James Oliver, Jr. came up with one of those ideas that make you wonder why it wasn’t thought of before. His company, WeMontage, turns your personal photos into removable wallpaper. He makes it affordable and easily accessible for all.
So impressed was the queen of home decor Martha Stewart with WeMontage, she said, ”WeMontage is a decor idea all homeowners should know.”
Oliver, a Morehouse College alum, founded the company in 2012 and hit the market in 2013. Since then, the company’s been featured on the “TODAY Show” three times, “Good Morning America,” Martha Stewart’s website, and more.
“In 2011, I was watching an interior design show on HGTV and they were in a family’s basement covering the wall with big, beautiful collages and I wanted one, but there was no way to do it. So, I made a way,” Oliver runs the company full-time now. “People display photos because the pictures make them happy. People get more love and happiness from their photos on a WeMontage than they do from picture frames and canvas prints.”
After getting the idea, Oliver went about to raise funding. “I completed a tech accelerator in WI called gener8tor in 2013 and raised a total of $435,000,” he said.
The WeMontage photo process is simple to use. “Users simply visit the website, upload a few images and our site automatically arranges a collage for them. We ship their collage to them on peel and stick photo wallpaper,” Oliver offers.
The startup has given Oliver more than a few insights into being an entrepreneur. “In my book, ‘The More You Hustle The Luckier You Get: You CAN Be a Successful Parentpreneur,’ on amazon, I share a lot of lessons from the entrepreneurial journey-some of the key ones are: a. If you have kids, these are the good old days: b. Mental health and mindset are everything; and c. Anxiety and worry are rooted in fear and are wasted energy; they never contribute to any positive outcomes,” he reveals.
Of course, starting a new business always has its challenges. “It’s REALLY hard. You must be fully committed to seeing it thru until the end. No matter what,” Oliver shares.
Now that WeMontage has established a consumer foothold, Oliver looks to expand the company. He says, “Shift more of our revenue from consumers to business who use WeMontage to boost employee morale with employee photos at corporate events.”
