bracelet that took so long to get to him that I ended up refunding his order a couple months down the road. But quitting was never an option. And 9 years removed, I'd love to share 9 memories that are cherished here. None of them are in order and some are from staff here at ArtiKen.

1] Paul Chelimo winning the silver medal in Rio's 2016 Olympic Games. To see ArtiKen surface on so many photos 1 month after launching had me thinking I was about to quit my day job the following week. Lol. But seriously, I was so happy that a close friend just had arguably one of the greatest days of his life and ArtiKen was part of it.

2] 2018 USATF 5K Championships. Kevin Morris would capture one of my favorite photos to this day. Paul Chelimo and Shadrack Kipchirchir sprinting to the finish line like synchronized swimmers with their form just beautifully aligned. Yet, all 4 wrists showcase ArtiKen so well. I have seen thousands of photos over the years and need to do a separate post regarding my Top 10 favorite photos but this image will always mean so much to me given ArtiKen is on both of their wrists.

3] July 4, 2019

After 3 years of slinging ArtiKen bracelets as a side hustle, I am able to quit the day job and go all in on ArtiKen. I would rebrand the company, launch a completely new product line [adjustable bracelets], and now include 3 little beads that make up the colors of the company's logo found on every single product. It was on this day, I would go all in with ArtiKen, our mission, and forever be thankful to now 'never work a day in my life'.

4] 2020 USATF Olympic Trials 

This wasn't our first bulk order but it was definitely our first super special order that had me almost fall out of my seat when I got the email. adidas wanted to place an order to gift all of their athletes who qualified for the Olympic Trials so we included a custom shoe box to house all of the bracelets for their activation. Seeing so many athletes in those trials, followed by the Olympic Games, wearing the bracelets made for an unforgettable experience.

 

5] Kikambala, Kenya | Clean Water Project

This would become the first project that we did not in partnership with The Water Project and was incredible to watch play out from start to finish! As of today, this well is still very much in use and used every single day! 

6] The Running Community + New Friendships

ArtiKen has blessed me to meet some of the most amazing people in the world and I will forever be grateful for the opportunities and experiences that have happened because of the brand. From swapping emails with customers located in the most remote areas in the world to working on projects like BREAKING4, it has been such an honor to be able to connect with everyone through ArtiKen and become friends with so many new amazing people!

7] Freedom

But one of the biggest blessings that ArtiKen has provided is freedom. Getting to work with my wife and son is truly priceless. It is a constant reminder that regardless of any difficult situation, I can just look down from my desk and say 'it's going to be ok'.

8] Trips to Kenya + 2024 Olympics

The company's designer, Shubhanshu, who has been with ArtiKen since the company rebrand, weighed in with a memory of his own: "My favorite memory has to be our trips to Kenya. It has brought everything into perspective — the brand, its purpose, and the real impact we’re having and the projects we support. Gave me clarity on my ‘why.’ Project-wise, I'd say — the bracelet we designed for adidas that ended up on Noah Lyles’s wrist and was seen across the world, as well as the the branding for W4K [Water for Kenya] - can't wait to see that come into action later this year!!!"

9] 2025 Boston Marathon

ArtiKen's production manager, Odila, mentioned the order for the 2025 Boston Marathon as it was "the most challenging project and was our first major order, which we managed to nail and deliver on time."