This content is sponsored by United Bank.
Howard University alumni Matt Goins tells the story like this:
He enjoyed putting puzzles together with his three children but realized none of them were of African Americans. So he went to a local craft store to attempt to make his own. After completing his first one, he realized other people might want them too. After he made a couple, his friends started requesting them. The rest is history.
The HR professional-turned-entrepreneur has transformed that project into Puzzle Huddle, a family business he’s now running full-time with his wife. Three years later, his Takoma Park based company had doubled their revenue from the previous year. They are now seeing rapid growth amid the pandemic. Goins told Washington Business Journal the company has seen a 60% spike in sales on top of the revenue increase in large part due to the shut down. He saw another increase as people searched for black-owned businesses after the George Floyd protests.
The puzzles range in size from 15 to 100 pieces, for children ages 3 to 8. The images, created by freelance artists, showcase diverse characters in career roles, as well as culture, religion and education illustrations. They sell primarily through the Puzzle Huddle website for about $12 to $20.
Goins is now looking to expand the company’s product lines. He says they will roll out pillows and T-shirts for now, with plans to add other educational products in the future.
