Archive for Apparel/Accessories – Page 9

Sofi Overton – Wise Pocket

Posted by Grant Baierl 
· Monday, December 2nd, 2019 
· 3 Comments

Meet Sofi Overton, a young entrepreneur who found a wonderful new way for girls to store their phones when they are wearing leggings. Sofi started her company– Wise Pocket– when she began noticing how her older cousin had to put her phone in her socks when she was wearing leggings.

Sofi took this thought and ran with it as she designed socks that have pockets high up on the sock that prevents the phone from falling down the wearer’s legs. Not only that, but Sofi also designed leggings that had pockets big enough for an individuals phone, while keeping the wearer comfortable.

Her good business is not as impressive as her kind heart as she donates a pair of socks to homeless kids and people with every pair that is purchased. This all started because of the numerous number of people in school district alone who live without a home: 627.

Sofi’s mission to make socks and leggings for active kids like her has transformed into a business that has not stopped selling. She currently has three designs that are coming soon in her legging line and socks that are simple but fashionable.

Furthermore, she sells hats and hoodies to increase her business. Sofi has done a wonderful job starting her own business.

3 Comments
Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Millennial Enrepreneuers, Online Companies, Social Entrepreneur, Youngest Entrepreneurs

Savannah Britt: Youngest Magazine Publisher in the World

Posted by Emma O'Toole 
· Friday, November 29th, 2019 
· 3 Comments

At 9 years old, Savannah Britt had her first job: a paid public writer for children’s book reviews for The Kitchen Table News, a local New Jersey newspaper. She loved to write and was gifted in her writing skills that a newspaper hired a 9 year old. The publication then went out of business, leaving Savannah unemployed. She was determined to develop her own voice through writing, so she decided to start her own magazine. She was very intrigued by the industry, and one day decided to make her own magazine that features things that real teens want and need.

At 11 years old, Savannah founded Girlpez, a online and print publication focused on fashion, beauty, and self-empowerment for teen girls. Girlpez quickly gained attraction and rose Savannah to fame. It caught the attention of Teen Vogue’s then editor-in-chief, Amy Astley, who named Savannah as the “Youngest Magazine Publisher in the World.” Savannah wrote and covered everything from celebrity interviews to front row coverage at New York Fashion Week. She wanted her magazine to have the ‘it’ factor. Following the online site, Girlpez then became a hard copy magazine.

After years of running her magazine, Savannah switched gears and ventured off to college at Rutgers University. With experience in magazine publishing, she found interest in communications which led her to public relations. In her freshman dorm room, she started her own PR firm, Brittprint. She became a serious networker, which has made her into a popular PR socialite. She has worked with big celebrity names and her firm specializes in brand management, marketing, content creation, and PR specifically with clients in the fashion, lifestyle, and entertainment industries.

Savannah capitalizes on her unique PR approach, veering from traditional mediums and zooming in on strategic communication through creative conceptualizing and vast powerful relationships across the globe. Through her roles in the magazine and PR firm, she is constantly redefining social visibility.

 

 

 

3 Comments
Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Beauty, Communication, Fashion, Female Empowerment, Social Entrepreneur, Social Media, Women Entrepreneurs

Pela Phone Case

Posted by Stu Rozendal 
· Tuesday, November 19th, 2019 
· 3 Comments

According to Pela Case’s website, they have a “big, hairy, audacious goal” where they want to create a future without waste, and it is that mission that informs their goals and business-practices. The founder of Pela, Jeremy Lang, says that he had the idea for the company when he was in Hawaii with his family and his son dug up a piece of plastic on the beach. This led Lang to think about the impact of plastic and waste on the environment, and from that the impact on human life and community.

Lang decided that he wanted to craft a company that combated this waste, while also raising awareness about it. This led him to found Pela Case, a company that produces eco-friendly recycled phone cases. The idea was to create something environmentally-focused and sound that you would hold in your hand every day. Their phone cases are durable and biodegradable.

The company is founded on and focused around four core values: community, creativity, consciousness, and courage. All of these are reflected in their business’ values and practices, but also in the culture they wish to inspire in their product.

This company interests me because I think it is an awesome example of an entrepreneur seeing a very specific need and finding a way to connect it with something tangible and very “human.” It’s a company that does not ask much of people–everyone needs a phone case, so why not get one that looks nice and also supports environmental causes? The company still seems like it’s pretty small, but I’ve seen a lot of ads for it on social media and I have begun to see more people with their product.

