P.F. Candle Co.

P.F. Candle Co., born out of a love for French fries, is a Los Angeles-based fragrance company run by partners Kristen Pumphrey and Thomas Neuberger. The idea behind the product line is to make life smell better through candles, reed diffusers, room sprays, incense sticks, and Eau de Parfum. The company was founded in 2008 by Kristen. She lost her job when the recession hit and moved to Austin with the dream of making things by hand to pay the bills. The P.F. Candle Signature Amber Glass line was launched in 2012 after hours of effort at a craft fair. In 2013, a major breakthrough occurred when the line was ordered after an Etsy popup by West Elm. The demand from this success inspired Tom to join the business full-time after years of supporting from behind the scenes. Since 2013, the company has grown from two people to a team of 43 employees. P.F. Candle is a classic bootstrapping business. Without formal degrees or experience, this company was built on passion and a love for DIY.