The digital marketing and e-commerce firm, Kulin, quickly ascended to prominence, growing to a team of over 30 and serving a distinguished roster of brands, including Pela Case, Beardbrand, and Thorn. This trajectory, beginning with its 2020 launch from Sparrow Cowork’s Gibbard Block location, powerfully illustrates the kind of deep-level support Sparrow is committed to providing.
Where it started
The founding of Kulin was sparked by a conversation with Jim, President of Sparrow Capital. Chris was at a breaking point, exhausted by a Manhattan-based firm’s culture that promoted an untenable “do good work, don’t sleep” ethos. Jim immediately saw Chris’s untapped potential and challenged him to establish his own path. This crucial piece of encouragement—a simple query to leverage his existing client relationships and strike out independently—was the catalyst Chris needed. He recalls Jim’s directness: “Jim came by my office one day and said ‘You’re a smart guy. You could start your own agency. Why don’t you?’ I didn’t know if I could. A year later we were up to 20 employees.”
“Jim came by my office one day and said ‘You’re a smart guy. You could start your own agency. Why don’t you?’ I didn’t know if I could. A year later we were up to 20 employees.”
– Chris Mikulin, founder of Kulin
Chris Mikulin (right) and Sparrow Capital President Jim Huth (left) chat in the Sparrow Cowork common area
Taking Command of The Business
As the company experienced exceptional demand, Jim provided steady, strategic guidance. Their regular sessions focused on transforming Kulin’s structure from a loose network of subcontractors into a professionally managed organization with direct employees. They concentrated on implementing robust systems, channeling the abundant cash flow into developing core company capabilities, and refining the client base to ensure the highest mutual value. Just as vital as the business advice, Jim’s mentorship cultivated Chris’s perspective on his personal life, fostering a focus on his roles as a husband and father, and helping him find a sense of equilibrium and inner peace over the constant churn of anxiety.
This comprehensive, human-centered approach proved overwhelmingly successful. Kulin soon scaled out of the coworking space and into a dedicated commercial property. The model’s ultimate vindication came in 2023 when Chris achieved a lucrative exit, giving him the freedom to prioritize his life goals.
We believe that entrepreneurial leaders, with a little bit of support, can have a transformation of their experience, not just with their work, but with their overall existence.
– Sparrow Capital Co-Founder, Jim Huth
The Kulin narrative perfectly embodies Sparrow Capital’s deepest conviction: that an entrepreneur’s business cannot be separated from their life.
The goal is to partner with leaders and help them achieve a profound, overarching transformation—a revitalizing of their entire existence. Kulin’s explosive success was also an important lesson for Sparrow. Moving forward, the network is now fully equipped to provide a broader range of services to high-growth members, including integrated accounting support via Ordo, expanded commercial real estate options, and a richer community of peer entrepreneurs. Opportunities for capital solutions are now also readily available, such as financing for partners or shared asset ownership through the Open Equity Partnership Framework. Sparrow Capital is honored to celebrate Kulin’s remarkable achievement and maintains an enduring connection with Chris as a valued member of its community.