Who We Are

Creating products that come from the Earth, Roots & Jones is bigger than just hand-made wooden pens. It’s a lifestyle focused on encouraging people to get back to their Roots and closer to their purpose. Our pens are a reflective tool designed to enable connection, organization, story telling, deep focus, and authenticity. Each product is a unique wand waiting to find a partner who truly connects with it; who will use it to design their life and tell their story along the way.

Roots & Jones is founded by grandfather and grandson duo Jim Cantrell and Ryan Jones. Starting out in the old barn wood shop in the outskirts of Louisville, Kentucky an old hobby has been passed down from one generation to the next, where it is being built into something everyone in the world can appreciate.

Jim Cantrell: Co-Founder/Inspiration

Born in Oldham County, Kentucky in 1939 Jim has always been a man of many extraordinary talents. After graduating high school in 1957 he enlisted in the Air Force. He was stationed in Dover, Delaware where he learned his first trade, pipe fitting. It was there where he met his wife, Shirley. Jim and Shirley moved back home to Kentucky where they have been married for nearly 59 years. After moving back Jim started his career as a journeyman plumber, helping to build one of the most respected mechanical companies in the state. Primarily a plumber, pipe fitter, and a welder, Jim decided to take up the hobby of woodworking. He’s mastered projects from furniture, grandfather clocks, and kitchen tools, to his most infamous wooden toys for the grandkids. Jim and Shirley have travelled the world. He knows the roads across the United States like the back of his hand, but his Roots are laid in Kentucky, and he is Rooted in giving. The wooden pens started as unique gifts for friends and family. Jim’s selfless nature has inspired so many people already, and he joins Roots & Jones for no other reason than to to give back as his amazing works are shared with the masses.

Ryan Jones: Co-Founder

At a young age Ryan strived to make an impact by inspiring others to step out of their comfort zones and challenge themselves. He’s a leader by example. He is always looking to not only go see new places, but to truly experience them. A graduate from the University of Kentucky in May, 2019 he managed to put himself through college, all while finding the means to ride a motorcycle through Vietnam, backpack through Southeast Asia and Europe, road trip across the U.S. to national parks, spend a summer gaining tech experience in San Francisco. Ryan is experienced beyond his years, because he sought out those experiences. It’s one thing to travel and to live a fast-paced life, but these experiences have led him to step back and truly find out where he came from and why he is the way he is. Thus, inspiring him to get back and start Roots & Jones with his Grandpa.

Our Mission

Our mission is to facilitate connection one pen at a time.

We, as a society, tend to rarely take the time to understand how or why we have made it to this point in life. Just as we have done ourselves, we want to empower people to reflect and get back to the Root of who they are.

Stop. Think. Process. Be mindful. Everything happens for a reason.

Who are you journaling about? What is the point of taking those notes? When should that item be on your calendar? Why are you signing that contract? We are here to help you connect with yourself and with the world around you. We are your accountability partner. We are the key to unlocking your greater purpose. These hand-made wooden pens have enabled an incredible amount of growth in our own lives and we are so excited to share them with you.

So, our mission is to help you achieve yours!