SHU Alumni Create Marketing Campaign for Startup Company
Cousins collaborate to bring new line of organic pancake mix to families’ kitchens
Sacred Heart University alumni Brandon Gilliam ’17 and Mario Cimino ’21 are the marketing minds behind the launch of a new startup company, Happy Grub. Company founder Ashley Davies created a line of pancake and waffle mixes that aim to “bring families together in the kitchen, making mealtime more nutritious, convenient and fun,” and Gilliam and Cimino are helping her get the word out.
The company launched on Kickstarter Nov. 2 and the campaign will run until Dec. 2. Backers of the project will receive product and rewards just in time for the holiday season.
“The perfect gift for everyone on your list,” said Gilliam. Ahead of that, the brand is already receiving plenty of attention on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. Photos and videos show how easy the organic, instant pancakes and waffles are to make. Even young bakers can use the organic, instant pancake and waffle mix, which comes in an easy-to-use, squeezable bottle.
“You just add water to the bottle, shake it up and then everyone can ‘draw’ their own pancake shapes,” explained Gilliam. “Instead of just the mom or dad making breakfast, everyone is involved, so the whole process becomes family time.”
“I like to say it mixes arts and crafts together with making food,” Cimino said.
Gilliam is the creative director for Happy Grub, and Cimino is the designer for the company’s marketing campaign. “I throw an idea at Mario, and he brings it to life,” Gilliam said. Their collaborative dynamic seems almost effortless, because they share the same vision for the company.
Gilliam knew Davies as a neighbor while growing up. When he heard about her Happy Grub venture, he reached out, pitched his marketing experience and was hired. The first person he thought of when building the marketing team was Cimino.
“He’s my cousin, but that’s not why I chose him,” Gilliam said. “Mario was my first call because I know how hard he works and how much he accomplished at Sacred Heart.”
Cimino, a recent graduate who double-majored in marketing and graphic design, recalled that, “Brandon called me as I was driving up to Sacred Heart for the second semester of my senior year.” He said he jumped at the chance to join the Happy Grub team.
Gilliam and Cimino credit Sacred Heart for honing their talents. Gilliam said a teacher in his Brooklyn, NY, high school initially told him about Sacred Heart University. “She said I know the perfect school for you, and when I came to tour the campus, I immediately fell in love,” he said. “I knew right then that Sacred Heart was going to be my number-one choice.” Gilliam took advantage of the pre-fall program to start early and began getting involved with campus life right away.
Cimino, a Queens, NY, native, said Sacred Heart was a logical choice for him to learn the ins and outs of marketing. “Of course, my initial introduction to Sacred Heart was from Brandon, but I decided I needed to form my own opinion,” he said. “I walked onto campus, and it felt like home. The more you get involved, the more it really feels like your home.”
Both men showed their leadership and talent early in their academic careers. Cimino was honored his freshman year with the First Year Pioneer Award, which goes to an individual who personifies Sacred Heart’s values through outstanding vocational achievement that makes a profound difference in the lives of others. He was a founding member of SHU’s Beta Theta Pi chapter and a member of the business and honors fraternities. While on campus, he started a street-cleaning club that worked with Bridgeport City Hall to organize students to pick up trash on Bridgeport streets every Saturday.
Gilliam, a marketing and business management major who was a member of Omega Phi Kappa multicultural fraternity, worked with his best friend to start a not-for-profit group called Greek Life Gives while he was on campus. Fraternity members used their experience in Greek life and philanthropy to adapt a French law that stated leftover food must be donated, rather than thrown away. They approached Einstein Bros. Bagels, which has sites on Black Rock Turnpike and on SHU’s main campus. The eatery was throwing out leftover bagels and pastries at the end of each day because their food items had to be made fresh daily. Gilliam and David Dechent-Robertin ’17 developed a schedule of fraternity and sorority volunteers to pick up the leftovers and bring them to Prospect House in Bridgeport to feed the hungry. He won the Doug Bohn Unsung Hero Award for his efforts.
“Entrepreneurship is one of the hallmarks of the Welch College of Business and Technology (WCBT), and this is a great example of our alumni engaging in real-world business innovation,” said David Taylor, associate dean of the WCBT. “We are extremely proud of Brandon and Mario for their work in launching an exciting new product line, and we wish them and their company continued success as entrepreneurial marketers.”
In addition to helping Happy Grub launch, the cousins have launched a family tradition: Cimino’s two siblings are current Sacred Heart students. “We’re a happy Sacred Heart family and a Happy Grub family,” Cimino said.
The Happy Grub Kickstarter launch will include silicone pancake molds, a mini-waffle maker and plant-based edible ink markers to accompany the organic mixes, which come in buttermilk, whole wheat, apple cinnamon and banana flavors.
Visit the Happy Grub Kickstarter page to learn more and support the company’s efforts.
Pictured are Mario Cimino, left, and Brandon Gilliam.