CEDAR WAVE HOLDINGS

About Us

Cedar Wave Holdings is a vehicle through which we steward business interests, advisory relationships, and investments, as a reflection of how we think about work, calling, and the integration of the two.

Background

Jonathan (Jon) Kuhlman is the President and Founder of Cedar Wave Holdings. For over two decades, Jon has been building, leading, and navigating the decisions that shape organizations and the people inside them. His career has taken him from the financial sector to the founding team of one of the country's most recognized consumer brands, but the through-line has always been the same: seeking to live a fully integrated, fruitful life while helping others do the same.

Jon joined Simple Modern in 2016 as part of the founding team. Over a 10 year period, he helped build the company from startup to nearly $200 million in revenue — fully bootstrapped — becoming one of the world's leading drinkware brands. Jon built the B2B Custom business from the ground up, until he led the human capital efforts in his role as Chief Culture Officer. During this transformative stretch, the company achieved +200% growth in both headcount and revenue, becoming widely recognized for its values-based culture and out-of-the-box approach.

When the business reached a new level of maturity in late 2025, Jon stepped out of the role and took a three-month sabbatical to rest and reflect. The time was life changing for him and his family, giving him fresh perspective, and led to his decision to exit the day to day operations of Simple Modern in order to build something new.

Prior to Simple Modern, Jon spent years in the financial sector, most notably at RiskMetrics Group, a leader in risk management software for the investment community. During his time there he experienced the full business lifecycle: VC funding, IPO, and eventual acquisition by MSCI for $1.6 billion. Those years were instrumental in learning how companies evolve, and what it takes to scale with integrity.

Jon lives in the Oklahoma City area with his wife and two kids. You can find him on a run, fishing, or somewhere outdoors, cheering on the Sooners and OKC Thunder, writing, building community from his front porch, and thinking about how to experience more deeply the friendship and love of Jesus.

What We Do

The success at Simple Modern was tangible. But the real reward was learning how to value what matters in the midst of it — how to steward faith, family, and friendships — and leading others to do the same. Jon has spent countless hours wrestling through the tensions of growth, scale, and achievement while staying rooted in what is true, and discovering more about himself along the way. The journey is still ongoing.

Through Cedar Wave Holdings, Jon maintains minority interest in Simple Modern, pursues active and passive business interests in emerging opportunities, and provides confidential advisory services to executive leaders who are navigating the intersection of business, faith, and inner formation via an exclusive advisory practice. Each of these serves a unique purpose in his own pursuit to live a fully integrated life while leading from within.

The Name

For Jon, cedar represents my Lebanese heritage. Lebanon — a beautiful country marked by both resilience and hardship — is known for its ancient cedar trees, long revered for their strength, durability, and beauty. In Scripture, they appear as symbols of righteousness and abundance.

Wave comes from his wife Liz's story. Liz spent her childhood summers at her grandparents' beach house in New Jersey — a place that helped shape her sense of identity and purpose. It gave her a deep love for the ocean — the surfing, the sand, and even the power of the water.

Like most stories, ours carries amazing joy, deep pain, and regular challenges. Individually and together, those experiences have shaped who we are, and continue to do so.

While we each have our own professional paths, we are learning to embrace vocation as something that flows from our marriage. Cedar Wave Holdings is a reflection of that pursuit — a desire to live and build with intentionality, marked by the strength, beauty, joy, and adventure that are displayed in the cedars and the waves.

Thought Leadership

I regularly share insights on leadership, culture, business, faith, family, and everything in between on LinkedIn. Please connect and follow along.

Contact

Cedar Wave Holdings is open to expanding its advisory practice for those interested. If you are interested in exploring a potential relationship or have inquiries about other business opportunities, I'd welcome a conversation.