Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009
Road to Palm Springs
Steven B. Dunn
Munchkin, Inc.
North Hills, Calif.
Dissatisfied with the mediocre and “dull” baby products he found on the market after his first daughter was born, Steven Dunn left a lucrative career in high finance in 1991 to start a company with the mantra “make it better, or don’t make it.” His brainchild, Munchkin, Inc., is now the fourth-largest supplier of infant accessories in the industry, with sales exceeding $100 million in 2008.
Aware that he was up against established brands like Gerber and Playtex, Dunn focused on innovation and mass market appeal. After observing that his baby daughter reached for his can of soda, he launched his product line with baby bottles labeled with soda brands like Pepsi and 7Up.
By the second year, annual sales were at $15 million. Dunn also designed a new Bottle & Nipple Brush that remains a top seller, as well as products like the White Hot Duck and the White Hot Safety Spoon, which tell parents whether bath water or food is the right temperature for baby. Dunn and his team have been awarded more than 50 patents since the company started.
In 2004, Dunn extended Munchkin’s product lines into pet products. Most recently, to respond to the demand for environmentally friendly products and combat consumer concerns about plastic bottles, Dunn designed a modern line of glass bottles and removed PVC with phthalates from all products.
