Our Story

Founders Matthew and Spencer came up with "Don't Judge Mugs" when brainstorming about how to create the framework for something to benefit people with special needs. A huge factor in their motivation was Matthew's sister Jessica, who was born with Cerebral Palsy.

Both young men had grown up assisting and advocating for people with special needs. Spencer was an advocate throughout elementary and junior high for classmates with learning disabilities, he credits his platform and character to his teacher Lenny Figure. Matthew had similar experiences throughout schooling, as well as growing up with Jessica and learning and being a part of programs for people with disabilities. This broadened his understanding of what it is like to live with a disability and the gap most people have with understanding that a disability isn't a label, if anything it makes you stronger. The work Matthew's mom Cheryl put into making sure Jessica was a part of the best community possible and accepted in school as an equal was a large inspiration to Matthew and Spencer. Because of this, they saw the importance of creating a platform to expand awareness for people with disabilities and advocate for those who struggled to fit in. Both men have seen the difficulties people face from judgment and daily hardships. For instance, community outings have been interrupted by harsh treatment from others. Their goal was to " Not Judge Mugs, but to Spread Love".

They quickly got to work on designing and printing the logo and finding the best use for the "mug". After a few prototypes, they finally settled on a fun and functional design. Now "Don't Judge Mugs" is helping people all over the world feel accepted and comfortable in their own skin. The mug was the perfect canvas to start with. It could be easily personalized and would be a great way to show off someone's personality. But there was one problem - how could they make sure that people didn't judge each other based on their mugs?

They quickly came up with the idea of "Don't Judge Mugs, Love Mugs". It would be a way for people to show off their personalities and connect with others without worrying about being judged all the while giving to foundations that benefit people with special needs. The mug became an instant hit and Spencer and Matthew soon found themselves spreading the idea to family and friends. People loved the concept of helping others with similar situations to Jessica - the ability to express themselves in whatever way they wanted through mugs while giving to such a beneficial cause. Spencer and Matthew never looked back. They continued to make new mugs and products, each designed to help people connect with others positively and benefit adults and children with disabilities.