By Co-Founder Chris Lovell
CocoChew, a growing startup of young and eager UNH graduates, is an all-natural dog toy company. We make our toys out of coconut husk, so they are all natural and also provide dental benefits. There are of us and we are a lively bunch with a unique tale!
Our story starts out on the lovely beaches of Hawaii, where Chip noticed stray dogs running around with fallen coconuts in their mouths. Intrigued, he talked to a few local veterinarians to find out about this unique phenomenon. The veterinarians went on to tell him that not only was it safe for dogs to chew on, but they actually noticed some of the cleanest teeth they worked on were from strays they rescued!
Fast forward a few years to our second semester of senior year at the UNH Paul School where Chip, Ed, Ryan, and I paired up for a group project for an entrepreneurial class. We turned CocoChew into a tangible product and competed in the Holloway Competition. Out of 84 groups we finished 4th and received some money to launch our venture!
While a lot has happened since then, one thing that has remained constant is our mission to make as big of impact on local communities and charitable associations as we can. We are spreading the word about our upcoming event, “Bark Park Cleanup” at the South Boston Bark Park on April 22nd from 1-3. So, partnering with ‘Keeping Massachusetts Beautiful’ we hope you can join us to help clean your neighborhood dog park.
