AUSTIN — Maximus Box is the first ever Big and Tall clothing subscription service for men. Its idea is one that has come not too soon and its founder, Wes Riddick, says that “Every big and tall man should have the right to feel confident, comfortable and cash savvy.” It’s month-to-month cancel anytime service that launched in the recent months out of Texas has now grown nationally and is serving customers from coast to coast. “I had no idea that I was tapping into such a huge market demand, I was simply strapped for time, on a budget and needed to find my size without all of the hassle of returns,” says Riddick.
As a first time entrepreneur and winner of the Pitch Black pitch competition in Austin this winter, this young 29 year old African American husband and father of two decided to put his own savings into bootstrapping a tech company that would bring the best quality and convenience to other big and tall men like himself. “When I started the company we had some initial failures, during our first soft launch we lost a lot of money, we learned and regrouped and in the fall of 2016 we saw tremendous results,” says Riddick. “The biggest challenge is staying lean, while learning and focusing on a delivering a great experience.”
Founders of tech companies who happen to be African American and are funded makeup less that 1% of the market. However if VC’s are less willing to invest in minority and women based startups that is ok according to Riddick. He believes in growing and proving demand for his product in order to gain leverage. “When investors are ready to meet with us we will make sure we can show the trajectory and expectations for the company and we will have the leverage to walk away if we need to.”
When asked why he felt so passionate about creating a tech company when he has no background in the space, he said, “Life does not come with a manual, everything I have done I have given my 100% and learned along the way. My ability to quickly adapt and be nimble is one of my keys to success. This is how I became the number one finance director in my region in my other career. I simply don’t accept mediocrity.” In addition to this, he said he wants to leave a great legacy for his children and his community. He believes in giving back and it is one of the core tenants of his company. “I am always looking for ways to re-invest in my community and as my company grows so will the community around me,” said Riddick.
The Maximus Box (www.maximusbox.com) which retails starting at $69 dollars a month is only one of the first products Riddick plans on innovating. He believes that we are on the cusp of seeing many more minority, black and women entrepreneurs entering the space and Austin, Texas is the perfect place to launch such a company. While there may be slow investment activity in the market he believes that with the surge of many ideas that will materialize into cash flow the investors will not be too far away. His focus is to be laser sharp on his product the experience he delivers to each one of his customers. “The rest should take care of itself,” he adds.
Maximus Box launched in March of 2016 locally has now grown nationwide. Each month, men from all around the country get a new box delivered to their door step with clothes that has been specifically chosen for them, their fit and style.
