COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Jason Kelce, recently named co-owner of a Columbus beer brand, is joining Kevin Durant and the owners of the Columbus Crew in financially backing a central Ohio apparel company that has also worked with Ryan Reynolds and Guy Fieri.
Columbus-based Homage has received a round of capital from Kelce's investment company named Winnie Capital and Durant's organization 35Ventures, the brand announced on Tuesday. Other notable figures who also invested include owners of the Cleveland Browns and the Columbus Crew Haslam Sports Group, Emmy-winning producer Rob McElhenney and co-founder of the Athletic Adam Hansmann.
"We're thrilled to have attracted this incredible group of investors," said Ryan Vesler, Founder and CEO of Homage. "At Homage, we've always been focused on helping our customers 'pay homage' to the people, places, and moments that mean the most to them. We look forward to growing the Homage brand even further by tapping into our new investors' strong cultural networks and unique strategic assets."
Kelce's investment is building on a long-standing relationship that he and brother Travis Kelce have fostered with Homage, previously utilizing the brand as the official apparel partner of their "New Heights" podcast. Taylor Swift, Travis' girlfriend, helped skyrocket Homage's sales after she was seen wearing a "New Heights" hat at the Coachella music festival.
"I've been a fan of Homage from the start because their designs bring back so many memories, from the things I grew up doing to the teams I've always rooted for," said Jason in a release. "There's a real sense of nostalgia in everything they do, and it resonates with me."
The NFL star brothers also recently took on new roles as significant investors and operators of Garage Beer, a brewing company sold in several states and headquartered in Columbus. The pair have been in talks with the brand for several years, and are now "be "involved in every aspect of the business" from brewing and distribution to sales and marketing.
Homage's series of high-profile investors began when the brand landed a backer in May known for Marvel's "Deadpool" movies: Ryan Reynolds. The company received a round of capital from the actor's Maximum Effort Investments, a firm that "makes movies, TV series, content, ads, and cocktails for the personal amusement of [Reynolds]," the company's site states.
In July, Homage released a "Deadpool" line called "Threadpool," with 18 shirts that fall into one of three categories: "Deadpool & Wolverine," "Classic Cuts" and "Deadpool Noir." A fourth category, "Wade's Closet," promises a collection of Deadpool designs handpicked by Reynolds, coming soon.
Fieri, the celebrity chef who opened a central Ohio eatery this summer, jumped on board by launching new t-shirts with Homage called the "MLB x Flavortown collection," a collaboration with all 30 Major League Baseball teams that celebrates each team's fan-favorite ballpark bites. The eats featured on the T-shirts include Skyline Chili nachos for the Cincinnati Reds, slider dogs for the Cleveland Guardians and pastrami for the New York Mets.
"We're grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with such dynamic individuals and companies in this exciting next chapter for Homage," said Vesler. "We're looking forward to the creativity, strategic insight, and energy they'll bring to the brand, helping us grow in ways we couldn't have imagined just a few years ago."
