The 2022 Startup Leader’s Gift Guide: Straight From The Source

The holiday shopping season is in full swing and the search for the perfect gift can leave many of us scrambling for creative ideas. Whether you’re going for timeless, tried and true, or out of the box, it can be tough to know what someone really wants, especially in the business setting.

Shopping for the startup leader in your life can be challenging given the number of hats they wear on a daily basis. Short of a proverbial hat rack, we wanted to find the ideas that would make the biggest impact. There are a lot of holiday shopping guides out there, so we asked some of the most innovative startup leaders we know to share their best recommendations. We set no restrictions and received this thoughtful, curated list of ideas:

Actionable Advice
When you’re striking out on your own, sometimes the best gift is advice from those who have walked in your shoes.

Mousa Ackall, VP of Marketing at Tropic, suggests the book Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future, written by legendary entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel. Although published in 2014, the advice is timeless and can deliver the inspiration modern leaders are looking for.

Buy it here.

Billy Libby, Co-Founder and CEO of Upper90, suggests gifting a well-informed financial plan. He goes on to explain that the earlier startup leaders put a sound financial structure in place, for their company and themselves, the more options they’ll have down the road as they grow and scale their business.

Unfortunately this is not an item available on Amazon, but Billy suggests asking your network for personal recommendations on the best financial and tax professionals.

Sustainable Giving
Randi Mason, Partner & Co-Chair, Corporate at Morrison Cohen LLP, relies on Loop & Tie, a service that helps businesses send sustainable, personalized gifts. She explains, “It’s a great service and easy to use, especially because I don’t know where people are working. All you have to do is send an email and recipients choose their own gift.”

Check out this unique gift management platform here.

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction
Cari Sommer, CEO, RAISE Communications, loves sending her startup clients a gift from Sugarwish. Recipients can pick from an amazing selection of candy, cookies, popcorn snacks, coffee and tea or dog treats, depending on your craving du jour.

Make your Sugarwish here.

Another sweet delight is Kreuther Chocolates based in NYC. Randi Mason, Partner & Co-Chair, Corporate at Morrison Cohen LLP, is friends with the head chocolatier there and describes the chocolates as “insane.” We agree that chocolate makes everything better, even for the startup leader who barely has time to take a lunch break.

Check out the selection here.

Something Unexpected!
Many times the best gifts are un-researched and unique. Dan Mercurio, Chief Revenue Officer of SigFig, loves Uncommon Goods, which he says is just one example of a retailer that showcases interesting products that will catch the recipient with surprise and excitement.

Check out their full suite of products here.

Spa Day, Anyone?
The go-to gift for Jaime Klein, CEO of Inspire Human Resources, is a Spafinder gift card. Putting self care at the forefront, what startup leader wouldn’t enjoy a day of relaxation and rejuvenation? Plus, no matter where you live, you can find a spa nearby to indulge.

Get one here.

Company Swag with Utility
Paying homage to your growing company with customized swag is always a nice touch, but look for items that get real use. Kanan Ajmera, Founder and CEO of Builders Patch, suggests putting company logos on book bags, duffle bags, water bottles, and even socks. This also makes a great gift for employees!

There are many companies that offer customization. Some suggestions here.

Something to Keep Track of Your Notes (Hi-Tech and Lo-Tech)
Keeping up with notes, ideas and inspiration is a must-do for any startup leader. Dan Mercurio, Chief Revenue Officer of SigFig, suggests SuperNote, which “may be the product that reinvents note-taking, even for start-up leaders who are glued to their MacBooks.”

Get yours here.

Mousa Ackall, VP of Marketing at Tropic, prefers a physical notebook. He loves the Moleskine collection and makes sure he has one at every meeting (and he has many!).

Find your perfect notebook here.