This is a story about a man named Robert Felder, who brought some much needed innovation to an outdated production process. One day when he was in high school, he went on a trip to South Asia and discovered the harsh realities of clothing production, and decided to make a change…

Born in Hong Kong and moved to the US as a baby, Felder grew up in a family that travelled a lot. The Felder family lived in Tampa, Florida, and Robert’s father was in the apparel industry, which meant he was exposed to a lot of industry practices and learned a lot about clothing at a young age. When he was in high school, Felder had the opportunity to travel to Bangladesh, one of the top clothing producing countries in the world. During his time there, he was inspired by the culture and learned a lot about the vastness of the clothing industry, but learned that the country was greatly lacking in jobs, and for a country that produced so much clothing, few people had much of their own.

When he returned home, he decided to create his own apparel company at a time when ecommerce was just beginning to emerge into the industry. He established a Buy-One-Give-One policy, donating a pair of shorts for everyone he sold in order to give back to the people in need in Bangladesh. Felder started his apparel company which he eventually named Bearbottom Clothing. The new clothing brand has found outstanding success by focusing on ethical sourcing and sustainable materials, and by giving back to the community.

The company also focuses on giving the customers what they want. By evaluating customer feedback, Bearbottom clothes can focus on providing customers with clothes styled the way they like.

At the end of the day, Robert Felder’s story reminds us that with a little innovation, anyone can change the world.