麻豆影院

Her invention and new company, CatTongue Grips, was born because no other product offered grippiness without scratching

In March 2015, Matt Kelly walked into a Verizon store in Park City, Utah, to upgrade his phone. When he commented to a salesperson how easy it is to drop a phone, slippery as they are, she offered to sell him an expensive insurance plan.

Instead, Kelly鈥攚ho grew up in the skater and surfer culture of San Diego鈥攄rove over to a nearby skateboard shop, bought some grip tape, and slapped it on the back of his new phone.

鈥淚 said, 鈥榃hat have you got going on here?鈥欌�� recalls his wife, Missy Kelly (PolSci, IntAf鈥�94). 鈥淗e said, 鈥業 love this thing. It grips and it鈥檚 not sliding around.鈥�

There was just one little problem: 鈥淚t felt like a cat tongue鈥�and the sandpaper surface was going to scratch up everything in the house!鈥� she says. So, he challenged her to find him something online that would measure up to grip tape, minus the scratching.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 find anything,鈥� Missy Kelly remembers, 鈥渟o we decided to make it.鈥�

Two and a half years later, , a soft, self-adhesive, anti-slip accessory that can be easily applied and removed from the back of any mobile phone, debuted on Amazon Exclusives.

The company racked up more than $65,000 in sales its first year and is now available in 45 college bookstores around the country, multiple retail outlets, the company鈥檚 online store and Amazon. CatTongue Grips has also partnered with numerous organizations to create branded grips, from the University of Southern California to U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Spartan.

But CEO Missy Kelly鈥攈er husband is executive vice president鈥攕ays it took time to get the material and product just right.

鈥淚t took us six months just to get a meeting with the largest manufacturer of non-slip solutions in the world,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey said 鈥榃e鈥檝e never seen anything like it. We鈥檒l get scientists on it and make it for you.鈥欌��

One year and eight prototypes later, they had a product. 鈥淣ot only did it feel good in the hand,鈥� Kelly says, 鈥淚t gripped and didn鈥檛 pick up hair, lint or dirt.鈥� And of course, it didn鈥檛 scratch.

The company now has a patent pending on the material and recently launched its second product line, the , for tablets and laptops. This summer, it will introduce rolls of material so that users can cut to whatever size desired for home improvement, tools, rugs on wood floors, sporting, boating, camping鈥斺�淎nything that needs a grip!鈥� Kelly says.

As videos made by CatTongue Grips show, the material helps prevent phones and laptops from slipping off slanted dashboards, out of fumbling fingers and even the tops of moving vehicles.

鈥淲e want to be known as the Gription鈩� company,鈥� Kelly says, using the trademarked neologism she coined to describe what CatTongue Grips do.

The company has contracted with numerous artists to create its array of more than 30 designs, which run the gamut from solid colors to quirky animals, flags and graphic patterns.

鈥淭he back of your phone is an incredibly personal space, and we identify with that. If you are going to put something on the back of your phone, it should reflect you, your personality, what you want to align yourself with,鈥� Kelly says.听

The company鈥檚 products are printed in Salt Lake City and made from fully recyclable HDPE plastic.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a focus of ours to be green and clean,鈥� Kelly says.

CatTongue Grips now has a team of 12 people and was certified as a Woman Owned Business in October 2018.

Kelly grew up in San Diego and came to CU 麻豆影院 for a change of scenery.

鈥淚 was intrigued by CU because I love to ski. Having been at the beach my whole life, I wanted something different,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 wanted to experience seasons!鈥�

She double-majored in political science and international affairs. Following graduation in 1994, she returned to San Diego, where she met her husband and started a family. She earned her teaching credential and started a tutoring company.

But she hadn鈥檛 had her fill of mountains just yet, and in 2011, the family moved to Park City.

鈥淭he mountains were calling. We were looking for skiing and an outdoor lifestyle similar to what I had in Colorado,鈥� she says. Her two children, a girl, 15, and boy, 13, are both Alpine ski racers with Park City Ski and Snowboard Team.

Kelly credits CU 麻豆影院 with catalyzing her transition from beach girl to mountain woman and successful CEO.

鈥淐U was just a great introduction to how great life in the mountains really is. That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e here in Park City,鈥� she says. 鈥淟ife in the mountains has just been wonderful for me and my family. It鈥檚 what gives me peace in my spare time; hiking my dogs in the woods or flying down a mountain on a pair of skis are what bring me back to center.鈥�

So far, USC is the only university that has a licensing agreement with CatTongue Grips. Kelly says that鈥檚 in part because it is the only major school that has its own licensing division, simplifying the process. Most schools, including CU 麻豆影院, contract with Learfield/IMG College for licensing agreements.

鈥淚鈥檇 really like to do something with CU in the future,鈥� Kelly says. 鈥淚t would be really great to have a Ralphie CatTongue Grip!鈥