About the founder

I’m Tess, the owner and founder of Upsprout LLC. 
 
When I started Upsprout, I wanted to be certain that every inch of every box was steeped in love and care. I was thrust into the unforgiving belly of grief when I suddenly lost my father just over one year ago. It was such a tender time. I was too shaken to even know what to ask for help with, and my friends and loved ones so often wanted to help me, but didn’t know how. 
 
Upsprout answers these tough questions. We put great thought into each and every item your loved one receives to make their days just a bit sweeter and help gently support them through those big waves of grief. 
 

I have written and re-written this story of loss around a hundred times. It always feels not-quite-right. 

I will just say this. To lose my father was to lose so much – my sense of self, my feeling of safety in the world, my light. Slowly, those things have returned to me, but it happened slowly and only with the love and support of the people who kept showing up for me day after day, week after week, month after month.

This business is deeply personal to me. 

The isolation, confusion, and exhaustion of grief is too much to face alone. It is not an exaggeration to say that those who supported me through this last year truly saved me. 

There were so many times that my loved ones looked for ways to show up, but didn’t know how, and so they stayed silent. That silence was devastating.

I wanted to offer a solution that went far beyond a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolate. Grief is bigger than that. It needs an equally big solution. 

This is an image of my father carrying me on his back. It is an image tattooed on my arm, and a perfect metaphor for the years we spent together.

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