Eunice Byun is the co-founder and CEO of Material, the go-to destination for today's home cooks.
You were a vice president of global digital marketing at Revlon and left to launch Material, a kitchenware startup company. What did you learn from your corporate career that helped to make the transition?
I have been fortunate enough to work at companies of varying sizes, all of which have influenced what I’ve been able to bring to Material. At the larger, global companies, there are naturally larger teams that specialize in different areas like merchandising, sourcing, or marketing, and then even within those teams, greater specialization. Being able to pinpoint what exact skills we might need at Material in the early stages and now as we’ve been around for five years has helped us build a small but mighty team.
That being said, having been an early employee in start-ups was also hugely beneficial when starting Material. It really sharpened the focus we have on culture, and how important it is to establish values from day one.
What did your Korean American household teach you that helped inform your entrepreneurial journey?
As an immigrant kid, I think there’s a part of you that often feels like you’re caught between two worlds, and as a result, you spend a lot of time observing and watching. You pick up on patterns and analyze how things are done. I think so much of this has influenced the type of entrepreneur that I am today. I love learning about why people do the things they do or what motivates them. It also is why community is an integral part of entrepreneurship for me, both in building a community for Material and also for myself as a female founder. I know that I cannot do this alone.
You’ve spoken about your word of mouth and other traditional marketing techniques being pivotal to your business. Can you share any tips or secrets with others?
It sounds simple, but for me, it boils down to being human.
Not trying to “do marketing” but trying to make a connection and create meaning and value. Early on, this meant nurturing relationships with influencers who shared similar values or editors who wrote about things we also care about.
We believe in best-in-class customer service, which we have kept in-house because we like being in dialogue with our customers and not operating off anything scripted.
Material has donated about $100,000 to organizations at the intersection of food and marginalized communities; did you start from day 1 with a mission to give back? What does this mean to you as a business owner to have made such an impact?
It goes back to values and weaving them into the very foundation of the company from the beginning. One important thing that my co-founder and I spoke of when deciding to start Material was building social impact from Day 1. Not in a loud “look-what-we’re-doing” type of way, but in the way one might develop strength in a muscle…doing it regularly and often so that it becomes almost second nature. We started off small, donating products to the graduates of the Sylvia Center which is an incredible program focused on educating youth about food and health, and as we grew have been able to develop more robust annual programs like Kinder Kitchens where we can fundraise on a regular basis for organizations doing amazing things, such as Heart of Dinner.
How did you meet your co-founder?
I was the first friend he made in NYC! We met over fifteen years ago through a mutual friend. We’re both Southern California transplants who love food, fashion, and design so we naturally gravitated toward one another. Before Material, Dave was in the luxury fashion world at places like Valentino and Chanel. He has fantastic taste and is complementary to me in many ways.
Who is one woman you admire today?
My older sister, Christine. She is such an accomplished powerhouse of a woman, winning two Emmy awards as a producer before she turned 40. But she’s also a community organizer, fundraising for AAPI initiatives like The Woori Show, and an amazing mother of two.
What is one thing you can’t live without?
These days, coffee! It’s a busy season for us at Material and my daughters are getting busier and busier with life, which means mine does too! Which is why I make the time every morning to make a nice pour-over coffee. Something about the ritual of it all feels comforting and is a good way to start my day.
What is one trend you see coming in 2023/2024?
I think we’re seeing it now starting already but a real desire and appreciation for quality and longevity over flashy trends that come and go…a more considered and purposeful level of consumption.
More about Eunice
Material designs high-quality, high-performing items for the kitchen, inspiring home cooks and bringing joy to the everyday. Since launching in 2018, Material has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Oprah's Favorite Things, and GQ's Best Stuff of The Year. Eunice started her career at Goldman Sachs, has helped launch and advise several start-ups in the consumer space, and was most recently Head of Digital at Revlon. Her favorite dish to cook (and eat) is kimchi jjigae. When she is not eating or thinking about food, Eunice can be found chasing her two daughters around the city's neighborhood parks. Eunice graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Learning and Organizational Change.
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