The ‘Coolest’ Kickstarter Of The Summer


Watch out, world – there’s a new kid in town and he’s claiming to be “The Coolest.”

Ryan Grepper, an entrepreneur from Portland, Ore., has reinvented the wheel cooler. He’s captured the attention and support of millions, including myself.

Not many would complain about the 1950s classic that has made its way into nearly every home, picnic gathering, camping trip, sporting event – you name it. While we kept our thoughts to ourselves, Grepper did something about it.

Coolest-LeadFeast your eyes on the ultimate life hack for the 21st century – The Coolest . With a few tweaks and enhancements, Grepper has taken a commodity item – used, loved  and left alone for decades – and has turned it into a luxury product that solved a number of problems – and even fixed some we didn’t know we had.

Your phone is dying during your day at the beach? You forgot a knife and cutting board? Have no fear – The Coolest is here. A few of my favorite features include:

  • Battery-powered blender
  • USB charger
  • Cooler divider/cutting board
  • Bottle opener
  • Waterproof bluetooth speaker

Is this disruptive innovation and crowdsourcing at its finest? Grepper’s brainchild is nearly there. With more than 36,000 backers and pledges exceeding $7 million in only two weeks, there is a chance he may beat the current record for most crowdsourced projectThe Pebble e-Watch, which raised more than $10 million in 2012.

When my brother-in-law shared the news of this portable party, it had a few thousand fans on Facebook and had raised nearly $1 million dollars. Intrigued, I kept my eye on the Kickstarter’s site and Facebook page. To my surprise, in just a few days, pledge totals had passed the $5 million mark and followers were gained by the minute.  With 35 days left to go, Ryan continues to be featured on countless news and media outlets. The ‘60 quarts of awesome’ has really started the party.

Will he redefine the cooler experience and become the most successful Kickstarter campaign of all time?  We shall see – in the meantime, you can join Zack Brown’s potato salad party in Ohio or check out The Coolest for yourself.