In 2012, Robert Felder took a trip to Bangladesh where he saw that they were one of the largest apparel manufacturers in the world, yet there were many people living there who couldn’t afford basic clothing. He said, “The fact that they were producing millions of garments right there and the kids just outside didn’t have any clothing on just stuck in my mind”. In 2014, he launched his company, Bearbottom, when he was in college. His market was mainly college kids, since he was one he was trying to make items he would like.
Ethan,
I think this is such a prevalent issue in our world today! The fast fashion industry can disrupt so many lives – including those who work for it.
Robert was passionate about issues that are emphasized by visiting Americans to Bangladesh. While they are used to living in poverty and providing clothes for other people, Robert saw that this needed to change and took action to help those people also reap the benefits of the clothing they’re producing. Sometimes, entrepreneurs need to look at how other cultures are living and attempt to make their lives better and resemble those who live in more developed countries.
I think that being motivated to start a business from wanting to help people in need is a great foundation! His business gives back to the community and you can tell that he actually cares about people and is not just chasing a profit. Being humble is a great quality in a business owner!
It is truly heartbreaking to hear about how the people who make our clothes can’t even afford to own them. This is phenomenal work on Robert’s part and I am glad there are still entrepreneurs like him in the world.