Member Spotlight: Front Porch Gift Co. Brings Joy to Businesses and Individuals with Custom, Local Gifts
At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many businesses had shut down, best friends Lauren Kinder and Brooke Waldo could not find locally made gifts. They saw an opportunity to establish Front Porch Gift Company to help people give great gifts.
“Brooke was searching for client appreciation gifts and I was looking for a gift for a friend’s birthday. We could not find a Colorado Springs business that met our needs,” said Kinder. Their search led to the idea of establishing a gifting business.
Front Porch Gift Co. offers locally sourced gift boxes for corporate and individual customers. They provide gifts for all occasions and let customers customize their own boxes on the website.
Fall is here, and Front Porch has curated seasonal gifts. Its $60 ‘Popping Around’ gift box celebrates Colorado’s autumn foliage with root beer from Rocky Mountain Soda, Caramel Apple popcorn from Colorado Popcorn Company, and a cross-body adventure bag from Adventurist. All items are locally sourced and shipped within three business days across the U.S.
Despite the challenges of starting a business during a global pandemic, Kinder and Waldo have made positive and fruitful progress.
Colorado Springs supported local small businesses during the pandemic with innovative campaigns, programs, and financial aid. This community effort helped businesses like Front Porch Gifts thrive. It also enabled the two business partners to expand their product lineup to the service sector.
“We have been so fortunate to receive such positive feedback from our community since we launched five years ago,” said Waldo. “Our business has flourished. We have ventured into hospitality, offering welcome boxes for company conferences and retreats.”
Even with this success, Kinder and Waldo understood the importance of using business resources from local chambers of commerce to grow their business. Front Porch Gift Company joined the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC in 2022, and the business partners say the membership has helped promote their business in ways they couldn’t have imagined.
“The Chamber & EDC is constantly advocating for us and allows us to be in positions to market our business to other businesses in the area,” said Kinder, who advises new members to attend chamber events and build valuable connections.
Kinder and Waldo believe Front Porch Gift Company was essential for Colorado Springs during uncertain times for small businesses. Their attention to detail and personal touches, like hand-written notecards and calligraphed envelopes, make their products beloved by customers.
Learn more about Front Porch Gift Co.