3 Comments
Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Charity, Clean water, Millennial Entrepreneurs, Social Entrepreneur

The Rise of Roolee

Posted by Paige Snyder 
· Monday, November 18th, 2019 
· 2 Comments

Roolee is a trendy and boutique fashion and lifestyle brand founded by Kylee Champlin. In addition to women’s clothing, her store sells kids and baby clothing, accessories, home décor, and gifts.

Champlin was a graduate of Utah State University. In 2013, after working at a local boutique for several years, she was given the opportunity to buy it. Inspired by a lack of desirable shopping options in her hometown, she decided to give it a unique flair and make it her own. Since then, Roolee has grown into brick-and-morter locations, developed an online shopping empire, and began construction on their headquarters.

Although she makes it seem like an easy task, Champlin admits that being a millennial entrepreneur hasn’t always been a cake walk. In an interview on Roolee’s blog, she admitted that in the beginning, there was nobody to answer her questions or give her guidance, so a large part of their growth came from trial and error. Champlin advises new business owners to “[not] get discouraged and remain patient. Success takes time. Hard work and talent will get you there, but you can’t do it alone, and it doesn’t happen overnight.

In addition to Champlin’s professional accomplishments, she is also passionate about women loving and empowering each other. Roolee has partnered with and donated profits to the Foundation for Women’s Cancer, as well as developed their own social media movement— “A World of Sisters.”

The way that Champlin has integrated and revolutionized millennial boutique fashion is remarkable. She is continuing to innovate and adapt, which is why Roolee is one of the most popular niche brands, and she’s one of the most influential millennial entrepreneurs.

2 Comments
Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Fashion, Millennial Enrepreneuers, Redemptive Entrepreneurship

Bombas – More Than Just Socks

Posted by Olivia Whiteman 
· Sunday, November 17th, 2019 
· 3 Comments

A common irritant in one’s daily life is socks.  While it might not be your first thought for what irritates you, many people dislike it when their socks fall down, do not provide support, cause blisters, make your feet hot, or maybe worst of all, the irritating seam that goes across the toe of socks that never seems to be in the right place at the right time.

As it turns out, in 2013, David Heath and Randy Goldberg were irritated enough with these problems that they started a company called Bombas.  Heath and Goldberg were regular consumers, knowing nothing about the in’s and out’s of the sock industry, but what they did know was their own pain points.  They set out to achieve two goals:  design the best sock in the history of feet, and give a pair of socks to a homeless shelter with every purchase.  By targeting their own pain points, they developed unique socks.

The socks are all contoured to either a left or right foot.  The ankle socks have a blister tab, calf-length socks have “stay-up technology” that actually works, and their no-show socks use stay-put heel grips and contour seam construction to stay where they are supposed to.  All of the styles incorporate the company’s now signature honeycomb across the mid-foot to provide addition support, a y-stitched heel to cup the heel of your foot, and a reinforced foot-bed to be longer lasting and more supportive.  Health and Goldberg now have several different styles and lines of socks including dress socks, compression socks, wool socks, quarter socks, and athletic socks, as well as the standard crew, ankle, and knee high socks.

To Heath and Goldberg’s second goal, they realized that the number one most requested item from homeless shelters was socks, due to the necessity that they be new.  They developed a one-for-one business model and now for ever pair of socks you buy, they donate a brand new pair to a homeless shelter in need.

In 2014, Heath and Goldberg took Bombas to Shark Tank.  They were successful in getting a deal with Daymon John, and officially launch the company.  Heath and Goldberg hoped to give away one million socks by 2025 but in fact, they met that goal in only two and a half years, and a mere six months later, they had given away two million pairs.  At the time this post was written, according to the live counter on the Bombas website, they have donated 27,811,296 pairs of socks.

Bombas is an example of two regular guys, seeing a pain in their own lives and finding a way to solve it.  Not only have they created what are arguably the best socks in history, but they have also found a way to make a huge impact in the lives of many people who are in need of an item most of us take for granted:  socks.

 

3 Comments
Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Clothing, Helping Hands, Redemptive Entrepreneurship, Shark Tank, Social Impact, Socks

Silly Bandz – Years in the Making to Finally Hit it Big

Posted by Hannah Sedam 
· Friday, November 8th, 2019 
· 8 Comments

Image result for Robert Croak

Robert Croak founded Brainchild Products, which was the company who in 2006 released a bunch of colorful, shaped rubber-bands called Silly Bandz. Anyone who was born from 1997 to 2007 probably remembers the Silly Bandz craze in elementary school and middle school. Silly Bandz success was no accident but a lot of hard work by the hand of the inventor.

