On a trip to Banlgladesh in high school, Robert Feldman was shocked by the lack of basic necessities available to the people who lived there. He left with a strong desire to make a difference and help to solve this problem. Growing up in Florida, Feldman also noticed a lack of clothing that could handle intense activity. He then decided to create a solution to solve both of these problems. That is when he created Bearbottom.

Bearbottom is a clothing brand that aims to create versatile clothing for men so that they can take on any adventure. Feldman developed this line to be the perfect combination of eco-friendly and durable material, while remaining stylish. He started his first production in Bangladesh in an effort to provide sustainable clothing and jobs for the people there. Additionally, he implemented  a “buy one, give one” business model. Essentially, every time someone purchases an article of clothing from Bearbottom, a meal is donated to a child in India.

Since its inception in 2014, Bearbottom has grown into a very popular brand of clothing for “adventurers” and is currently worth $25 million dollars and has generated millions of revenue in donations to developling countries.

As entrepreneurs, we can learn a great deal from Feldman’s story. First, we can see the impact of a business with a mission. Feldman had a heart for the people struggling in Bangladesh and put all of his efforts into helping them. Customers of his brand resonate with him as a person and with his vision for the company which makes it more appealing than other brands.

Additionally, we can see the importance of creating of valuable product. Feldman noticed a gap in the mark for both durable and stylish clothing and decided to fill it with his own products. The company was incredibly successful due to demand for a product like this.