Stephan Shaw is the co-founder of The Unemployed Philosophers Guild (UPG), a unique gift company known for creating products that blend intellectual history with humor. His professional journey began in the summer of 1989, shortly after he completed his undergraduate studies as a philosophy major. Facing a difficult job market, Stephan and his brother David, then a history PhD student, began handcrafting clay earrings shaped like East and West Germany. They successfully sold these items on a street corner in SoHo, New York, which provided the initial momentum for their business.
Under the leadership of the Shaw brothers, The Unemployed Philosophers Guild evolved from a small street-side operation into an international brand. The company’s product line expanded to include a wide variety of items such as finger puppets, coffee mugs, stationery, and notably, a collection of watches that often feature themes from art, science, and philosophy. The brand is operated from an office in Brooklyn nicknamed the Ivory Tower, where a small team of individuals with backgrounds in the arts and humanities collaborates on product development.
Stephan Shaw’s approach to the business is characterized by a commitment to sharing complex ideas through accessible and often irony-drenched consumer goods. The company frequently utilizes public domain imagery to create products that celebrate figures from history and literature. Beyond his role at the Guild, Shaw is also an author; he wrote the novel Glory in the Dust, a story set in the Arkansas delta that explores themes of justice and redemption. He maintains a personal connection to Arkansas through his family’s involvement with Camp Ozark and currently resides in Texas and Arkansas with his family.