When Robert was 23, he took over his grandparents’ restaurant and got into the business ownership world. He opened two more restaurants during the 1990’s as well as started a concert promotion company and a custom apparel company where he first experimented with selling custom rubber band bracelets. Robert thought that this idea of custom silicone bracelets would be a big hit, but he didn’t get as much traction as he had hoped.

Image result for silly bandz"Silly Bandz finally took off at a trade show in China in 2006, where Robert saw similar shaped rubber bands created by a Japanese designer. This trip gave Robert the three changes he needed for Silly Bandz to be what they are today; bigger, thicker, and more detailed. During the peak of the craze, in 2008, more than a million packs of Silly Bandz a week were sold. Phones were ringing off the hook and supply was flying off of the shelf.

Silly Bandz was so successful, they ran a Facebook ad offering work on the spot. A line down the sidewalk was the response, and the warehouse was so full of work that tables outside the building were being used to pack orders. The frenzy started to slow during the summer of 2010, at which point the craze in the Unites States was thought to be over. Robert Croak was content and was happy to have hit it big with his idea, but that is not the end.

Walking around campus, I have noticed a very interesting article on primarily sophomores and freshman’s arms. Its Silly Bandz, making a potential comeback. I asked my friends why, and the reasoning that I have gotten is that they remind them of an earlier time in their life, and they are simple and classic. Who knows how this new emergence will affect the company; maybe there will be another $200 million craze, or just another blip on the map. Either way, Silly Bandz has affected millions of people through its fun, crazy colored and shaped silicone bracelets.

8 Comments
Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Fashion, Vintage

Carolyn Rafaelian: Selling More than Just a Bracelet

Posted by Emma Lizewski 
· Wednesday, November 6th, 2019 
· 2 Comments

Carolyn Rafaelian is the creator of the successful jewelry company, Alex and Ani. For Carolyn, her idea came around the age of thirty when she returned to Rhode Island with her husband and two eldest daughters. Carolyn grew up on Rhode Island with her family, and her father was in the jewelry industry making brooches and earrings. Carolyn has memories of working as punishment in the factory her father owned, so she credits her childhood with sparking her passion.

Carolyn decided to start Alex and Ani because she was unimpressed with the costume jewelry industry and her father’s company was struggling to keep up with cheap jewelry coming from China. The brand started off with simple wire bracelets and hoop earrings, but Carolyn wanted more. That was when she came up with an idea that would allow design to be applied to the bracelets. In 2004, Carolyn patented the “Alex and Ani 14-gauge expandable wire bangle”. This new design allowed for the bangle to hold more beads and charms for better designs. Carolyn saw great success with this design when it was first launched because “it tattoos your body without the tattoos:” people could express themselves with these bangles.

But Carolyn went further by adding another unique feature to her bracelets. She wanted her bracelets to encourage positive thinking and reduce negative energy. Now her bracelets have charms, cards, and the blessings of a priest and shaman that are specific to creating positive energy while you wear them. Brent Cleaveland says, ‘”They don’t really sell jewelry. They sell positive energy. The bracelet is just the vehicle.”‘

Alex and Ani is turning over 10 million dollars a year, and Carolyn has seen major growth in her company. Her unique modification to an established market shows her entrepreneurial creativity. Carolyn found a niche, and she was able to create more than a piece of jewelry. Carolyn created a story and an experience in her jewelry, which makes her customers feel connected to her products. She didn’t create jewelry, but she added to the market by changing the purpose of bracelets. It was inspiring to learn her process of creating more than just a bangle.

2 Comments
Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Art, Experience

Serengetee

Posted by Stu Rozendal 
· Tuesday, November 5th, 2019 
· 1 Comment

Serengetee is a good example of the way that a company started by young people, especially college students, can grow to be something really cool, big, and impactful.

Serengetee today is a social venture clothing and accessories company that is known mostly for its tee shirts, but also for its hats, scrunchies, and more. Two college guys started it seven years ago when they met traveling abroad for a semester. When exploring local markets in different countries they were intrigued by the different fabrics they saw. They wanted to do something good with these fabrics and wanted to create a clothing company surrounding these fabrics and even though they had no previous experience in fashion they began to experiment with what they could do.

