ShelfGenie was founded 22 years ago by Andrew Kerwin, inventor of the Kerwin UV coating that is still used today on all ShelfGenie custom glide-out shelves. ShelfGenie of Greater Austin co-owners, Steven and Jewell Parker, discovered how great and simple those pull-out shelving systems were while remodeling their own home. "We loved the concept so much that when we decided to start a business together six years later and ShelfGenie was a natural choice for us. "We purchased our franchise on August 1, 2018," says Jewell.

ShelfGenie is Jewell's fourth business. It's also the first business she and her husband have ever owned together. After going through four mergers and traveling full time for 20-plus years, Steven was ready for a change. At the same time, Jewell's position as a Regional Director for a Health Care customer service operation was eliminated. This is what prompted them and when they decided that might be a good time to start a business together.

We could always write about how our readers are able to maximize storage space and functionality, but why not go deeper? We enjoy the opportunity to introduce our business partners and talk about interesting facts that help the business (and its owners) stand out from the crowd. It's important to also spotlight how a local business connects with their community. Let's face it, at the end of the day we want to support a local business with relatable people at the helm - not just a brand logo. 

Steven and Jewell are members of Greater Mount Zion Baptist Church. They also appreciate GREEK LIFE as alumni. Steven is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity and Jewell is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. For both of them, these are lifelong connections that foster brotherhood/sisterhood both, personally and professionally. Jewell also volunteers for Girls Empowerment Network (GenAustin) and actively promotes and supports Texas Paralyzed Veterans, Settlement Home, and GoodWill of Central Texas. ShelfGenie of Austin is an active member of the Rotary Club of Downtown Austin, National Association of Productivity and Organization (NAPO) and National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). Finally, they will offer their Grand Mesa clients a 10% discount or the option to donate 10% of the cost of their purchase to the nonprofit of their choice. When they work directly with non-profits, they extend a 10% discount to them, as well.

As the face of ShelfGenie of Greater Austin, Jewell is well-known in the business community. She spent most of her working life as an Entrepreneur earning many awards and recognition for the work she did in the community. A few previous Awards and Recognitions are:

"We plan to grow our business over the next five years and, hopefully, pass it on to one of our children before we retire. We are hoping to buy a vacation home somewhere near water but not too far away from our family," Steven declares. "We love what we do. We love helping our clients achieve their vision, even if they don't really know what it looks like until our complimentary consultation." 

These two have also developed a fantastic team. Amanda Lopez and Meredith Hull serve as Design Consultants. Amanda has over ten years of customer service and operations experience in the consumer goods industry and Meredith comes from a professional organizing and interior design background. They want to help you find a creative and functional solution designed specifically for your home!  James Pruden is the Senior Installer and brings 20+ years of carpentry experience to the ShelfGenie Family. His focus has been in custom finish work. This is a legacy business, too! James partners with Josuaa Jacobs, the Parker's son, in the installation process. Together they are developing best practices and standard operating procedures to the install process that allow them to scale quickly while still maintaining the level and quality of service their clients expect. 

ShelfGenie's custom-made Glide-Out Shelves are constructed for new or existing cabinets. It is true that they transform everyday frustrations into joy by giving back up to 50% more storage and better access to your cabinets. Their process, customer service, and dedicated team of professionals are simply unmatched in the industry. These are also great reasons to support such a great company like this.

Jewell and all of her siblings were delivered by her Grandfather and Grandmother in his hospital in Bryan, Texas. He was the first (and only for a long while) African American physician in Bryan, Texas. He built his own hospital (Hammond Memorial) and nursing school in Bryan. Jewell's Grandmother was an RN and taught in the nursing school. There is a magnet school in Bryan named for her Grandfather, Hammond-Oliver Science Magnate.

Jewell's mom and dad had five children. Her oldest sister, dramatically impacted by their Grandfather’s work, became a doctor. Her mother was a school teacher and entrepreneur.  Her dad was the Executive Director of the Urban League. Impacted by both of them, after graduating from Purdue University, Jewell went on to become a serial entrepreneur, always with a philanthropic leaning. She says, "One of my mentors in Austin once told me “You have to do well to do good” and that stuck with me."

Steven and his four sisters and a brother were born in Baton Rouge, LA. His family has a long history of entrepreneurship and civil service traced back to post-slavery. Named for his Mother’s father, Steven, he grew up making rounds with his grandfather collecting rent and helping in his lawn maintenance business. His father was a Baptist minister and his mother was an Executive Director of a Community Service Organization. They met and fell in love when he attended the University of Texas at Austin for Graduate School.

Reach out if they can help you organize your pantry, cabinets or shelves! Phone Number and Email: 512-872-4956 / jparker@ShelfGenie.com and the website is found at https://www.shelfgenie.com/locations/austin.