Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Dr. Brent Ridge are Co-founders of Beekman 1802. Dr. Ridge began his career as a physician at Mt. Sinai in New York City and later launched the Health and Wellness division of Martha Stewart Omnimedia. Mr. Kilmer-Purcell was previously an award-winning advertising executive and New York Times bestselling author of three books.
 
The pair founded Beekman 1802 in 2008 after purchasing the historic Beekman Farm in Sharon Springs, New York, where they started making goat milk soaps and gourmet cheeses. Today, the company has over 130 employees and is recognized as one of the most successful lifestyle brands in America. Their beauty, home, and gourmet products are sold through premium retail partners worldwide, including Williams Sonoma, Bloomingdale’s, and Anthropologie, and in 2019, they set the record for the largest beauty brand launch in the combined 37-year history of both HSN and QVC. Over 45,000 people visit their flagship store and festivals each year in rural Sharon Springs.
 
Dr. Ridge and Mr. Kilmer-Purcell have been featured in countless media and business outlets. As the stars of The Fabulous Beekman Boys, they were the first gay couple to star in their own television series on a national network. They also competed in and won The Amazing Race. They have published four bestselling cookbooks, a home decor book, and continue to produce an award-winning quarterly magazine, The Beekman 1802 Almanac. OUT magazine has included them on their Top 100 Influential LGBT List, and Dr. Ridge and Mr. Kilmer-Purcell received Farmer of the Year recognition from the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. They sit on the board of the Farmer’s Museum.
 
Mr. Kilmer-Purcell and Dr. Ridge continue to reside on their farm in Sharon Springs.