Their mission became this: they would buy fabric from all around the world, supporting local artisans and craftsmen, honoring generations-old traditions, and preserving and sharing these bits of culture and history by attaching the story of each specific fabric to the piece of clothing it became a part of. They then give 10% of their profits to social grassroots ventures across the world.

Serengetee is most known for their “pocket-tees”, which are colorful tee shirts with breast pockets crafted from the fabrics around the world. These tee shirts come with the story of the fabric and craftsmen who made it, raising awareness for that specific area. Sometimes these fabrics were made by people who were at-risk, or who are themselves part of a social venture.

Over the years they have expanded from tee shirts to hats, backpacks, scrunchies, beanies, socks, and even jewelry, but they stay true to their mission in everything they do.

I think that Serengetee is an excellent example of how to do a social venture well. I do not know much about the logistics of their business and how that all works, but from what I can see, they did a good job of starting focused in their mission, their goals, and their methods. In the years of growth since then, they have done what seems to me to be a good act of discernment in expanding certain aspects of their methods and goals by including diverse products, but not diverging too far from their brand, and staying true to their mission. Too many social ventures, especially by young entrepreneurs, are either far too specific or try to diversify themselves much too quickly. But from what I can see, they have avoided this pitfall.

I have followed the growth of Serengetee for the past three years or so and I am interested to see where they go from here, and what we can continue to learn from them.

1 Comment
Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Charity, Clothing, Creating, Fashion, Millennial Entrepreneurs, Social Entrepreneur

Gabrielle Jordan

Posted by Emily Fiol 
· Tuesday, November 5th, 2019 
· 1 Comment

Gabrielle Jordan was 9 when she started her own business. Inspired by 4 previous generations of entrepreneurs in her family, Gabrielle started to sell jewelry to her friends at school and through that her business grew to what is now called Jewlez of Jordan which is a high end online jewelry business that goes to boutiques, trunk shows, fashion shows and other events. Gabrielle’s jewelry is unique and is inspired by a timeless beauty that she wants to reflect by her handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces made with gemstones, crystals and cultured pearls. Gabrielle did not stop with her jewelry business but moved on to inspire other young entrepreneurs by co-founding the ExCEL Youth Mentoring Institute. ExCEL Youth Mentoring Institution is a youth-based online mentoring cite offering resources for entrepreneurship and leadership development. Gabriel also wrote a book, The Making of a Young Entrepreneur: A kids Guide to Developing the Mind-Set for Success. All this has given her the opportunity to become a speaker at many conferences, schools, and community events. Gabriel also has appeared on many news and online publications. Gabriel is also the host of The UV Effect Podcast, this podcast helps listeners discover their unique value, where it gets the name. Through all of this Gabrielle is an inspiration in the entrepreneurial world encouraging and educating new entrepreneurs in their journey of entrepreneurship.

1 Comment
Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Education, Jewelry, Mentorship, Podcast, Women Entrepreneurs

Pura Vida

Posted by Olivia Whiteman 
· Monday, November 4th, 2019 
· 6 Comments

Griffin Thall and Paul Goodman are the founders of the bracelet and jewelry company, Pura Vida.  Pura Vida was started when Thall and Goodman visited Costa Rica in 2010 while they were both still college students.  While there, they fell in love with the place, the colors, and the easy going lifestyle that was common in Costa Rica.  They met two people who were making bracelets on the streets.  Thall and Goodman were distraught when they found out that these two people, while making and selling beautiful bracelets, were struggling to survive and support their families.  Wanting to find a way to help, they ordered 400 bracelets and brought them back to San Diego, where they proceeded to sell them all in one small shop within a few days.

Determined to continue to make a difference, Thall and Goodman started the Pura Vida company, which means “pure life”.  The brand is meant to represent the little things in life and slowing down to live life to the fullest.  Pura Vida is now working with numerous artisans in Costa Rica, selling the handmade bracelets in hundreds of color combinations, all around the world.  They are currently working with over 800 artisans in Costa Rica, as well as in El Salvador, and India, giving the artisans an opportunity to generate a steady and stable income to support themselves and their families.

The simple action of seeing the struggle of bracelet makers in Costa Rica gave Thall and Goodman the idea to create a company and a movement to help not only the people they met on their trip, but others with similar stories, by giving them an outlet to reach a greater market with their bracelets.  This simple idea of wax coated string bracelets has now turned into a company that sells millions of bracelets world wide every year, while supporting artisans who would not otherwise be able to have that type of reach.

 

6 Comments
Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Beauty, Fashion, Jewelry, Redemptive Entrepreneurship, Social Impact
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