Dan Janssen
Dan Janssen founded Imperium Shaving, which creates handcrafted heirloom razors. With a visual arts degree from the University of Maryland, he started the business while working at a Baltimore nonprofit. Mark Cuban featured his work on How I Built This.
Dan Janssen's Bio
Dan Janssen is the owner and founder of Imperium Shaving, an artisan studio in Raleigh, North Carolina that handcrafts luxury safety razors from wood and metal. Each razor is built to heirloom standards and backed by a lifetime guarantee—made to last rather than to be discarded.
Janssen has been woodworking most of his life. He earned a bachelor's degree in visual arts from the University of Maryland, which shaped his eye for design and attention to detail. Before launching Imperium, he worked as a pizza delivery driver—a job he eventually left after the side razor business grew too demanding to keep hidden.
The business started in 2015, when Janssen built a wooden razor for himself and a friend asked him to make one too. That one request turned into a part-time sideline, then into something bigger. He found a supplier in Anna (location) and began building razors more seriously, eventually moving into a proper studio setup.
Today Imperium Shaving operates as a small, independent studio producing handcrafted razors and shaving accessories. The razors are made in the USA, marketed as luxury grooming without a luxury markup. The company also employs Dan Mecchi and Scott Seidel alongside Janssen in the business.
Career Timeline
2010 — BA in Visual Arts, University of Maryland
Bachelor's degree in visual arts, building a foundation in design and craftsmanship.
2015 — Started Woodworking Razors as a Hobby
Built his first wooden razor when he couldn't find a quality alternative to disposable plastic razors. A friend saw it and asked for one too—word spread quickly.
2016 — Founded Imperium Shaving
Turned a woodworking hobby into a business, handcrafting luxury safety razors in Raleigh, North Carolina.
2017 — Left Pizza Delivery to Focus on Imperium
Quit his pizza delivery job after the growing demand for handmade razors made it impossible to keep the business a side gig.
2018 — Established Imperium Studio in Raleigh at Imperium Shaving
Set up a proper artisan studio in Raleigh, NC, focused on producing heirloom-quality handcrafted razors and shaving accessories.
2019 — Featured in Baltimore Business Journal
Profiled as Imperium Shaving's founder in the Baltimore Business Journal, highlighting the company's niche in luxury shaving.
2022 — Team Expansion at Imperium Shaving
Brought Dan Mecchi and Scott Seidel into the business as Imperium scaled beyond its solo-founder roots.
