By Caitlin Walsh, News Staff
Success stories are no rarity amongst Northeastern alumni, but 2005 graduate Michael Pires and 2010 graduate Marcus Johnson-Smith were rare in their path to success. Pires and Johnson-Smith are part of a three man team that started Kush Groove Clothing company in 2011, a company geared toward “city stoners.”
Though if you ask Johnson-Smith, measuring it as a huge success just might not be accurate, yet.
“There’s no real measure of success for us at this point, being a startup company for only two years,” he said. “We do, however, pride ourselves on our demonstrated ability to create a relevant lifestyle brand and accompanying product line that resonates well with our audience and growing following.”
Growing up in Cambridge, the company’s founders have been friends from a young age. For Pires, Kush Groove’s CEO, his entrepreneurial endeavours followed him into adulthood. During high school, he made T-shirts to represent certain neighborhoods and then sold them to friends.
Later at Northeastern, they all took unique paths: Pires pursued a business administration degree with a concentration in marketing, while Johnson-Smith pursued a degree in African-American studies. Pires enjoyed intramurals, like basketball, and occasional trips to university hot spots Chicken Lou’s and Punter’s Pub, while Johnson-Smith enjoyed programs organized by the Spirit Life Office, like yoga and leadership programs.
Their friendships continued on through college, however, and they would discuss their desire to do something, whatever that something was, together as friends.
“Our collective expertise revolves around a combination of marketing, lifestyle, events and having a keen ear to the street,” Pires said. “With this, and our background in screen printing, we figured ‘let’s start a clothing and lifestyle brand.’”
The company’s target market, as may be given by the name alone, is 18-35 year old educated adults who are pro “four-twenty” policy and legislation and have the income to spend on clothing – a market they themselves can identify with.
The company’s inner workings are shared responsibilities amongst them all. As CEO, Pires admittedly dabbles in most aspects of the company. “From product development, to executing the marketing strategy to posting instagram pictures of happy customers – I do a bit of it all.”
Johnson-Smith’s role in the company, as Chief Operating Officer, consists a lot with seeing through with the brand’s vision. “Much of my roll, as the COO of the team, consists of executing on Mike’s vision for the brand and pulling together all the connecting pieces,” he said. “I also keep a keen eye on opportunities that help expand our brand visibility.”
Even in their successful entrepreneurial days post grad, their Northeastern pride stays strong as ever – even pulling Johnson-Smith back in to pursue his master’s in communications studies at his alma mater.
