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SCOTT TANNEN, 40
Founder of Funtank, a developer of
online gaming and entertainment
products that was acquired by Publishers
Clearing House in 2010. Previously held
positions in marketing at Nabisco/Kraft
Foods in East Hanover and Wrigley
[in Chicago and Morristown]
MISSY TANNEN, 41
Former third grade teacher
at Van Holten School in
Bridgewater
to turn to — you need to do it your-
self or it doesn’t get taken care of.
More than anything, you have to be
OK with some things in life being
less than perfect, so you can focus
on the most important things — in
our case, our kids. But, it’s impor-
tant to remember that starting this
business was a conscious decision,
and we certainly signed up for the
insanity that comes along with it.
In Missy and my case, the pros of
building something like Boll &
Branch far outweigh the cons or
sacrifices. As parents, we’re just
thrilled our daughters are sharing
this journey with us.
A PORTION OF EVERY BOLL & BRANCH
SALE IS DONATED TO THE FIGHT
AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
ARE THERE SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS
YOU SUPPORT?
MISSY: We have had a long-standing
partnership with NotForSale, a San
Francisco-based organization that
is working hard to fight human
trafficking around the world.
WHY DID YOU PICK SUMMIT FOR
YOUR COMPANY HEADQUARTERS?
MISSY: Scott and I live in Chatham,
very close to Summit. When search-
ing for our second office — we were
originally in downtown Chatham —
Summit was a perfect fit for our
growing team, and is an easy com-
mute for our employees who live
everywhere from New York City to
the Jersey Shore, and just about
everything in between.
DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO ADD MORE
HOME TEXTILES TO YOUR PRODUCT
LINE IN THE FUTURE?
MISSY: We are constantly releasing
new styles, patterns and products.
[Our line of] down and down alter-
native pillows have been so popular
that we have a waiting list approach-
ing three months! In just the last few
months, we’ve introduced a linen
collection made from pure, European
flax, as well as our first printed sheet
collection, “Floral,” which completely
sold out in about a month.
YOU OPENED A POP-UP STORE IN THE
MALL AT SHORT HILLS LAST YEAR.
WHAT WAS THE RESPONSE LIKE?
SCOTT: It was just a phenomenal
success. As our first test, the store
was only open for six months, and
closed in February. We were over-
whelmed by how many people were
aware of the brand and enjoyed the
opportunity to feel, and buy, the
product. We’ll be re-opening in Short
Hills on a long-term basis in
September and have lots of news
about retail expansion in other parts
of the country coming — but we’ll
keep you guessing for now. ■
MILLBURN & SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE FALL 2018
35