Teach Elementary School fourth-graders Jackson Houser and Jackson Judge needed a product for their mini mall project.
Their idea: drip necklaces that string together style, sports, and philanthropy.
“We’re best friends and love having fun and being silly; we are always on the same team and get to feel proud spreading team spirit,” Judge said.
Creating drip necklaces—beaded in colors of different sports teams, and popular among athletes and their fans—was a team effort. With the help of their parents, the boys created a logo and posters for a makeshift advertisement and researched popular sports teams to narrow down top color combinations.
Judge’s mom, Amanda, who owns San Luis Obispo-headquartered online bridal fashion store Untamed Petals, made the order for necklace production. A few weeks later, the Drip Bros became a reality as an elementary school booth, selling out all 60 necklaces.
“The whole school kind of got into it,” Houser’s mom, Michelle, said. “We were kind of onto something. So, then we decided to turn it into a real business.”
One of the goals was to donate all the money from sales. Drip Bros raised $300 for the American Cancer Society. It’s a mission the Drip Bros continues today as an actual business. Now, 5 percent of each $15 drip necklace sale goes to Keen USA, a national nonprofit that empowers youth with disabilities and volunteer coaches.
“That was really important, because they loved that idea that it made it accessible to everyone,” Michelle said. “These boys love sports. They love the camaraderie. They’ve played on the same team since kindergarten with all their different sports teams.”
The Drip Bros is still a group project. The Jacksons design necklaces and pack Shopify orders after doing homework, and their moms help with the website and placing orders.
“I’ve gotten to help my mom package orders at her office for a long time, so I feel like it’s been fun to work on my own business,” Judge said.
Houser’s dad pitched in with his graphic design skills, and both dads wheel the Drip Bros stand to different events like the SLO Blues games.
“I pretty much wear our drip necklaces every day—usually a few at a time!” Jackson Houser told New Times. “I’m a big 49ers fan, so I wear the Inferno a lot along with Drip Digit 49. And when it’s sports season, I wear necklaces that match my team.”
The “Inferno” is the Drip Bros’ name for red and gold team spirit necklace. All its necklaces get names. There’s a green and gold necklace called Mustang Drip (a Jackson Judge favorite); a green, yellow, and white one called Gridiron Drip; a red, white, and blue necklace called Patriotic Drip; and a purple, black, and white necklace called Rivalry Drip, among others.
The Drip Bros also offers “drip digits” for $10.
“The digits are like a gold number charm that you’re able to actually clasp onto your necklace,” Michelle said. “It makes it fun because you could take your favorite number and switch out your necklace depending on your team, team colors, or what sports you’re playing at that time.”
The boys have reignited the drip necklaces fad at their elementary school. Houser told New Times that a lot of his friends and classmates suggest color ideas.
“We might use them—or sometimes not—but it’s cool to hear what they think,” he said.
Recently, the Drip Bros secured a spot at the SLO Farmers’ Market. They’ll soon start selling necklaces there once a month. Shop the full Drip Bros collection at dripbrothers.com and keep up with them on Instagram @thedripbros15.
“It’s fun working with my best friend,” Houser said. “We like coming up with new ideas and thinking about what the Drip Bros can do next.”
• Cal Poly and Allan Hancock College received $6,225 and $5,777, respectively, in scholarship donations from Orange County Wine Society. Meant for the 2025-26 academic year, the funds will help to support enology and viticulture programs at the two institutions. Δ
Reach Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal at [email protected].
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