Pens.com Partners with TV Series ‘START UP’ for First-Ever Brand Sponsorship, Bringing Small Business Stories to Life

Global promotional products leader sponsors Season 14 of the Emmy-nominated series, chronicling the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.

SHELBYVILLE, TN, UNITED STATES, October 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Pens.com, a global leader in branded merchandise, today announced its sponsorship of Season 14 of START UP, the national TV series that airs on PBS and PTV stations across the country. The 6-time Emmy-nominated TV series highlights the trials and triumphs of American small business owners across 13 educational, inspiring episodes.

This is Pens.com's first-ever brand partnership and first venture into television programming — a meaningful milestone as the company celebrates its 60th anniversary. Pens.com has been a champion for small businesses since 1966, offering high-quality, affordable promotional products across categories like pens and writing instruments, apparel, bags, drinkware, and more. Through this partnership, Pens.com will help bring the stories of entrepreneurs to audiences nationwide, while reinforcing their longstanding commitment to helping the business community.

"For 60 years, Pens.com has had a front-row seat to what entrepreneurship actually looks like," said Kristin Smith, Chief Marketing Officer at Pens.com. "Not the highlight reel, but the real work of building a brand from nothing. START UP tells those stories honestly, and the businesses in Season 14 remind us why we do what we do. Every order we fulfill represents someone's brand, someone's livelihood, someone's bet on themselves. That is exactly the kind of ambition we have built our business to support."

At the core of the partnership is a :15 sponsorship spot that's designed to celebrate entrepreneurship across America.

"We’re honored to partner with Pens.com; a company that has actively supported small business and entrepreneurship for 60 years. We know how important visibility is and Pens.com helps business owners stand out in an incredibly competitive marketplace,” said Gary Bredow, START UP Host and Creator.

To learn more about the partnership and watch the :15 sponsorship spot, visit:
www.pens.com/start-up

Season 14 of START UP began airing on local PBS and PTV stations on September 21st. On October 4th, the season launched nationally on WORLD Channel and on PBS.org and the PBS app. Viewers should check local listings for individual station dates and times.

About Pens.com
Pens.com helps businesses build their brand, connect with customers, and grow their business through personalized promotional products. Founded in 1966, the company offers a wide selection of customizable pens and writing instruments, apparel, bags, drinkware, and more. Pens.com is committed to delivering more value to its millions of customers across 22 countries worldwide, providing expert design support and industry-leading personalization capabilities. It operates a network of more than 11 facilities across North America, Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia. Pens.com, a National Pen brand, is a Cimpress company (Nasdaq: CMPR).

To learn more, visit www.pens.com.

About START UP
START UP is a national television series that tells the inspiring stories of American small business owners. Hosted by Gary Bredow and produced by Jenny Feterovich, the show travels across the country to highlight the diverse journeys of entrepreneurs building businesses from the ground up. Now in its 14th season, with episodes filmed across states nationwide, START UP has become a valuable educational tool in schools, universities and prisons, and has received 6 Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Host, Writing and Casting.

To learn more about the series, visit startuptelevision.com.

Sarah Garvey - Director Strategic Communications
Pens.com
Sarah.Garvey@pens.com
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