Dear Future Investor,

Hi, we’re Brianne and Jared Mees, co-founders of Tender Loving Empire — a Portland-based company proving that retail can be successful, scalable, and socially conscious.

Since 2007, we’ve grown from a tiny consignment shop with just $50K in first-year sales into 7 thriving retail stores across two states that employs 65 people and generated nearly $8 million in revenue in 2024. But beyond the numbers, we’re driven by a mission: to support artists, makers, and creative small businesses — while building a business that strengthens the communities we serve.

Small businesses and independent makers are an essential part of every great city. But too often, we see big box stores extracting from local communities, or worse, stealing from artists and undercutting their value. We believe there’s a better, more regenerative way.

What if success in retail actually strengthened local economies? What if it uplifted makers, paid them fairly, and turned shopping into an investment in community? This is Tender Loving Empire’s mission.

Over the last 18 years, we’ve become a launchpad for hundreds of artists and brands, paying out over $20 million into the creative economy — helping people quit day jobs, hire teams, and grow into national brands. Our proven model combines thoughtful curation and fair purchasing practices with in-house product design, allowing us to maintain strong margins while taking care of makers.

This is not a startup. It’s a thriving, mission-driven business that’s grown 13X in the last decade and has grown $3m in annual revenue since the pandemic.

Now, we’re raising funds on Wefunder to expand into high-traffic retail spaces, scale e-commerce and wholesale, and increase our brand impact - all with the purpose of furthering our mission to support makers, artists and small businesses.

As an investor in TLE, you have the potential to earn your money back with interest after 5 years or convert to equity and take the ride with us.

If you believe in artists getting paid fairly, in responsible commerce with meaning, and want to be part of a business with heart, traction, and vision — we’d love to have join us.

With gratitude,

Brianne & Jared Mees

Co-founders, Tender Loving Empire

HOW IT STARTED

In 2007, we started Tender Loving Empire with a simple mission: to support artists and creative small businesses, while inspiring our community. We began as a tiny consignment shop in an out of the way location selling the art of about 25 artists. We started a record label to put out the music our friends were making, silkscreening the covers and burning the CDs by hand. That first year we were proud to have made $50k in sales. We worked the counter 9 hours a day, 6 days a week for three years, we took pride in knowing every artist by name, in paying artists accurately and on time and in making sure every customer who walked through the door left with a smile.

HOW IT'S GOING

We've grown considerably, but growth hasn’t changed our mission—it’s amplified it. TLE now operates 7 stores in 2 states and employs 65 amazing humans. We have headquarters and an event space in SE Portland and three of our locations are high volume airport locations at the Portland Airport and the Seattle-Tacoma Airport.

TLE's significant growth has allowed us to proudly pay over $20 million and counting to the artists, makers and small businesses we set out to support.

We’ve grown 13X in the last 10 years, and since the pandemic, we’ve grown 40%, adding $3 million in new revenue from 2021 to 2024. And there’s a lot more opportunity from here.

So why invest in Tender Loving Empire?

So glad you asked!

Five-year growth plan

Forward-looking projections are not guaranteed.

We will spend 2026 and 2027 maximizing our current operations as our early store-opening loans reach maturity. We will focus on growth of our stores and other current verticals - our e-commerce site, our B2B gifting service, wholesale sales of our house brand and our record label.

In 2026 we will apply to open a 2nd location at the Seattle Airport to open in 2028

In 2029 or 2030, we will open an additional high-grossing store either in the Seattle area or at the Boise airport.

By 2030 or 2031, we are projecting to hit almost $15 million, with a 10% EBITDA.

At that point, we will either pay our investors back with interest, or convert investment to shares of TLE and our investors can come along on the next growth phase.

Forward-looking statements are not guaranteed.

Why we chose Wefunder; why this is more than investment?

We chose Wefunder because it allows the people who’ve supported us — customers, artists, friends, and fans — to invest in our shared future.

As an investor, you’ll either get your money back with interest after 5 years, or convert to equity, own a piece of Tender Loving Empire and come along with us for growth beyond 2030. This is a solid financial investment, but it's more than that — it's a culture investment in the creative economy of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. (not guaranteed)

If you believe that small businesses are the lifeblood of a community, if you believe in artists getting paid fairly, in keeping dollars in local communities — and in profitable companies that lead with purpose — we’d love to have you with us.

Join us. Invest in a creative community and an exciting regenerative retail model.

Invest in Tender Loving Empire.