From the early days of TravisMathew to launching BOEN, Ben Donnelly shares his journey, vision, and the story behind the name.
After working as marketing manager in the earlier days of TravisMathew, I was fortunate enough to be brought on to help build Cuater, an accessories brand concept from Robbie McKnight, Bob McKnight (Quiksilver co-founder and CEO), and Travis Brasher (TravisMathew co-founders and CEO). Working alongside Robbie while learning how to build a business from Travis and Bob was the greatest experience of my life. Once Callaway acquired TravisMathew and Cuater in 2017, I shifted to start building a merchandising department at TravisMathew with the guidance of TM's current CEO, Ryan Ellis. I eventually became VP of Product, overseeing all product categories and creative direction as the business scaled from $50M to $350M+.
I spent months brainstorming hundreds of names for the brand, but nothing felt right. Travis (BOEN co-founder), wanted to use some iteration of my name. I wanted something more abstract. One night in the desert (with a few margaritas), we narrowed it down to five... woke up, hated them all. A couple of days later, we landed on BOEN — half BOwie (his daughter), half bEN. Travis and I are like family, so the name means a lot to both of us.
There's a healthy amount of dark grey as well. it began as a way to simplify my mornings. I've always dealt with anxiety, and the last thing I want is to stress about what I'm going to wear each day. A black tee, dark grey pants, done — I know it fits, I know it looks good, and I can move on with my day. But beyond that, I think a lot of guys are frustrated with a market flooded with loud prints, bright colors, and inconsistent fits. BOEN exists for guys who just want their wardrobe to work — great fabrics, consistent fits, and a color palette that makes it even simpler. Less decisions, more confidence.
I'm a product guy first, so I could talk about the latest fabric we've developed, but what really excites me is the community we're building behind BOEN. We're so fortunate to be surrounded by a group of friends and investors that are doing the coolest stuff — from business legends to Olympians, to pro golfers, to pro surfers, to influential creatives. All of us frustrated by the same thing: a market flooded with loud, overdesigned, disposable clothing. We wanted something effortless, understated, built to last. So, we decided to build it ourselves. now, we get to tell that story, grow this thing the right way, and create something people actually want to be part of.
